[ckhirnigs113]

Hi,

I have a 4G iPod Photo 40gb and I am having quite an ordeal with my battery. About a month ago I started noticing that my battery wasn't lasting near as long as it used to. Not just that, but my battery would drain to nothing while the iPod was turned off.

I have since then replaced the battery "twice" myself, but this has not helped at all. I know it's not a setting on my iPod like the alarm etc... In an effort to fix the problem I have reset, restored (with multiple firmwares) and tried everything in between, but nothing has made any difference.

I am starting to think it must be a hardware issue, like something is always active even when the iPod is turned off. Has anyone experienced anything like this. I am out of warranty, but I really hope I'm not out of luck. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks, Chris

 

[bigshot]

Are you leaving it docked to your computer while the comp is off? I've noticed that drains my iPod.

See ya
Steve

 

[ckhirnigs113]

Thanks for the response, but I charge with the wall charger mostly. I only charge on the computer if I am adding some songs or something.

 

[zip22]

it could also be an issue with the charger itself or the cable.

 

[ckhirnigs113]

I have tried different chargers and switched between charging on the computer and on the a/c charger. Nothing has made a difference.

I have just noticed something that could be a clue to the problem: When I turn off the iPod while my headphones (UM2s) are still in my ears I hear a little static sound at a regular interval. This is with the iPod powered off.

This leads me to believe that something is running or "shorting" even while the iPod is turned off. This would explain the battery drain. I don't know what can be done now. Do you guys have any idea what I could try? Thanks, Chris

 

[kramer5150]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ckhirnigs113 I have tried different chargers and switched between charging on the computer and on the a/c charger. Nothing has made a difference. I have just noticed something that could be a clue to the problem: When I turn off the iPod while my headphones (UM2s) are still in my ears I hear a little static sound at a regular interval. This is with the iPod powered off. This leads me to believe that something is running or "shorting" even while the iPod is turned off. This would explain the battery drain. I don't know what can be done now. Do you guys have any idea what I could try? Thanks, Chris

How many hours of run time are you getting? My friend barely gets 6 hours on hers. Her battery is ~6-7 months old. She was getting around 12-15 hours when it was new, so too a certain extent its normal. I dont think hers would remain powered up as you describe.... it would power down completely.

Garrett

 

[bigshot]

It's send it in to be fixed time.

See ya
Steve

 

[ckhirnigs113]

I am getting about 2 hours of run-time if the ipod is used at all. If I leave it turned off, then it loses a full charge by the end of the day. Again, this is with a brand new battery installed!

So if I do need to get it fixed, who do you recommend for the job? I am well out of warranty with Apple, so what is a reliable option that doesn't have inflated prices that take advantage of the regular "clueless" iPod owner?

Thanks, Chris

 

[derek8555]

Try a firmware upgrade, maybe it will fix the problem?

 

[ckhirnigs113]

I've tried a firmware upgrade (and downgrade) not to mention a few reformats with the restore tool from Apple. Thanks anyway, Chris

 

[ckhirnigs113]

I think I have gotten to the bottom of my problem. I usually use an attenuator (in-line volume control) to remove the hiss from my UM2's (because of their sensitivity), but I just tried the iPod without the attenuation and something very peculiar became apparent.

The hiss is pretty loud, so you can tell when the iPod is turned off or not. The louder the volume is turned up the louder the hiss. I turned off my iPod with my earphones still in and the volume up, and the hiss didn't go away!

It seems the headphone amp is running all the time! This imust be the cause of the battery drain I'm experiencing, but the question is whether it is the headphone amp or the logic board that is causing the problem.

Can anyone advise? Thanks, Chris

 

[hansel_ng]

you could try rockbox, which allows the ipod to be powered down completely, rather than on 'sleep' mode with the ipod.

Wouldn't solve your problem, but could help with the drain experienced without any usage.

I would find a shop (not from apple) that does ipod repairs. They might help you solve your problem at a better price. There are a few in Singapore, where I'm from.

 

[ckhirnigs113]

Haha, the ironic thing is that all my problems were started with Rockbox. I had it installed and working then something screwed everything up after using a USB cable (had used Firewire up until then).

I have not been able to get Rockbox to work for about 2 months now, and I have an ongoing thread over at the Rockbox forums. I am trying to get advice everywhere I can.

Thanks, Chris

 

[ckhirnigs113]

If I took my iPod to the Apple store, do you think they could do anything for me (even though I'm out of warranty)?

 

[bigshot]

As far as docking goes, iPods are either Firewire or USB2. You can't use them interchangably. If your iPod is a Firewire one, make sure you dock it with Firewire. You can use USB2 to power the iPod and charge it, but not to sync. Your problem may be related to using the wrong dock.

Chuck rockbox and try to restore to stock Apple firmware. Use a couple of firewire docks if you have problems.

If that fails, you can get it serviced at Apple for a fee.

See ya
Steve