Thank you so much for posting this! I bought these headsphones a couple years ago for $300, so very stoked they could be fixed! The battery in the left earbud would not hold a charge for more than 45 minutes. I bought a battery kit and tools on Amazon and actually used my wife's hair dry to soften the glue (it worked great)!
Yeah, i had exactly the same issue... and the left one is getting got in case... I read (think on ifixit) that some explodes... Be careful when you switch the battery. On ifixit its recommded to drain the battery to zero. So u cant make a shortcut
You ROCK! I want to give a helpful tip here as I am older and could not squeeze hard enough after heating to get the side to pop open. I used a hair dryer…after hot I quickly wrapped the bud in a protective rag and "gently" used a pair of pliers and squeezed in the oblong manner and the side popped right open for me to get a plastic tool in there. No scratches or damage. The trick is to be patient and heat the earbud up thoroughly as the glue is softened and the plastic of the earbud is much more pliable. Hope that helps someone!
Thank you so much for the video! I was able to replace the batteries in both earbuds following this guide - they used to die after 20 minutes, now they're back lasting for hours again!
@@GutCars firmware shouldnt matter, you're not replacing software, its just the battery. Any inherent battery inefficiencies with firmware will persist after battery switch, this is just to replace drained faulty battery
Thanks for making this video and also showing the "sticking points" rather than cutting them out. It's much more helpful to see where there might be a bit of a struggle to get things done. Much appreciated.
First off thanks for a well paced and excellently narrated tutorial. Certainly made things a lot less scary. A couple of things to share for other following in my footsteps. When trying to prise apart the case I found the tools supplied with my batteries were pretty useless. They were chipping and disintegrating so I just got a sharp knife and rested the blade on the crack. The two side just gently widened then came apart buttery smooth. Hardly any pressure required and no damage. My first battery swap was exactly as this video but the other ear bud gave me a bit of grief. The ribbon cable that has the black part that lifts up to release it was just not coming out of it's housing. So much so I reached the point of thinking this is gonna break. So I cut out the middleman and left it connected put the black locking bit back down and tried to see if the battery would come out. It did, surprisingly easy and there was enough space to remove it leaving the adhesive pad in place on both sides of the battery. Essentially you don't need to unclip the smaller ribbon cable if you are confident or if it, like mine, refuses to budge. Other than that smooth sailing. Good luck all.
Awesome! Yes, great tip about that ribbon cable - I've heard from others that they were able to replace the battery without removing it - goad it worked!
As you see in the video, that small ribbon cable has a "I"shape to lock it in (in addition to the lock tab), it needs to be lifted slightly first, then it comes out easy without force.
@@user-rs8zg8ey2bYOUR COMMENT SHOULD BE PINNED! Too many people don't know about ribbon cable tabs at the connector. Watching this video (which is excellent), all I kept thinking was: lift and pull, lift and pull.
Thanks for giving me the confidence to attempt this, I'm back to usable buds again. Shame on you, sony, for ignoring your mistake and, not doing the decent thing. I'll be avoiding you in future
Be very careful when connecting the circuit boards as shown at 13:58. Do your best to make sure you have them correctly aligned before applying pressure to snap them together. I just replaced batteries in 4 of these earbuds. 3 went as planned, but the 4th earbud was ruined when a couple of the microscopic prongs in those connectors bent while I tried to snap them together - probably due to poor alignment. As a result, the outer part of the earbud was totally nonfunctional after I put them together. But hey, three out of four ain't bad when the alternative was to trash the buds entirely!
Thanks for providing this tutorial. I also followed other comments of not having tu unplug the ribbon cable on the battery. Opening is probably the hardest part and the squeezing will only work when its hot enough
I'm so grateful to you. I had problems with the left hearing aid and I thought about discarding them, even though I like the sound and cancellation so much (I live in Guatemala and there is no official support or distribution, in fact the hearing aids were expensive and came from the United States because they are not sold here). But thanks to your video I felt qualified to replace the battery. So, I bought them on eBay, two weeks later they arrived, yesterday I made the change and now they are working as before. Thanks, thanks.
Absolute legend, thank you! So much better than the ifixit instructions. Sony won't honour their extended warranty so I'll repair them myself, but this is a lifesaver. I don't feel like I'm going in blind now. Lesson learned though - Dont buy Sony earbuds every again! Their aftersales and customer service team are awful.
Hey man, in the small off chance that you see my reply, Sony will honour their extended warranty if you talk to the right representative. I got a pair used from an online auction and spoke with someone this morning. I told them I didn't have my proof of purchase as it was a gift for christmass in 2022 and the person who purchased paid for it in cash and didn't think to keep a receipt for over a year. The representative then asked me to wait a second, and when they responded again they said the email with the label has been sent and that I do not need to provide proof of purchase, and when it states that it's out of warranty that does not matter as Sony will cover the entire cost. I may have to wait until mid-february for them to be replaced as they said they are waiting on more parts but I sent them in today as I had already received a label that they paid for and was informed they will just be giving me a new pair that has the issue resolved that they will pair to my current case. Edit: I do have to state that I live in the United States and SONY USA has been pretty good at sending replacements outside of warranty probably due to our consumer laws. I am unsure if Canada or other countries are the same.
This video is better than horror movies. I was scared at each step and thought i'll have an heartbreak before the end ! Thanks for the tuto ! I'll defnitiely try if no other issue
I just got mine back from New York from repair. They are working as they were New again. Sony shipped to and from and fixed for free. A downloaded update caused this issue of not holding a charge for more that 5 minutes each side. Sony took care of the problem for me. Thanks for the vids
Thanks for the video - I managed to replace one of my headphone batteries which had gone - headphones are as good as new now, holding charge perfectly. Watching someone else go first gives me the confidence to fix things rather than just throw them away, as well as save money!
Awesome video. I've just repaired one of my earbuds with your tutorial. I'd just add a note to say to open the earbud after applying heat, I've applied pliers, VERY gently, pressing on the sides where the parts are glued, not on top of the main surfaces. That allowed it to have a slight opening from where I could slide through the rest and separate the parts. Put some fabric where the pliers are pressing to avoid marks on the surface of the plastic. All this very very gently and it's working as new. Thanks.
