Anyone have an iPod successfully repaired?

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

I can't live without this gizmo and it's having issues. It's a 30GB iPod, about 3.5 yrs. old and it's getting some black lines across the display and won't play more than about four songs before freezing up and requiring a reboot. Lots of local places on Craigslist offer repair for these, but (it's Sunday and they're closed today) I'm wondering if this stuff can be fixed or if it's cheaper in the end to buy a new one.

deanp · 06-21-2009, 03:36 PM

I replaced the display on mine easily (also a 30GB about the same age) after it cracked when the glove box door was closed on it. Not sure what is causing the freezing, but if you have all the music backed up on your computer it may be worth doing a full restore to factory settings and loading it back up. I think I replaced the monitor for $50-$60. Got the parts online with the plastic tools to pry open the case.

ruf-porsche · ruf-porsche's Garage

Sound like your motherboard is on the way out. Cheaper to buy a new IPOD instead of fixing the old one.

I fix IPODs as a hobby and most of the 15000 plus songs on my Itune comes from other peoples ipods that I brought to repair.

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

How long do you think I have on this iPod before it totally dies? This started about two weeks ago. Anything I should look out for in my next iPod that will last longer than this one?

porsche4life · porsche4life's Garage

Get a touch. They rock.

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

I just want something reliable for music. I'll never put any video on it and can't imagine I'd use even half the memory. I just want durability.

porsche4life · porsche4life's Garage

Buy the 16gb. You wont need it for all music but the free apps are cool. Gives you something to play with on the plane.

ruf-porsche · ruf-porsche's Garage

Backup all your songs on your Ipod and perform a restore on the IPOD. It will restore the IPOD to when it was new, but you will lose all your songs. The hard drive is the other item that could be failing on your IPOD. Restoring the IPOD may buy you some time. If you don't play videos on you IPOD and you don't use the full 30 GB capacity, I would look into a player that has flash memory and not a hard drive. If you brought most of your library from Itune you are limited to an IPOD or IPOD touch. IPOD nano has flash memory, but replacing a battery is not just unplug and replug. All nano requires soldering skills.