Ipod Video (5th Gen) No Sound / Heavy Static - Read This! - Quick Fix Found

I will join you in this cathartic graveyard. My Ipod is a bit older, but it has been taken care of and has never been dropped/mistreated. I was hoping the right corner pinch of death wouldn't work on mine, but it did. I am disappointed in this all powerful brand that it can't fix such a rudimentary issue.

Adding on another disatisaction with the service.

I recieved my original 5th gen 80 gig ipod back in 2006 as a christmas present. One day in Spring 2009 while on a study abroad in Germany, the sound chip became detached and I had to get a new ipod. After arguing with the German retailer and explaining about the defect, then agreed that I would receive a free replacement.

Now it is Spring 2011 and the replacement ipod- a 5th gen 80 gig - is having the exact same defect. When calling customer support this time however, support is claiming that testing was done and the defect is not a manufacturing defect and I can either repair or replace the ipod out of my own pocket.

This is a defect in the product. I should not be forced to pay for a repair or a replacement. At the least, they could lower the cost of the repair of this specific problem since it appears in an overwhelming number of this model.

Hello,

I was facing the same problem and thanks to this thread I got a new iPod. Like many to you advised I went to the store and told about this issue and the genius (yeah right) said he does not know about this issue. He referred me to the store manager. I explained it to the store manager and that guy kept on repeating the mantra that "the iPod is out of warranty and the replacement program has ended". I realized the manager would not heed me and hence left the store.

next day I called up apple 800 number (800-275-2273). the first person clearly explained to me that replacement cannot be made and told me the same story as the manager. He also told me that I went to store and consulted a genius and that did not work (I was impressed at the way they manage their information). I explained him why it did not work and asked for a product specialist. He transferred me to one warning "Sir, do not get excited because im transferring you to a product specialist. he might tell you the same".... He was right, he told me the same. he told me that APPLE STOPPED DOING THIS SOMEWHERE DURING MID JAN 2011. However, I told him that there are plp who still got replacements after that and hence his argument has some inconsistencies. He then rejected my argument and asked me if I can speak to a "customer relations person". I was reluctant before, but then told him, yeah why not. The customer relations person, apologized to me about the problem and confirmed the problem. Immediately he goes, "sir as a one time exception, we are going to give you a replacement Ipod". he asked me to go a certain apple store and get my new ipod 30 gig 5th gen (probably refurb).

Moral of the story: be persistent - dont give up!

Thank you so much for all those who posted!. this forum really helped.

I too had the same problem with the sound dying on my 30GB 5th Generation ipod about a week ago, after it working perfectly for 4 ½ years. After all the money I spent on this one I felt that I couldn't afford to purchase another ipod if it was going to die after a few years and thought about getting a Sony, but I read through these forums and decided to bring it in to the Apple store to see what they could do for me. The tech at the Genius Bar hadn't heard about pressing on the corner to get sound. He said with it out of warranty he could replace it with the same one for $59 but he had to order it from their warehouse. I thought that didn't seem too bad so I agreed, but after coming home I read in more detail how people were having it replaced for free by telling the tech about pressing in the corner. If I pressed in just the right spot on the bottom right corner (right below the wheel) I could get a bit of sound. I went back today to pick up my "new" ipod (I'm assuming it was refurbished) and explained what I had read and that it was a known manufacturing defect. The tech told me there was no documentation from Apple about this model and that I couldn't have it replaced outside of the warranty. I asked to speak with a manager and told her about all the postings on here. She had me pull up this thread and I showed her how for many people the tech would bring the ipod in the back and research the problem and offer a free replacement. She said they don't replacement ipods based on the forums, but as a onetime courtesy she would replace it. So I ended up not having to pay the $59 and am syncing my new 30GB ipod right now, which came with a 90 day warranty. If I can get another 4 ½ years out of this one it will be awesome and I’ll feel like I got my monies worth. Thanks to everyone who posted on here and for those of you with the same problem, just be persistent and ask to speak with a manager. Thanks Apple!

I tried to call apple and get them to replace my 5th gen Ipod (that I have taken VERY good care of for 4.5 yrs.) that just started having this issue (no sound, pinch the right hand corner and sound plays for a second). I was unlucky. The Senior Tech Advisor told me that they are no longer doing that bc their engineers say it is NOT a mfg defect-but she couldn't freaking tell me WHAT IS WRONG WITH IT. I wish it would have happened 8 months prior, then I'd be one of the lucky ones to get my iPod replaced. I can't even afford to send it to a 3rd party to fix it let alone fork out $129 for a refubed iPod. I am completely livid and now I have a busted iPod, thousands of songs I cannot listen to. I hate Apple. My PCs lasts longer than this piece of junk....and is still working after ELEVEN years. My cell phones last longer than this piece of junk. I am completely disgusted with Apple. If I ever have some money laying around I'll purchase another mp3 player but it won't be an iPod.😠

"If you open up the ipod, the big chip on the bottom right (where you would be pressing from the front)... ie. the big square chip sitting in the corner is the audio decoder labelled P5021C-TDF. This chip isn't attached properly to the logic board, obviously it works itself loose over time. You get sound when you press firmly on this chip - which is effectively what you are doing when you press on the bottom right corner of the Ipod." (Ipod_wrecker)

If you have no sound either through USB or headphone jack, it is this chip that is bad. Your logic board is bad. It is 69$ for a new one and very easy to replace. There is also the other way too fix it. Remove the logic board completely. Place on aluminuim foil, with a stack of quarter ontop of the chip. Atleast 5, though 10 would be better. Place in pre heated oven @ 400 degrees for twenty minutes. Turn oven off and let logic board cool down while sitting in oven. Cool down takes minimun 30 minutes. Re-assemble. Enjoy. Worked for me, and if you cant use it what do you have to loose. The board is already bad, so maybe this can save you 70 bucks.