This was a great tutorial. For those who may struggle with initially opening up the earbuds (like I did), you can use the corner of a door jamb (where the door and the hinges meet) to apply pressure and pop the case, by putting the earbud in the space between where the door and the hinge will meet, as well. Works way better and doesn't hurt your hands! Be careful though!
Thanks a lot for this video! I have not even tried to remove the small flat cable, instead I have just pulled up the top from the battery and carefully replaced it. As long as you don't bend the cable too much, it'll be fine and the risk of damaging it by removing it seems higher to me than by bending it. I have also used a standard glue to fix them, since I don't expect to open the buds up again in the future.
7 місяців тому+2
Thank you mate, I was able to replace the battery and also glued the two halves with your suggested glue, you saved me £200 👍
Thank you sir, replaced my battery just now! Hopefully that resolves the battery drain issue. Really disappointed in Sony considering how expensive these earphones were at launch.
@@YohanesRobbydo you solve it? I have same firmware and my left earbud is dead after 15 min (but i never use it much as right one). Do you have also problem with left one?
@@marianmachacek i change battery on my MX3 and fix it (before 2H, after 6H). its not firmware issue, but battery health. on my MX4 i replace with new one (under warranty) because sony told that is firmware issue so i can claim warranty
From what I've read, it seems to be an overheating issue caused by a previous firmware that degraded/damaged the battery. So the physical battery is damaged, swapping it and having the latest firmware should resolve it. Still inexcusable to be punished by sony for their mistake on such an expensive product!
@@Crazy09starkillor Could be done on purpose to generate battery sales .Which explains why they're using the specific zeni power battery for these buds.
great video and really helpful.... a lit tip.. if you're struggling to separate the 2 halves after the heating phase. I used a small wood working clamp and slowly applied pressure and if you do it slowly enough the sides start to separate
Thanks. I had a feeling it's not hard if you're used to electronics repair. My left drains in 4hrs now and shuts off. Going to be replacing both batteries 👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾 "subbed"
Just ordered the batteries, doing my own replacement soon. Looks like the XM5's are having the same issue and I'm definitely not getting new earbuds from Sony any time soon.
Thanks for the video. I would like to add that you could separate the two halves enough to remove the battery without disconnecting the cables and you might have to lift the spring contacts slightly to establish positive contact with the replacement battery.
Thanks a lot for this video. Out of a sudden, my batteries were down to 25 minutes and my ear buds were pretty useless. So I ordered new batteries, repair tools, glue and started motivated, but directly failed to open the buds. First I thought it was because I only used a hair dryer to heat them up, but in the end it worked nicely using water pump pliers. Replacing the first battery took me like an hour, the second was done in 5 minutes. So instead of buying new ones for ~300€ I got the old ones back for just ~30€. Nice one 🙂
@@ificanfixitsocanyou "Plumbing Pliers are also known as tongue and groove pliers, water pump pliers, adjustable pliers, groove-joint pliers, arc-joint pliers, multi grips, and channellocks" Just a multigrip pliers.
It worked! Wow never thought I would be able to fit the buds. Thought it was the firmware, downgraded it. But didn't thought there's just a little battery inside. One tip, remove the black stuff at the points where + and - are of the battery. Had to reasseble 5 times before I found out the black stuff
Brilliant! Thank you so much. I was afraid that I had to replace the batteries, what with sourcing the right parts and breaking the case etc. Now I feel confident I can do it too. Kudos sir!
I did both recently, made some mistakes but it worked out in the end. It is wild the difference in battery life it made 7+ hours again on both buds. Im glad I took the plunge as what would have become ewaste will now last another few years.
Great video! The heating trick was the key. It is actually unnecessary to pull out the flat cable from the board on top of the battery. There is enough wiggle room.
be careful when prying the board from the battery at 8:30 there's a small metal piece on the bottom of the board that is supposed to touch the battery and is easily broken off - i accidentally broke it off my left bud and so there was no contact between the board and battery when put back together if you do happen to break it off, i have read that a blob of solder on the bottom of the board will suffice in my case, i cut a small piece of metal from a paperclip and glued this such that it was making contact with the metal piece on the bottom of the board, and this extra thickness ensured contact with the battery when the bud was put back together. this is probably not ideal, but it worked for me.
Hi, i just happen to broke it and i am like dead af at this moment. I also removed the glue it has with it now its nit properly contacting. Idk what to do. After you make it work is there some noise?
@@abidshahriar7095 there is no noise or indicator that it is making contact, except for once you have reassembled the unit, the orange charging light should come on if you place it into the charging case as i said in my comment, some solder would work if you have some i chose to glue a piece of metal (cut from a paperclip) so that it was across the remaining metal piece on the bottom of the board, glued at either end - the thickness ensures contact. i used B7000 glue for this. best of luck, i can't really provide much more information or advice, this is just the experience i had today
@@bamtna i soldered a small piece of metal but the issue is as i have completely removed all the glue (which was very stupid to do ) it now do not gently sticking to the battery. Hence no contact. Can you suggest me something? Btw would like to connect with you in any social media if thats ok with you. Atm I need someone give me some hope coz um freaked out like hell.
Hi that works for the left earbud. I was so happy. Now i wanted to fix tye right side bud’s battery also. Everything went well amd this time I haven’t broke anything. However, I am facing a weird issue now. The right side bud while putting in the case do not get charged and no sign of the indicator led to light up. This is weird. I don’t know what happened. The bud is working but it just don’t get charged in the box. @batmna
Thanks for making this video and making me feel that I can do it. I made the replacement on both sides with some struggle, but I made it work. Though I felt that the sound was not the same as before, which could be just psychological. Anyway, just want to thank you for the demonstration.
Awesome! I used your video to fix mine. I just used electrical tape to hold the caps back on. That way I can just take the tape off if I need to replace the batteries again.
