 | | Preparations
Read this website's Legal Guidelines and make sure you understand the risks of this repair. Place your Apple iPod 4th Generation on a clean flat and soft surface, such as a rubber mat or a piece of soft cloth and get the required opening tools |
 | | Step 1 The narrow part of the backplate between dock connector and the front plate is the best place to insert the safe open tool. |
 | | Step 2 Slide the tool through the dock connector aperture to create a gap between backplate and frontplate. |
 | | Step 3 Use the gap just created to start separating the backplate from the frontplate. |
 | | Step 4 Slide the spudger towards the edge, holding the open tool down firmly to keep it inside the gap. The goal is to maintain the gap, while you slide the tool around the corner. |
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 | | Step 8 Repeat the last steps and twist the safe open tool. You will need to apply some force here and be patient until the backplate will come loose. |
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 | | Step 10 When the backplate comes loose, raise it and twist it at a 90 degree angle as shown in the image. Be careful not to tear the ribbon cable of the audio jack module. |
 | | Step 11 Pry up the headphone jack module connector to release backplate. Be careful not to damage the pins on the connector. |
 | | Step 12 Pull the Hard drive Cable out of the hard drive. |
 | | Step 14 Set the hard drive aside. |
 | | Step 15 Remove the Torx T5 screw next to the battery connector. |
 | | Step 16 To remove the battery, push the safe open tool between the battery and the frontplate and try to pry the battery upward, glue is strong and will come loose abruptly. Also pry on the opposite side, one of the sides usually comes loose more easily. |
 | | Step 18 This is how the ipod 4th gen battery looks when it is detached from the frontplate/ clickwheel. |
 | | Step 19 If you want to replace the logic board , remove the 6 Torx T5 screws holding it in place. There are two on the bottom, two in the middle and two at the top. |
 | | Step 20 You can now lift up the logic board, but be careful: the clickwheel ribbon cable is still connected. |
 | | Step 21 To remove the clickwheel ribbon cable, open the connector latch. |
 | | Step 22 Open the clickwheel connector. |
 | | Step 23 Lift the 4th generation logic board from the front plate and pull the screen away from the frontplate. |
 | | Step 24 Open the screen connector latch using the safe open tool. |
 | | Step 25 (Optional) Do the same with the hard drive cable connector latch. |
 | | Step 26 (Optional) If you need to replace the clickwheel, firmly push the open tool under the metal part holding the clickwheel in place inside the frontplate. |
 | | Step 27 Slide the tool around entire metal plate to release the glue on all sides. |
 | | Step 28 Carefully release the wheel from the frontplate as shown in image. The edges of the front plate are sharp. Be sure to avoid abrupt movements. |
 | | Step 29 Success! You have fully disassembled your iPod 4th Generation. For re-assembly follow the steps in reverse order. |