What does it mean when AirPods Max blink amber 3 times?

What does it mean when you try the "crown + ANC" reset on AirPods Max, and all it does is blink amber three times before going dark, and never going to white?



[Re-Titled by Moderator]


Posted on Apr 2, 2023 1:18 PM

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Posted on Mar 23, 2024 10:17 AM

This isn’t my video, but is exactly how I’ve fixed the issue. Basically, follow this guide to step 9 for just the left ear cup (at first), then skip to step 17 and confirm that the part in step 17 is broken/affected (you can’t see if your pair has the issue until you remove the part). The part won’t be completely broken, but you’ll see an obvious split that has developed due to the swivel action over time. There’s a prescient comment in the info text (beside the italicized i within a circle) that basically predicts this issue. Remove the part, repair it as per the video, and reassemble. Some notes:




All affected units that I have repaired had three amber LED blinks followed by no white upon reset and no amount of “tricks” could overcome this


All units previously developed sporadic issues over time that became progressively more frequent


Cleaning headband connectors, freezing, and resetting while wearing all worked for a brief period of time


(The temporary fixes make perfect sense when you realize how the issue develops over time)


As I previously mentioned, only the left earcup has been affected in the units I’ve seen - not sure if this is always the case


The repair is almost guaranteed to be temporary if the units continue to be swiveled - although no units have been returned to me so far


Disassembly and repair requires specialized screwdrivers and driver bits (screwdrivers will be too long to properly reach some screws), a microscope (the connections are ~0.2mm wide), temperature-controlled soldering iron with a 0.2mm micro soldering tip, 0.2mm repair wire, X-acto knife, solder paste and/or flux and solder 


My repair uses a far shorter repair wire than in the video as ongoing flexibility is paramount




Some repair shops and individuals will have this equipment and will be able to carry out the repair, which now takes me about an hour from start to finish, with the majority of time spent micro soldering and testing for electrical shorts




Sincerely hope that this information helps; the units are so good when they work that they become endearing, and I’m gutted when perfectly good electronics have to be thrown away

49 replies

Mar 20, 2024 6:04 AM in response to jgrosecl

Same problem. My wife's AirPods Max, from yesterday didn't connecting to any devices.

And trying to make hard-reset shows always 3-times blinkings amber lights.

When cable connected to AirPods Max - I see Green light - it's mean 90+% batterly.

When I enable "pariting state" with any devices - white light blinking but any device can't detect earphones =(


I already took off headband and clean contacts. But nothing help (


Any tips or ideas?

Apr 15, 2024 1:40 PM in response to Snowlock_

I'd normally say to pick up a set at your local electronics supply store, but most are long gone! Any large online retailer that starts with "A" will have kits that say "MacBook and iPhone" repair set with 30+ pieces or so for <$20. You should ensure that the kit contains the drivers listed on the iFixit site: Pentalobe P5, Torx T1-T5, and Phillips #00 (as bits - not screwdrivers).


As for the part that's prone to break, my posts with that information don't seem to make it through the filters here. Try checking out Reddit threads for additional information.


Best of luck in your repair adventures!

May 15, 2024 1:02 AM in response to vidura272

Hey Would you be able to give us more details please? Axmonti seems to know how to fix it too but without changing the ribbon.

  • What's the reference to the ribbon part you are talking about please?
  • Did you follow the step on iFixit teardown? There is a way to replace the ribbon at step 17?
  • On which earpiece did you perform the fix?


I'm keen to try to fix mine and make a step by step guide for others to follow.

Thanks

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What does it mean when AirPods Max blink amber 3 times?

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