Thanks for the video which is mostly helpful. Hey guys, I just tried to follow all steps (most of which are correct), however, word of caution that the batteries we are trying to replace are with defects or swollen and for eg. my right one popped on me and luckily it did not shoot badly, but essentially, the battery opened like a can and tore the little cable. I don't think I will be able to fix it unless somebody has any more guidance as I am not that advanced in repairing electronics. Anyhow, it seems I will be off to buy new earbuds now. THEREFORE, 1. PLEASE put on your safety glasses (mine popped when I just opened it, and I guess the glue and pressure was keeping it. I was using a plastic sharp triangle, therefore, I don't think there was any electrical malfunction/interaction with the battery).
Thanks for the video! Swapped the batteries on both. Nice to have my ear buds back after Sony bricked them with a crappy update. We'll see how long they last this time
Thank you for making the video! I bought mine used and has the same issue. Also the battery level on the phone jumps around. No idea why. LOL. I'll be making the same fix soon. Appreciate the video. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Watch for the cable that connects to the negative side of the battery. There is a small piece of metal that makes contact to the battery I broke off. I used a bit too much force or pulled on it the wrong way. I used a small piece of aluminum foil and glued it to the metal connector. It works good, charges great. I hope it holds up.
This actually works thanks. I find it weird after doing a test for two hours. The left side still drains faster than the right for example doing a two hour test. The left side was 76 while the right side was 89..
Thanks to this video I got my new batteries yesterday and swapped them both. So far so good 👍🏾 just so u know I didn't need to unplug the ribbon cable or anything. Theres enough room to slide the battery out from under the board after you remove the sticky pad. Took 5 mins each
@ificanfixitsocanyou2494 my earbuds lasted my entire 8hr shift at work today with the noise canceling off. Tomorrow I'll see how they do with it turned on. Also both kept the same % too.
Shortly before and also after update 10.2, right battery draining fast. Also having issues with the case charging but did a soft reset and now it seems back to normal. Might install new battery if this persists. Seems to be a common enough problem with the WF-1000XM4. Also, really crappy for a set of $275 earbuds after less than, in my case, 25 hours use. My prior pair, Creative Labs' Outlier Air, are going on 3 years and still work like new. And those were $75 (awesome battery life, sweatproof rating, LDAC, just no ANC) This is not an ad. lol But do read about their coming partnership with xMems, really neat. Thanks much for the fix it video. 👍
OK received batteries z55h used hairdryer + knife and flat screwdriver. It was my first time didn't damage anything and it took me 20min to replace both batteries at cost $20. They're charging now will see how long they will last. Thanks for the video 👍
@@nathankeee they're working as they did when new, two things glue b7000 use only tiny tiny drops of it in a few places tiny drops I mean use nidle to do it, glue is not to make it waterproof just to make it stick together properly because of the plastic is so tight it will be again ip68 or whatever it was rated just use really tiny amount of glue, guy in the video used to much of it. And second thing ribon he removed you don't need to remove it to pul the battery out. Just move ribon a bit to the side and heat the battery a bit with hairdryer and use small screwdriver to pull the battery out do it slowly so you don't remove that sticky tape under it. It's really simple to replace batteries in these earphones and new batteries cost nothing.
Thanks for the video I'm going to give this a try. It's only my left earbud that has the problem and it's since the firmware update but mine are over 2 years old so out of warranty
Well I did this, and it appears that they are now working like new. I started with the left one and the only thing that gave me grief was re-inserting that little ribbon cable....the eyes aren't what they used to be. On the right one, I decided to forgo removing the ribbon cable and it worked out fine for me. It's unfortunate that I found this video after ordering some new XM5's, though I have to say, the XM5's are an impressive step up. Anyway, great video on getting the XM4's back on their feet.
@@souladventurer8911depens where you from,look up sony costumor support in your country,had mine replaced out of warranty but i did have to provide proof of purchase,if you bought them off amazon shouldnt the receipt be forever saved in your amazon account?
I also bought mine through a reseller. When I called Sony, asking about warranty replacement, they declined. They had looked up my serial number and it was registered in their system as being sold to a re-seller or something? Because of that, they don't warranty the item. So by going cheap on my initial purchase, I ended up having to fix them myself - but it worked!
Earbud fixed, battery life again measured in hours not minutes. I used a reasonably big hairdryer instead of heat gun and was able to open it at second attempt and I skipped unplugging the ribbon cable as it didn't seemed necessary. Thanks!
I have just done the repair, I ripped the cable he removed with the tweezers (12:40) thought after replacing the battery and sealing it came up being one of the microphones (not the one controlling ANC sine after sealed works as good as a new one (had another pair next to me for comparison) not that complicated except that little flex cable I ripped. Battery lasts much longer after this
Careful with the heat gun! I managed to melt the earphone as well as the glue. I did manage to salvage the situation, but I think it's a case of less is more when applying heat!
Imo it shows that the earbuds are so good that they are used until their batteries expire, and even with that problem we try to fix them knowing that it is just a battery issue
Thank you. I didn't want to risk it using a heat gun, so I just used a razor blade to cut the adhesive on the case. I think it could be done without removing the ribbon cable there's enough slack.
I have a xm4 set that I didn't charge for like eight months, they now don't seem to take a charge. (Case and buds) I wonder if there is any hope? Well at least seeing your video is reassuring. THX
Thanks for the video. My left earbud has recently stopped working - any idea how I can work out whether it's the earbud itself or the case before I start taking the earbud apart?
thanks for the video, very helpful. when i detached the battery the glue didn't stick anymore. i used two sided thin clear tape, it worked, but now im have a slight cracking sound on my right earbud... maybe i should use the same "rubber-like black glue" they used here, but i dont have a clue how to find it, could you please tell me which one is?
I got mine on AliExpress, but you can find similar ones on Amazon and other sites. Search for "ZeniPower Z55H" and you'll be on the right track! Good luck!
would a standard hair drier be enough to loosen the glue? I'm skilled enough and have access to everything needed to perform the repair. But I'm not keen in getting a heat gun for this.
I liked my wf-1000xm4 a lot never had trouble with it. Lately after upgraded software both batteries died. They last for like 20min now and are getting hot while charging. Ordered replacement will DIY them in a few days.
