iPod 4G 20GB Won't Charge (Boots, Beeps, and Exits)

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iPod 4G 20GB Won't Charge (Boots, Beeps, and Exits)

So, I have this older iPod 4G 20GB with the Click-Wheel and B&W screen. It was given to me a few years back by a friend who had gotten a newer model. It worked great at the time but for one reason or another, I set it aside for a couple of years until a month ago when I decided to take it out of mothballs.

I plugged it into my Windows XP Pro computer and it still took a partial charge but was only good for about 10-15 minutes. Obviously, it needed a new battery. I checked online and found it was easy and inexpensive enough to replace myself. So, I ordered a new one off of eBay and swapped it out (again a pretty easy thing to accomplish). This was roughly one week ago.

Next, I plugged the iPod into my computer again and this time it charged up fully (Yay!). Now I had a working iPod and was a happy camper again (or so I thought). When the battery got down low I took and plugged it back into my computer for charging and synching. Here's where the problem happened.

When I connect the iPod to the USB cable my computer DOES NOT recognize the device.
The iPod itself shows me a steady icon of a battery outline with a black-filled lightning bolt on the left-hand side of the battery. I assume the obvious here in that this icon means low/no charge left in the battery which as mentioned above is BRAND NEW.
Now for the part that I don't understand at all.
- If I keep the iPod plugged into the USB port on my computer, every few minutes Windows XP plays the tone you hear when a USB device is recognized.
- If you look at the iPod when this happens it appears to be in its proper boot process (i.e. Apple icon and "do not disconnect" warning are visible) seems to be back in business.
- Simultaneously though, the iPod plays a series of 3 double beeps followed by a single beep (i.e. beep-beep, beep-beep, beep-beep, beep).
- After the sequence of beeps:
  - Windows XP plays the USB tone again
  - The iPod re-displays the low battery/lightning bolt icon
The above sequence repeats itself every couple of minutes so long as the iPod is connected to the USB cable. Trust me when I say that all this beeping is annoying to say the least.

Things I've tried:

Disassembled the iPod to re-check the battery connections (all look okay to me)
Plugged into a USB wall charger (no joy but I hadn't realized that a Firewire adapter is required prior to last night)
Rebooted my computer with the iPod connected (no joy)
Plugged into multiple USB ports on my computer (no joy)
Tried another USB adapter cable for my computer (no joy)
Attempted to reboot with the center/menu button while the iPod was in its "active" mode (i.e. during the "beeping" period - no joy)
I even tried the "hit it on the desktop/floor/wall" solution that people have mentioned (obviously no joy there either)

So, that's my problem. An iPod with a new battery was working fine and I now I can't seem to do anything with it.

I've done my best to describe everything that's transpired but please ask if you thing I omitted anything pertinent. If anyone can offer advice, assistance, thoughts, or whatnot then it would be MOST appreciated.

Thanks for your time!

Chris

P.S. I am not opposed to buying a Firewire wall adapter if someone think that there's a reasonable chance that it will resolve things. If this iPod is beyond help then that's fine but I won't leave any stone unturned before I call it a day. I prefer not to blindly lay out cash trying to figure it out though. I imagine most folks would understand that. Thanks again.

Posted on Nov 21, 2014 1:24 PM

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Answer 1

Nov 21, 2014 7:46 PM in response to roguefate

Thanks for an excellent summary...

I have one of those (with a 64GB compact flash card on an adapter to replace a bad hard drive). That model should work with NO battery if it is connected to a good power source. As a test (if you don't mind opening it again), you can try disconnecting the battery and with the casing not fully closed, connect it to power (USB port on computer). Any difference with regard to the "beeping"?

Plugged into a USB wall charger (no joy but I hadn't realized that a Firewire adapter is required prior to last night)

The 4th gen iPod works with either USB or FireWire. It's the first iPod that can charge over USB. So a USB power adapter should work, as long as it is supplying enough power. Some third-party chargers do not. Any Apple power adapter should work.

As a test, shut down (power off) your computer and disconnect all USB devices (including any hubs). You can leave standard keyboard/mouse connected, if used. If the computer is a laptop, connect its power adapter so that it's not running on battery power. Start up computer, run iTunes, and connect iPod to a direct USB port on computer by itself.

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Answer 2

roguefate Author

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Nov 24, 2014 8:14 PM in response to Kenichi Watanabe

Hello,

Thank you for your suggestions. The results of each test are given below.

I removed the battery and plugged the iPod into the USB port. The iPod re-displays the low battery/lightning bolt icon but the beeping behavior is no longer occurring. I also tried using my wall plug/adapter to test the iPod sans battery and it was the same behavior again.

I attempted the re-boot and connect to iTunes test twice. Once WITHOUT the battery connected and the other time WITH the battery plugged in. The result was the same in both instances. iTunes doesn't recognize the device and I can't seem to force it to connect in any way, shape, or form.

So, obviously I am still stuck with an iPod that worked fine one and wouldn't connect the next.

If you have a additional thoughts or suggestions then I would be very grateful if you would please share them with me. I'd really like to get this guy running again. If that means spending a reasonable amount of money then I'm not opposed to that notion. On the other hand, if the unit is beyond help then that's just how it is.

