August 2014
My son has gifted me with his cast-off iPod Classic 30gb player. Unfortunately, the battery life is only about 15-20 minutes of playing before it goes dead. Does anyone know of a way to recondition the battery?
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I had one of those (30 GB Classic iPod) and the best thing you can do is simply buy a new battery for $5 - $10 on eBay. You can even get a kit with tools to help you take it apart (that's the $10 end). It's easy to take apart that iPod, there are several YouTube videos to help you do it.
The first iPods were famous for the irreplaceable battery, and they are extremely hard to open. IFixit considers the iPod Classic battery replacement "Very difficult", and you can find some YouTube videos on opening and replacing the battery if you dare to do it yourself.
If you wish to continue using your son's iPod Classic as a portable music player but don't want to risk damaging it, consider attaching a portable external battery. If your iPod Classic uses a USB cable to charge, then buy an external USB battery which can supply 5 volts and at least 0.85 Amps (850 milliAmps). Some are as large as the iPod, so just tape it back-to-back, and use the shortest USB cable between them. They are rechargeable from any other USB port, and will be useable with smartphones if you desire to retire that iPod.
Forget the old battery and buy a new Lenmar Replacement Battery for iPod Classic 5 G (30 Gb) This battery replaces 616-0230 and EC008-2. Amazon carries them for around $15. The Portable Rechargeable Battery Association (PRBA) highly recommends against using reconditioned lithium ion batteries and I would assume this also applies to lithium polymer batteries due to their propensity for catching fire. I found one web site that advocated a repeated freeze and charge process but for $15 i would buy a new, known battery versus trying to resurrect a possibly defective unit.