Good tutorial. Mine have had a heavy life being used every day and evening for 2 years so about to replace. Question: has anyone replaced the case battery and what is a good indication it should be replaced?
There is no need to remove any connectors. It is best not to, as many people will break the little ribbon cable. The other thing to be careful of is when prying up the circuit boards from the battery, be careful of the little sprung metal tab that contacts the battery, I've heard many people accidentally breaking this part. Once you separate the headphone casing, use a small plastic pry tool to slowly lift the circuit boards off of the battery. If you do it carefully the glue will lift and stay with the circuit boards. Then use a tooth pick or other small plastic tool to pry up under the battery, it takes a little bit of prying to get it out, but it shouldn't be difficult. It has glue under it as well. Once that is out, put in the new battery and push it down into the slot firmly. Then put the circuit boards back onto the battery. You can use a little bit of heat and squeeze it firmly together and it should stick. TEST IT BEFORE YOU GLUE THE HOUSING BACK TOGETHER. Use a B7000 clear glue, have a paper towel and an alcohol wipe handy. Put a tiny bead around the housing (don't worry if you make a little bit of a mess) and squeeze it together. Whilst still keeping it squeezed together, run a paper towel around the outside to clean up excess glue, and then run back over it in a back and forth motion with an alcohol wipe. Then let it sit and dry for at least an hour (preferably overnight) before using it. I just changed the battery in both of mine. Heating it up with my wife's hair dryer took longer than the actual operation.
Hi there. So I believe its been like 2 months since battery replacement shown in your video. I purchased batteries myself with everything ready to do exactly just like you have done. But then, what if the real issue is in the software or charging case has battery with under/over voltage and needs changing as well to match the batteries in earbuds? Bit overthinking it, but I thought I would rather ask of how does the fix work for you after 2 months? Thanks
So far, so good! The case is still charging as it used to, and the ear buds seem fine. I think using the exact same battery helps ensure that charging / discharging is the same.
Had mine fr about two years and now my battery only lasts 45 min. This happened to the XM3 and XM4. I have the XM5 now so we will see if it has the same issue
I am 100% certain that these batteries will fail over time and that they will require replacing. (All batteries fail eventually.) But now that I know how to do it, I should have these ear buds for a very long time!
@@ificanfixitsocanyou ah, nice! I didn't read those comments. I'll replace my batteries next week or so when the new ones I ordered arrive. That's why I was wondering because I'm afraid to break something. 😅 thank you!
Thank you so much for posting this! I bought these headsphones a couple years ago for $300, so very stoked they could be fixed! The battery in the left earbud would not hold a charge for more than 45 minutes. I bought a battery kit and tools on Amazon and actually used my wife's hair dry to soften the glue (it worked great)!
Yeah, i had exactly the same issue... and the left one is getting got in case...
I read (think on ifixit) that some explodes... Be careful when you switch the battery. On ifixit its recommded to drain the battery to zero. So u cant make a shortcut
The wife comes in handy aye;)
Whats the battery kit and tools you bought on amazon?
I'd also like to know which kit you bought? I found a lot after looking up the battery, and the reviews are iffy on most...
My silver ones were out of warranty, and Sony still did a free replacement for both earbuds. Contact Sony and see if they can do it
You ROCK! I want to give a helpful tip here as I am older and could not squeeze hard enough after heating to get the side to pop open. I used a hair dryer…after hot I quickly wrapped the bud in a protective rag and "gently" used a pair of pliers and squeezed in the oblong manner and the side popped right open for me to get a plastic tool in there. No scratches or damage. The trick is to be patient and heat the earbud up thoroughly as the glue is softened and the plastic of the earbud is much more pliable. Hope that helps someone!
It's still taking me a while to learn, but having patience when working on projects is sometimes 80% of being successful. Glad it worked for you!
thanks, that's very helpful. I was wondering myself if a standard hair dryer would do the job.
Legend
how long did you keep the hair dryer on it?
Thank you so much for the video! I was able to replace the batteries in both earbuds following this guide - they used to die after 20 minutes, now they're back lasting for hours again!
Awesome!
Bro, whats your version? And now backup time?
works with new firmware 2.0.1?
@@GutCars firmware shouldnt matter, you're not replacing software, its just the battery. Any inherent battery inefficiencies with firmware will persist after battery switch, this is just to replace drained faulty battery
Thanks for making this video and also showing the "sticking points" rather than cutting them out. It's much more helpful to see where there might be a bit of a struggle to get things done. Much appreciated.
Glad it was helpful!
Does anyone know where to get the foam ear tips replacement?
First off thanks for a well paced and excellently narrated tutorial. Certainly made things a lot less scary. A couple of things to share for other following in my footsteps. When trying to prise apart the case I found the tools supplied with my batteries were pretty useless. They were chipping and disintegrating so I just got a sharp knife and rested the blade on the crack. The two side just gently widened then came apart buttery smooth. Hardly any pressure required and no damage. My first battery swap was exactly as this video but the other ear bud gave me a bit of grief. The ribbon cable that has the black part that lifts up to release it was just not coming out of it's housing. So much so I reached the point of thinking this is gonna break. So I cut out the middleman and left it connected put the black locking bit back down and tried to see if the battery would come out. It did, surprisingly easy and there was enough space to remove it leaving the adhesive pad in place on both sides of the battery. Essentially you don't need to unclip the smaller ribbon cable if you are confident or if it, like mine, refuses to budge. Other than that smooth sailing. Good luck all.
Awesome! Yes, great tip about that ribbon cable - I've heard from others that they were able to replace the battery without removing it - goad it worked!
As you see in the video, that small ribbon cable has a "I"shape to lock it in (in addition to the lock tab), it needs to be lifted slightly first, then it comes out easy without force.
@@user-rs8zg8ey2bYOUR COMMENT SHOULD BE PINNED! Too many people don't know about ribbon cable tabs at the connector. Watching this video (which is excellent), all I kept thinking was: lift and pull, lift and pull.