Thanks again! Hopefully you can suggest something else to try.

Best regards,

Chris

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Answer 3

Nov 24, 2014 10:05 PM in response to Kenichi Watanabe

I was wrong on one point... The 4th gen iPod will not work if the battery is disconnected but connected to power. I just tried it. I had it confused with the older 3rd gen iPod, which does operate normally with no battery, if connected to power. Sorry about that...

If I connect my 4th gen iPod with battery disconnected to the computer's USB, I get the battery icon showing low charge. That's what you described, so if nothing else, your iPod is behaving normally with no battery. 🙂

When the battery has a very low charge, the iPod's screen shows that same low charge battery icon. When the battery charges enough (a few minutes), the iPod starts up. But if the battery is faulty and not taking a charge, or if the iPod is faulty and not charging the battery, I think the iPod may just continue to show that low charge battery icon "forever."

So, I think those two possibilities are most likely. (1) The battery you received is faulty, although it charged once. (2) Your iPod is taking power, but is not charging battery. I think (1) is more likely, because why would your iPod stop being able to charge the battery after it DID charge the new battery once. If you broke something taking the iPod apart, it would not have charged the new battery once.

Do you still have the old battery? It may be worn out, but it was still working. If you have it, put it back in the iPod. Try connecting it to the computer's USB. It may have zero charge, so be sure to leave it connected for a few minutes (if you get that low charge battery icon). If the iPod eventually starts up and operates normally while connected to power, the cause is (1) and you should contact the eBay seller to request a refund.

If the iPod does not start up at all and stays at the battery icon, even when you do the Reset (restart) procedure, it may be (2) but more trouble-shooting is needed.

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Answer 4

roguefate Author

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Nov 25, 2014 10:28 AM in response to Kenichi Watanabe

Hello,

Thanks again for your feedback!

Well, I could have done something (inadvertently) of negative affect during the dis-assembly and re-assembly of the unit while swapping out the battery. Really though, changing the battery on this guy isn't rocket science if you're careful and take your time. So, I tend to agree that I did get it right because initially it all worked as it is supposed to.

As I said, I did re-open the case to check the battery connection when I first encountered the issue. I guess I was hoping that re-seating the battery connector would somehow act as a "hard" reset. Obviously, that is not the case.

Regarding the old battery, I have since discarded it because it was literally bulging over about 1/3 of its thickness when I removed it. Clearly that's not a good sign so thought it best to get rid of it because I just didn't want to leave it to chance. Therefore, testing with the old battery isn't an option for me.

The price that I paid for the replacement wasn't unreasonable so I won't incur a significant loss. At the same time, this battery isn't an OEM product (can you even get them for this model?). No doubt that that is probably playing into things. I would request a refund but unfortunately I am outside of the return window.

As of now, I'm considering re-ordering a new battery from the same seller and testing its integrity. Either way, whether it works or not I'll return a faulty battery and request a refund. This is probably my best option.

Thank you again!

Best regards,

Chris

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Answer 5

Nov 25, 2014 1:11 PM in response to roguefate

A battery is just a battery, so being "OEM" isn't that critical. But it needs to be of good quality, like the part Apple used (which was probably made in some of the same factories). I buy stuff from eBay with generally good experience. However, I did recently have a problem with a faulty replacement battery for my iPhone 3GS. The old battery is still "OK" so I have not reordered. I may go through a large retailer's web site this time, such as Newegg (or Amazon). Although they often act as a storefront for smaller vendors, I'm hoping for better quality control. For the 4th gen iPod, here's one of many listings

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=0SC-001U-000K2

Apple-centric reseller OWC also sells batteries for iDevices. I trust them the most, but the price is significantly higher

http://eshop.macsales.com/Catalog_Page.cfm?Parent=1225&Title=iPod%20Batteries&Te mplate=1/

I may buy my iPhone 3GS replacement battery from them. They even produce installation videos, like this

http://eshop.macsales.com/installvideos/ipod_4g_bat/

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Answer 6

roguefate Author

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Dec 4, 2014 7:03 PM in response to Kenichi Watanabe

Hello Again!

So, I went ahead and bought another battery for my iPod (this time from Radio Shack). I changed it out and plugged into my computer's USB port. Next, the computer recognizes the iPod and launches iTunes. Now it seems like things are back to normal as I expected/hoped and I left it to charge up all day.

I checked on the iPod after about 6 hours plugged into the USB port. I am now back at square one. The iPod displays the low battery/lightning bolt icon and the recognize, connect, beep, and disconnect sequence/behavior is occurring all over.

It now seems clear that this is NOT a battery issue. I assume that it's either something with the input connector on the iPod or an internal issue. Conceding those points, is there a reasonable chance to correct the issue without major "surgery" on the unit? I'm comfortable with attempting most repairs but will admit that small electronics and circuitry are not really up my alley. Like I said though, with enough information I'm willing to try and fix it.

On the other hand, my gut is telling me that selling it on eBay "for repair" is where this will all end up. If that is the case then I can handle that. I just want to make a last ditch effort if it's possible.

Thanks!

Best regards,

Chris

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