Hello,

I can't believe this thread is still active after over 4 years. I'm glad it is though and I have good news to report for those that find themselves in the same situation.

I've had my iPod video 30GB since November of 2006 (nearly 5 years). A few weeks ago, my audio started crackling then cut out. It then worked sporadically for short periods for the next few days and then nothing. I thought it was the audio jack so I ordered an audio adapter for the dock but that didn't work either. That's when I searched the web and found this thread. Tried the trick of pinching the lower right corner and boom - sound was fine. But I had to pinch very hard or it cut out again.

The nearest Apple store is about 60 miles away, so that wasn't an option - but thanks to all the posts on this thread, I knew what to expect when I called customer service (800-275-2273). And it went pretty much as expected - the first tech clearly explained to me that a replacement cannot be made and told me the same story as reported here before: they did replacements for a while, but not any more - I could get it serviced for $129. I mentioned this thread and how some customers had free replacements after that period. Answer: "That's third party information" - or basically just hearsay. I asked to speak to his supervisor - exact same story. Then I asked to speak to a customer relations specialist. I explained the same to the customer relations specialist who then put me on hold for a few minutes to "review my file". When he came back on the line, he immediately said that he could see that I was good apple customer and they wanted to do everything they could to remedy the situation. They would repair or replace the iPod for free. They would send an empty box with free return shipping right out. He wanted to know if I was happy with that. You betcha! I wasn't going to say or do anything to annoy anyone at that point. Express overnight everything. Turnaround was like 3-4 business days total (including them shipping the box to me, me shipping the ipod to them and them shipping the new ipod back to me). 90 day warranty on the new iPod (same model).

I haven't been an Apple user forever. I've only had the ipod - and more recently a MacBook Pro for work. I'm not sure if others would have the same beneficial treatment from Apple if Apple didn't already "know" them from other products.

I have to say that I don't baby my iPod either, it gets dropped frequently - but it does live in a protective neoprene sleeve, and it's always been fine after being dropped. The problems arose randomly one day - not after any incident.

Moral of the story: Be polite, persistent, and work your way up until you get to the customer relations specialist - no one else will budge.

-JJ

Me too. Thanks to this thread I pinched it and sound returned. I tore it apart and looked at the chip with a lupe. Couldn't "see" anything loose. Reflowing the solder is a thought (baking it, though I've read you can reflow with heat guns and even tea candles). I just buttoned it back up and put a paper clamp on it. Mine is older and little used and even so I don't really expect such a device to last more than a few years with normal usage so I don't think I'll lean on Apple, though it's tempting since this thing was problematic it's whole life, only gave decent service for about 18 months then wouldn't hold charge, got "buggy" and I cracked the screw eye holes on the black plastic so they probably (and rightfully) would balk at that....I digress. If you're cheap and don't want to hassle, this works (see picture, small paper "clamp")....for now. Can fold the handles back against the casing and it doesn't interfer. Mine is in my car 24/7 (since, despite new battery, it won't hold a charge more than 15 minutes). It's my mobile audio slave and that's all I now ask of it.

this covers this ipod and issue now.

support.apple.com/kb/ht1752

I tried baking mine as instructed with no luck. The freezer trick works only if I press on the corner. Would you suggest baking for a longer ammount of time or some other method of reflowing the solder?

As an Apple Customer in South Africa i must say im very disappointed.

Apple refuse to recognise the issue and have sent me from pillar to post with nothing but.

We care, know there's an issue, but "CANT" do anything as we stopped replacing!

Its disgusting that because my IPOD took longer to stop making Sound from the Earphone jack as well as the docking connector that they aren't doing the same for me as other clients.

if anyone happens to have a copy of TS2494 i would love to see it. As Apple have conveniently removed this document from their website. Suppose it'll cost to much money to admit the issue.

Do you have the name of the person you spoke to in customer relations? as i am just getting the runaround and its very frustrating as im calling from South AfricA.?

So now on my third call to Apple US from South Africa, an hour and a half later - speaking to a customer relations person named Derrek, he's apologised for the inconvenience, told me the product is out of warranty and im waiting to hear what he can do....

....... Still waiting on hold, this call 30:33 mins long already....

And..... i got a $ 85 discount ......

I will join in on this issue now...

I can't believe that there are so many posts and views on this thread! My iPod just did this. Not happy. I will try to go to an Apple store and see if they do anything.

I think this issue is likely tied to early assembly problems that

occurred throughout the industry when the world had to convert to lead free solder.

The new solder requires a hotter temp to reflow, and the old FR4 circuit boards

could not withstand the new process without degradation.

Definitely an assembly defect