I left the cable connected too. Worked for me
Thanks for giving me the confidence to attempt this, I'm back to usable buds again. Shame on you, sony, for ignoring your mistake and, not doing the decent thing. I'll be avoiding you in future
Be very careful when connecting the circuit boards as shown at 13:58. Do your best to make sure you have them correctly aligned before applying pressure to snap them together. I just replaced batteries in 4 of these earbuds. 3 went as planned, but the 4th earbud was ruined when a couple of the microscopic prongs in those connectors bent while I tried to snap them together - probably due to poor alignment. As a result, the outer part of the earbud was totally nonfunctional after I put them together. But hey, three out of four ain't bad when the alternative was to trash the buds entirely!
Thanks for providing this tutorial. I also followed other comments of not having tu unplug the ribbon cable on the battery. Opening is probably the hardest part and the squeezing will only work when its hot enough
I'm so grateful to you. I had problems with the left hearing aid and I thought about discarding them, even though I like the sound and cancellation so much (I live in Guatemala and there is no official support or distribution, in fact the hearing aids were expensive and came from the United States because they are not sold here). But thanks to your video I felt qualified to replace the battery. So, I bought them on eBay, two weeks later they arrived, yesterday I made the change and now they are working as before. Thanks, thanks.
That's awesome! Glad it worked!
Absolute legend, thank you! So much better than the ifixit instructions. Sony won't honour their extended warranty so I'll repair them myself, but this is a lifesaver. I don't feel like I'm going in blind now. Lesson learned though - Dont buy Sony earbuds every again! Their aftersales and customer service team are awful.
Thank you!
Hey man, in the small off chance that you see my reply, Sony will honour their extended warranty if you talk to the right representative. I got a pair used from an online auction and spoke with someone this morning. I told them I didn't have my proof of purchase as it was a gift for christmass in 2022 and the person who purchased paid for it in cash and didn't think to keep a receipt for over a year. The representative then asked me to wait a second, and when they responded again they said the email with the label has been sent and that I do not need to provide proof of purchase, and when it states that it's out of warranty that does not matter as Sony will cover the entire cost. I may have to wait until mid-february for them to be replaced as they said they are waiting on more parts but I sent them in today as I had already received a label that they paid for and was informed they will just be giving me a new pair that has the issue resolved that they will pair to my current case.
Edit: I do have to state that I live in the United States and SONY USA has been pretty good at sending replacements outside of warranty probably due to our consumer laws. I am unsure if Canada or other countries are the same.
i absolutley agree with! no more sony and never!!
This video is better than horror movies. I was scared at each step and thought i'll have an heartbreak before the end ! Thanks for the tuto ! I'll defnitiely try if no other issue
This is the 2nd video I watched on this. I ordered replacement batteries and got everything I need. I'm hoping my repair goes well!
I just got mine back from New York from repair. They are working as they were New again. Sony shipped to and from and fixed for free. A downloaded update caused this issue of not holding a charge for more that 5 minutes each side. Sony took care of the problem for me. Thanks for the vids
Thanks for the video - I managed to replace one of my headphone batteries which had gone - headphones are as good as new now, holding charge perfectly. Watching someone else go first gives me the confidence to fix things rather than just throw them away, as well as save money!
Awesome video. I've just repaired one of my earbuds with your tutorial. I'd just add a note to say to open the earbud after applying heat, I've applied pliers, VERY gently, pressing on the sides where the parts are glued, not on top of the main surfaces. That allowed it to have a slight opening from where I could slide through the rest and separate the parts. Put some fabric where the pliers are pressing to avoid marks on the surface of the plastic. All this very very gently and it's working as new. Thanks.
This was a great tutorial.
For those who may struggle with initially opening up the earbuds (like I did), you can use the corner of a door jamb (where the door and the hinges meet) to apply pressure and pop the case, by putting the earbud in the space between where the door and the hinge will meet, as well. Works way better and doesn't hurt your hands! Be careful though!
very good tip
Thanks a lot for this video! I have not even tried to remove the small flat cable, instead I have just pulled up the top from the battery and carefully replaced it. As long as you don't bend the cable too much, it'll be fine and the risk of damaging it by removing it seems higher to me than by bending it.
I have also used a standard glue to fix them, since I don't expect to open the buds up again in the future.
Thank you mate, I was able to replace the battery and also glued the two halves with your suggested glue, you saved me £200 👍
Thanks so much for this! Process seemed daunting but was much easier than anticipated.
So much technology in these little things. It's amazing. I love my wf-1000xm4. Had them for almost 2 year's.
Thank you sir, replaced my battery just now! Hopefully that resolves the battery drain issue. Really disappointed in Sony considering how expensive these earphones were at launch.
is firmware 2.0.1? can change battery fix the issue?
@@YohanesRobbydo you solve it? I have same firmware and my left earbud is dead after 15 min (but i never use it much as right one). Do you have also problem with left one?
@@marianmachacek i change battery on my MX3 and fix it (before 2H, after 6H). its not firmware issue, but battery health. on my MX4 i replace with new one (under warranty) because sony told that is firmware issue so i can claim warranty
From what I've read, it seems to be an overheating issue caused by a previous firmware that degraded/damaged the battery. So the physical battery is damaged, swapping it and having the latest firmware should resolve it. Still inexcusable to be punished by sony for their mistake on such an expensive product!
@@Crazy09starkillor Could be done on purpose to generate battery sales .Which explains why they're using the specific zeni power battery for these buds.
great video and really helpful.... a lit tip.. if you're struggling to separate the 2 halves after the heating phase. I used a small wood working clamp and slowly applied pressure and if you do it slowly enough the sides start to separate
Great tip!
Thanks. I had a feeling it's not hard if you're used to electronics repair. My left drains in 4hrs now and shuts off. Going to be replacing both batteries 👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾 "subbed"
You can do it!
Youre so lucky it is 4hrs. Mine at 45 minutes and dead. I hate sony now.
Howbdidbthe repair go brother?
@mrsquid8255 my new batteries come in tomorrow, thanks. I'll let u know how it goes.
@TheMrbean97 with noise canceling on I'm down to an hour now lol
My right earbud only lasts 40 minutes. Cant wait to do this! Thank you so much!
Mine lasts 2 minutes
Both of them
Had the same problem but after the latest update.
