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

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

The freezer make my APM work for a few second. Fixed the isssue by taking the both left and right headphone part from the skeleton and using hair dryer to dry the connecters connects the headphone and skeleton. The issue probably caused by moisture goes into the headphone.

A similar issue has also appeared on a specific line of MacBook Pro laptops, with Apple covering many laptops experiencing the issue under a "special" warranty. I just repaired a 2017 MacBook Pro with the issue, since only 2016 models were covered.

Both repairs (MacBook Pro and AirPods Max) require disassembly, which requires specialized screwdrivers (although they are not hard to find); unfortunately, there's no AirPods Max replacement part available from Apple or 3rd parties that I can source, which meant that I had to microsolder to complete repairs. The part at fault is on step 17 of this guide; the failure may occur on the left or right side, although I've only seen the issue on left side to-date.

Microsoldering is out of the question for all but a few people, and I cannot guarantee that the part/repair won't fail in the future - it's likely not a permanent fix if the heaphones are swiveled. If a replacement part was available, then most iPhone service centres and a few individuals would be able to complete the repair. Please note that "as-is" AirPods Max continue to sell for $250+ on eBay, which makes the repair not worthwhile as a commercial venture from a time and materials point of view.

Outside of what I can only describe as a disconcerting design flaw, the AirPods Max are built extremely well and (unlike many reports) are not prone to humidity migration. Apple's lawyers are asking for proof of damage from humidity and thus far, no one has been able to supply proof. In my personal opinion, a large number of AirPods Max are destined to fail under normal use.

To those reading who have a pair that haven't experienced issues, I wouldn't worry about condensation (although the headband connectors do accumulate oxidation and may require an annual cleaning) and recommend limiting how many times you swivel the headphones.

Hello everyone!

recently I fixed my AirPod max’s which had the same issues

there is a ribbon in the hinge which you need micro soldering to fix its really a hard fix

but I brought the broken ribbon part from eBay and fixed my one

hope this information will help you all !

thanks !

Hi guys, my headphones are not working as well, is only show 3 time amber. However I fix it, not the fridge tips.

first, the way AirPod Max connect between two ear part. Is use a plug, is looks like small iPhone charger. The 3 time amber is maybe standard for can’t connect to other ear. and there is a little hole, which you can use a SIM card pin to open it, and you can separate ear part from headband. I just give a general clean. It works!!!!!

i have been try multiple way to fix it(over week time), but this is the only way works.

wish u guys all the good luck.

Hi jgrosecl, 

Thank you for posting to the Apple Support Communities. 

You may need to charge your AirPods more before trying to reset them again. Please review the following Apple Support articles before charging your AirPods and trying to reset them again: 

• How to charge your AirPods Max and learn about battery life
• How to reset your AirPods Max

Please reply back here if you continue to notice an issue or have any other questions. 

Cheers! 

The freezer works! I had tried everything and no amount of resetting worked. I could only get the flashing amber light three times. For days, I've been agonizing over the mysterious death of my Airpod Maxes. But after reading reports that placing them in the freezer worked, I went ahead and left them in there for about an hour or more. Something miraculous happened in there that brought them back to life. I have no clue what just happened but thank you!

Look I don't know why it works but I put my APM in the case and in the fridge for about half an hour. They immediately came back to life reset correctly and connected to my phone. Worth a try if you're against a wall. I tried everything else.

Freezer trick worked. 45 mins. Had to reconnect them twice, after issues with the headphones not switching over from iPhone to Mac. I guess I'll see how long this workaround lasts; kinda disappointed that a pair of $500 headphones may be going into the trash after 3 years. Even my 10 year old Pioneer DJ headphones are still good as new.

So I haven’t seen anyone suggest this. I’ve clean the connectors, froze and tried to reset mine numerous this but what worked for me is letting them completely die. Take them out of the case take the ear pads out with the speakers facing upwards for a 3 days or more. Once you can guarantee they are dead put them back on a charger and cross your fingers. I got home after work sat down on my couch and they were trying to connect once again. Good luck!

Fully recharge plus reset while wearing them. It works

Hi jgrosecl,

If you have charged your AirPods Max for at least 30 minutes with the charging cable that came with the AirPods Max and reset them, but they're still not pairing, then it would be best to look into service options. You can contact Apple for options or find a nearby service location.

Contact - Official Apple Support

Find Locations

Regards.

I'm not trying to be a jerk; I know what the issue is but can't/won't say on Apple's own support site, and I've successfully repaired units that have this exact issue (intermittent operation for weeks, works after cleaning for weeks, freezer work for a few days, then three flashes and nothing works after that). The root issue is definitely not "normal" levels of moisture; the inside cups - even the pinholes - are very well sealed. The repair is very involved and requires disassembly, but I will say this - do whatever you can to make your out-of-warranty headphones work again - freezer, charging overnight, reset while wearing, incantations - then never (and I mean never) rotate the cups again.

Keep them straight and charge them straight, hide your case and don't worry about battery drain. If you really want to put them to sleep outside of their case, grab a couple of weak magnets and watch the video where to place them. Did I mention not rotating the cups? I'm sure v2 will not have this issue, but for everyone who currently owns a pair, once you start having this issue, you have a limited number of rotations remaining.

Sincerely hopes this helps.

Thanks I sent mine in for repair last week and they claimed corrosion on the headband connectors was the issue. So I had them sent back un-repaired and cleaned them myself. Now I'm having the exact same issue, but they dont connect at all... It's such a shame. I love apple products, but this was a stain and leaves me extremely disappointed with build quality.