Just ordered the batteries, doing my own replacement soon. Looks like the XM5's are having the same issue and I'm definitely not getting new earbuds from Sony any time soon.
@@CalusoXP I had warranty, just got the refunded and found a shop wich sold the xm5 for 255€ new so just paid 15€ on top for the xm5. I took the deal.
Thanks for the video. I would like to add that you could separate the two halves enough to remove the battery without disconnecting the cables and you might have to lift the spring contacts slightly to establish positive contact with the replacement battery.
Thanks a lot for this video. Out of a sudden, my batteries were down to 25 minutes and my ear buds were pretty useless.
So I ordered new batteries, repair tools, glue and started motivated, but directly failed to open the buds. First I thought it was because I only used a hair dryer to heat them up, but in the end it worked nicely using water pump pliers. Replacing the first battery took me like an hour, the second was done in 5 minutes. So instead of buying new ones for ~300€ I got the old ones back for just ~30€. Nice one 🙂
Awesome!! Water pump pliers? What are those? Sounds like I need to buy a new tool!!!
@@ificanfixitsocanyou "Plumbing Pliers are also known as tongue and groove pliers, water pump pliers, adjustable pliers, groove-joint pliers, arc-joint pliers, multi grips, and channellocks"
Just a multigrip pliers.
It worked! Wow never thought I would be able to fit the buds. Thought it was the firmware, downgraded it. But didn't thought there's just a little battery inside. One tip, remove the black stuff at the points where + and - are of the battery. Had to reasseble 5 times before I found out the black stuff
Brilliant! Thank you so much. I was afraid that I had to replace the batteries, what with sourcing the right parts and breaking the case etc. Now I feel confident I can do it too. Kudos sir!
Excellent work. Very satisfying to watch.
Thank you very much!
I did both recently, made some mistakes but it worked out in the end. It is wild the difference in battery life it made 7+ hours again on both buds. Im glad I took the plunge as what would have become ewaste will now last another few years.
Awesome! Glad it worked out!
Great video! The heating trick was the key. It is actually unnecessary to pull out the flat cable from the board on top of the battery. There is enough wiggle room.
be careful when prying the board from the battery at 8:30
there's a small metal piece on the bottom of the board that is supposed to touch the battery and is easily broken off - i accidentally broke it off my left bud and so there was no contact between the board and battery when put back together
if you do happen to break it off, i have read that a blob of solder on the bottom of the board will suffice
in my case, i cut a small piece of metal from a paperclip and glued this such that it was making contact with the metal piece on the bottom of the board, and this extra thickness ensured contact with the battery when the bud was put back together. this is probably not ideal, but it worked for me.
Hi, i just happen to broke it and i am like dead af at this moment. I also removed the glue it has with it now its nit properly contacting. Idk what to do. After you make it work is there some noise?
@bamtna
@@abidshahriar7095 there is no noise or indicator that it is making contact, except for once you have reassembled the unit, the orange charging light should come on if you place it into the charging case
as i said in my comment, some solder would work if you have some
i chose to glue a piece of metal (cut from a paperclip) so that it was across the remaining metal piece on the bottom of the board, glued at either end - the thickness ensures contact. i used B7000 glue for this.
best of luck, i can't really provide much more information or advice, this is just the experience i had today
@@bamtna i soldered a small piece of metal but the issue is as i have completely removed all the glue (which was very stupid to do ) it now do not gently sticking to the battery. Hence no contact. Can you suggest me something? Btw would like to connect with you in any social media if thats ok with you. Atm I need someone give me some hope coz um freaked out like hell.
Hi that works for the left earbud. I was so happy. Now i wanted to fix tye right side bud’s battery also. Everything went well amd this time I haven’t broke anything. However, I am facing a weird issue now. The right side bud while putting in the case do not get charged and no sign of the indicator led to light up. This is weird. I don’t know what happened. The bud is working but it just don’t get charged in the box.
@batmna
Great tutorial.. changed mine with ease watching your video
Great to hear!
Thank you so much. I followed your video and was able to replace my batteries.
Thanks for making this video and making me feel that I can do it. I made the replacement on both sides with some struggle, but I made it work. Though I felt that the sound was not the same as before, which could be just psychological. Anyway, just want to thank you for the demonstration.
Glad it worked! Odd about the sound! If you figure out if there's really a difference, let us know
you're a lifesaver.
it's crazy to me that you even have to do to this headphones so new and expensive but thank god you uploaded this
The sensory of the earpods damage ?
Awesome! I used your video to fix mine. I just used electrical tape to hold the caps back on. That way I can just take the tape off if I need to replace the batteries again.
Thanks for the video which is mostly helpful.
Hey guys, I just tried to follow all steps (most of which are correct), however, word of caution that the batteries we are trying to replace are with defects or swollen and for eg. my right one popped on me and luckily it did not shoot badly, but essentially, the battery opened like a can and tore the little cable. I don't think I will be able to fix it unless somebody has any more guidance as I am not that advanced in repairing electronics. Anyhow, it seems I will be off to buy new earbuds now. THEREFORE,
1. PLEASE put on your safety glasses (mine popped when I just opened it, and I guess the glue and pressure was keeping it. I was using a plastic sharp triangle, therefore, I don't think there was any electrical malfunction/interaction with the battery).
Was there's still charge on the batteries? Did you make sure you had 0% charge on the batteries?
Thank you for this. I am so discussed that one of the no longer hold a charge.
Thanks for the video! Swapped the batteries on both. Nice to have my ear buds back after Sony bricked them with a crappy update. We'll see how long they last this time
That's awesome!!!
Thanks for the guide! These earbuds shouldn't be going bad so quick! Ironically I liked my 1000Xm3 better
Thank you for making the video! I bought mine used and has the same issue. Also the battery level on the phone jumps around. No idea why. LOL. I'll be making the same fix soon. Appreciate the video. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Watch for the cable that connects to the negative side of the battery. There is a small piece of metal that makes contact to the battery I broke off. I used a bit too much force or pulled on it the wrong way.
I used a small piece of aluminum foil and glued it to the metal connector. It works good, charges great. I hope it holds up.
This actually works thanks. I find it weird after doing a test for two hours. The left side still drains faster than the right for example doing a two hour test. The left side was 76 while the right side was 89..
Thanks ! Just replaced mine today and everything went smoothly
Great to hear!
How many hours is now your earbuds working? Did you replace one or both of them?
Thanks to this video I got my new batteries yesterday and swapped them both. So far so good 👍🏾 just so u know I didn't need to unplug the ribbon cable or anything. Theres enough room to slide the battery out from under the board after you remove the sticky pad. Took 5 mins each
Ooh - that's good advice! Glad you made that work!
@ificanfixitsocanyou2494 my earbuds lasted my entire 8hr shift at work today with the noise canceling off. Tomorrow I'll see how they do with it turned on. Also both kept the same % too.
Did you use a heat gun?
@scottflores4482 Nope. Mine is way to big. I just used a cigar lighter for 3 or 4 seconds to get the one side started then the rest came loose easy
@Nocturnal thanks i think i'll leave mine in the 100° sun for a bit🤣🤣🤣
Thanks for this useful tutorial ! From South of France
Merci! Glad it was helpful
Shortly before and also after update 10.2, right battery draining fast. Also having issues with the case charging but did a soft reset and now it seems back to normal. Might install new battery if this persists. Seems to be a common enough problem with the WF-1000XM4. Also, really crappy for a set of $275 earbuds after less than, in my case, 25 hours use. My prior pair, Creative Labs' Outlier Air, are going on 3 years and still work like new. And those were $75 (awesome battery life, sweatproof rating, LDAC, just no ANC) This is not an ad. lol But do read about their coming partnership with xMems, really neat. Thanks much for the fix it video. 👍
Pretty good vid,thanks. But what does "when working on them last time" mean? What's that about? Great channel name you have.👍
OK received batteries z55h used hairdryer + knife and flat screwdriver. It was my first time didn't damage anything and it took me 20min to replace both batteries at cost $20. They're charging now will see how long they will last. Thanks for the video 👍
Hi David, Any updates on the performance?
@@nathankeee they're working as they did when new, two things glue b7000 use only tiny tiny drops of it in a few places tiny drops I mean use nidle to do it, glue is not to make it waterproof just to make it stick together properly because of the plastic is so tight it will be again ip68 or whatever it was rated just use really tiny amount of glue, guy in the video used to much of it. And second thing ribon he removed you don't need to remove it to pul the battery out. Just move ribon a bit to the side and heat the battery a bit with hairdryer and use small screwdriver to pull the battery out do it slowly so you don't remove that sticky tape under it.
It's really simple to replace batteries in these earphones and new batteries cost nothing.
Many thanks for this video! Was easy to do this way. And it fixed my problem!
Great detailed video. Thank you for the help!
Great vid my friend very useful..need to do this as my battery drain is off the scale, thanks sony !!
Thanks for this easy to follow tutorial! Question: How are the new batteries holding up? Are you still experiencing the same issues?
Holding up fine so far!
Hi great video. Question. Can the circuit strip be repaired, yes 🤦I broke it lol. Got one off perfect but one broke..
Thanks for the video I'm going to give this a try. It's only my left earbud that has the problem and it's since the firmware update but mine are over 2 years old so out of warranty
Thank you so much ❤ I will replace them tommorow
Yes, it works! Thank you!😃
Well I did this, and it appears that they are now working like new. I started with the left one and the only thing that gave me grief was re-inserting that little ribbon cable....the eyes aren't what they used to be. On the right one, I decided to forgo removing the ribbon cable and it worked out fine for me. It's unfortunate that I found this video after ordering some new XM5's, though I have to say, the XM5's are an impressive step up. Anyway, great video on getting the XM4's back on their feet.
I sent mine in for reclamation and had them replaced free of charge, but this was a great tutorial and I might end up doing this in the future. 👍
Where do I send my sob story to get mine replaced? I purchased mine on Amazon though I don't have receipt or anything that I can prove it
@@souladventurer8911depens where you from,look up sony costumor support in your country,had mine replaced out of warranty but i did have to provide proof of purchase,if you bought them off amazon shouldnt the receipt be forever saved in your amazon account?
@@souladventurer8911 I tried to get mine fixed by Sony, but since it's been just over two years since I bought them Sony doesn't give a shit.
I also bought mine through a reseller. When I called Sony, asking about warranty replacement, they declined. They had looked up my serial number and it was registered in their system as being sold to a re-seller or something? Because of that, they don't warranty the item. So by going cheap on my initial purchase, I ended up having to fix them myself - but it worked!
Earbud fixed, battery life again measured in hours not minutes. I used a reasonably big hairdryer instead of heat gun and was able to open it at second attempt and I skipped unplugging the ribbon cable as it didn't seemed necessary. Thanks!
Skipped unplugging the ribbon cables because of your comment and now broke them, Thanks
@@emrepalamutcu6904what just happened? I was about to do the same.
@@emrepalamutcu6904Get wrecked
@@emrepalamutcu6904 i did the same, broken ribbon cable... now it can be fix?
I'm frustrated by what Sony did. I paid so much for these and they are sub par. Sony should have taken responsibility for this. Instead here we are.
I agree! I bought 2 pairs for my hubby and both have this problem. Paid $290 per pair!
@@jadevu904Same for me... I've paid 250€ for this
Great video! Any chance you can share links to the replacement battery you bought?
I found them on AliExpress by searching "ZeniPower Z55H" for ~$15USD. They can also be found on Amazon and other sites! Good luck!
I have just done the repair, I ripped the cable he removed with the tweezers (12:40) thought after replacing the battery and sealing it came up being one of the microphones (not the one controlling ANC sine after sealed works as good as a new one (had another pair next to me for comparison) not that complicated except that little flex cable I ripped. Battery lasts much longer after this
I love Sony. Thank you for the video.
Careful with the heat gun! I managed to melt the earphone as well as the glue. I did manage to salvage the situation, but I think it's a case of less is more when applying heat!
absolutely brilliant
Great tutorial! Have you or know of anyone further modifying them to perform even better? Also, The inner sponges are a pain to clean.
No, I haven't heard of anyone doing something like that. Perform better how? I think they sound great!!
Gotta love when they make it so complicated to change the batteries. They do this so most will just buy new earbuds
thank you so much for this! super easy to follow!
The fact that this video has almost 100 thousand viewed shows how bad the problem is. I’ll never buy a Sony product ever again.
Imo it shows that the earbuds are so good that they are used until their batteries expire, and even with that problem we try to fix them knowing that it is just a battery issue
@@natan867 dead battery after one year? That is not acceptable.
Thanks a lot. Great video
Thank you. I didn't want to risk it using a heat gun, so I just used a razor blade to cut the adhesive on the case. I think it could be done without removing the ribbon cable there's enough slack.
Extremely helpful - thank you!
I have a xm4 set that I didn't charge for like eight months, they now don't seem to take a charge. (Case and buds) I wonder if there is any hope? Well at least seeing your video is reassuring. THX
I did it and now I can’t pair, any ideas?
Thanks for the video. My left earbud has recently stopped working - any idea how I can work out whether it's the earbud itself or the case before I start taking the earbud apart?
I like your work and your channel name, subscribed❤
thanks for the video, very helpful.
when i detached the battery the glue didn't stick anymore.
i used two sided thin clear tape, it worked, but now im have a slight cracking sound on my right earbud...
maybe i should use the same "rubber-like black glue" they used here, but i dont have a clue how to find it, could you please tell me which one is?
Thank you
Where do you buy the new battery ?
I got mine on AliExpress, but you can find similar ones on Amazon and other sites. Search for "ZeniPower Z55H" and you'll be on the right track! Good luck!
would a standard hair drier be enough to loosen the glue? I'm skilled enough and have access to everything needed to perform the repair. But I'm not keen in getting a heat gun for this.
Yes, it could work. Although you might need to keep the heat on for longer to loosen the glue
Very useful, thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
i just replaced my batteries i think i did it right
thanks for the instructions
I liked my wf-1000xm4 a lot never had trouble with it. Lately after upgraded software both batteries died. They last for like 20min now and are getting hot while charging. Ordered replacement will DIY them in a few days.
Good tutorial. Mine have had a heavy life being used every day and evening for 2 years so about to replace. Question: has anyone replaced the case battery and what is a good indication it should be replaced?
I'm not even sure how to remove the battery from the case! If you figure out how, let us know!
"If i can fix it, so can you"..luv it. Thank you for an awesome video, very detail explanation, good video quality definitely x10 thumbs
Thank you for the video, very helpful.
You are welcome!
Thanks so much bro 😊
There is no need to remove any connectors. It is best not to, as many people will break the little ribbon cable. The other thing to be careful of is when prying up the circuit boards from the battery, be careful of the little sprung metal tab that contacts the battery, I've heard many people accidentally breaking this part.
Once you separate the headphone casing, use a small plastic pry tool to slowly lift the circuit boards off of the battery. If you do it carefully the glue will lift and stay with the circuit boards.
Then use a tooth pick or other small plastic tool to pry up under the battery, it takes a little bit of prying to get it out, but it shouldn't be difficult. It has glue under it as well.
Once that is out, put in the new battery and push it down into the slot firmly. Then put the circuit boards back onto the battery. You can use a little bit of heat and squeeze it firmly together and it should stick.
TEST IT BEFORE YOU GLUE THE HOUSING BACK TOGETHER. Use a B7000 clear glue, have a paper towel and an alcohol wipe handy. Put a tiny bead around the housing (don't worry if you make a little bit of a mess) and squeeze it together. Whilst still keeping it squeezed together, run a paper towel around the outside to clean up excess glue, and then run back over it in a back and forth motion with an alcohol wipe. Then let it sit and dry for at least an hour (preferably overnight) before using it.
I just changed the battery in both of mine. Heating it up with my wife's hair dryer took longer than the actual operation.
I ended up breaking the metal tab. I glued a piece of foil to the board. It works fine.
Can you please put a link for batteries that go in and what price, and where off to buy them? Thanks a lot
I did it. Thank you
Hi there. So I believe its been like 2 months since battery replacement shown in your video. I purchased batteries myself with everything ready to do exactly just like you have done. But then, what if the real issue is in the software or charging case has battery with under/over voltage and needs changing as well to match the batteries in earbuds? Bit overthinking it, but I thought I would rather ask of how does the fix work for you after 2 months? Thanks
So far, so good! The case is still charging as it used to, and the ear buds seem fine. I think using the exact same battery helps ensure that charging / discharging is the same.
Thanks for the tutorial, what temperature did you set on heat gun? Thanks
I used the Low setting, which I think caps out around 700F. And as you can tell from the video, it didn't take much to get the glue to give way!
Thanks man you're amazing, could you pls make a tutorial replacing the battery of the charging box?
I haven't had the need to replace the charging box battery... but if I do, I will be sure to upload it!
I melted the part the tip goes on. Them melted it on purpose again and reshaped it. Lost a bit of musical fidelity, but it still works :D
Had mine fr about two years and now my battery only lasts 45 min. This happened to the XM3 and XM4. I have the XM5 now so we will see if it has the same issue
Ugh! I hope not - how are the XM5s?
very easy to follow along, no problems occured, thanks :)
Great to hear!
Awesome video! I'm curious where did you get the battery from?
I got mine on AliExpress but you can get the same batteries on Amazon and many other sites!
You made it looks so easy I definitely going to try it but the question is will the issue won't come back?
I am 100% certain that these batteries will fail over time and that they will require replacing. (All batteries fail eventually.) But now that I know how to do it, I should have these ear buds for a very long time!
Is it necessary to remove the little flex cable? Can't you just lift the board from the battery to replace it?
You are correct - some people in the comments have been able to lift the board and remove the battery without detaching the cable.
@@ificanfixitsocanyou ah, nice! I didn't read those comments. I'll replace my batteries next week or so when the new ones I ordered arrive. That's why I was wondering because I'm afraid to break something. 😅 thank you!