JBL Flip 4 Battery Replacement

Written By: Philip Pang
  • Comments: 154
JBL Flip 4 Battery Replacement

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

5

Time Required

30 minutes

Introduction

Has the battery life of your device become unusable? Does the battery seem to refuse to charge? A faulty battery is possibly the cause of these power issues. As the battery undergoes more cycles, it holds less charge.

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    • Insert the plastic opening tool in the crack in between the cover and the rubber spine with the power button.

    • Pry off the cover, beginning with the side without the volume and bluetooth buttons.

    • When prying the cover off, the six clips (three along each side of rubber spine) that attach the cover to the speaker will make snapping sounds.

    • Watch out not to damage the clips on the buttons' side, pry open with caution.

    • Pull the cover off with your thumbs.

    Important suggested edit to these instructions - make sure to pry off clips/ridges from BOTH sides before attempting removal of the cover.

    I interpreted these instructions as saying you only needed to pry clips from one side - then peel off cover. Doing this broke a clip from the other side. Bummer. I'd like others to avoid that.

    k9612 -

    If you do break a clip - save it. They are relatively easy to glue back into the cover.

    k9612 -

    My Flip4 had a single long clip on the non-button side that ran the entire length of the rubber spine. The other side (with play/ vol buttons) had three seperate clips (middle and both sides) as mentioned above.

    takentrashout -

    What if my speaker battery dies very fast and makes weird crackling noise, is it counted as faulty battery?

    Jayden Koh -

    Yes. I first thought one of the drivers was defective.

    Paul Sommer -

    What was the fix in the end ?

    Jack Mulcahy -

    I used the flared edge of a metal measuring spoon handle since I didn’t have an opening tool. Worked great! Replacement battery from iFixit is on order. Thanks for the guide!

    Greg -

    My battery was glued. Tried it anyway to remove. Battery exploded!!!!

    Don't go on if the battery is glued.

    darthvader007 -

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    • Remove four 13 mm JIS #0 screws attaching the rubber spine to the speaker, located on both sides of the inside of the speaker.

    • Use the plastic opening tool to release the clips holding the central part of the rubber spine.

    • Pry away one end of the rubber spine with your thumbs and it should come off.

    • Prying off the spine may take some persuading.

    • The speakers are strong magnets. Keep it away from other sensitive electronics.

    Suggested Edit : Be careful when removing the screws that they don't get attracted to the speaker (magnet). They can scratch the speaker.

    k9612 -

    Note : screws don't need to be removed from their “channel” (it’s quite difficult). Just unscrew fully and leave in channel.

    k9612 -

    Note or precaution: Place a piece of cardboard over the speaker or use a plastic/rubber/nonmetalic handled screwdriver when loosening/removing the 13 mm screws. The speaker magnets are so powerful that the end of my metal jewelers phillips screwdriver was pulled into the speaker, tearing the plastic/rubber cone. I destroyed two speakers in the process of replacing the battery. Had to buy the speakers from JBL ($16 each).

    Clark Brown -

    The rubber spine was fixed with glue strips.

    Jaider -

    I have 2 Flip 4's bought approx. a year apart. The older speaker was exactly as described here. The newer speaker does not have the 5 end screws, instead it has a twist to lock end plate. Make sure the top screws that secured the rubber end are removed, as these will prevent end cap twisting. I used rubber gloves to get a grip and twist end cap counter-clockwise to unlock. I found that if you grip end cap too tight it makes it even harder to twist off. Someone may find a better solution, like prising the tags around circumference, but be warned these look flimsy.

    Phil -

    Great guide. Only problem is that the battery on mine was in a neoprene sheath and had swollen. It was a bit of a problem to get out. There didn’t seem to be room to fit something to push it out without damaging wires or the motherboard. At the risk of a fire, I worked it back and forth and pulled with a pair of needle nose pliers. Yes there were sparks and some smoke. I did it outside and knew I was risking the whole thing catching on fire. Luckily it went ok.

    Q Switch -

    Great guide! I have a model with the twist-off caps (not 5 screws) with helpful, though subtle, lock/unlock icons on the plastic. Only other problem was replacing the white neoprene battery retainer cover (2 screws). One screw slipped off my screwdriver and fell into the unit - probably stuck to a speaker magnet now. But it doesn't seem to be affecting the sound. iFixit is the best!!

    Jen Morris -

    Una duda tienen la tapa que lleva al principio la bici en la parte de afuera

    Alexis Jesus -

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    • Remove five 9mm Phillips #1 screws from the end cap opposite to the USB port.

    • Pull the end cap off with your hands.

    The end cap has some kind of adhesive on it. I’m a strong guy and couldn't pull it off. Sliding a plastic pry tool around the edge helped break the adhesive and make it removable.

    k9612 -

    You helped me a Lot!! There is som versions of these speakers that you need to Twist It a little bit before remove it but wasnt my case… thank you Very much!!

    Luis Frederico -

    You have to possible sides, chose the one with an “R“ on it. In my version there are no 5 screws. Just lever the endcap lose to remove it.

    Ste fan -

    In my version there are also screws. The end cap must be rotated instead to remove it.

    Jaider -

    There were no screws on mine. It twisted counter-clockwise 1/8 turn then pulled off easily.

    cbehmer -

    Mine also had no screws and instead the ends just twist off. It seems that the JBL flip 4 internals have changed quite a bit as to how they are put together since this guide was written.

    Melinda Rabenstein -

    the cape is sticking stuk on the rubber like adhesive, i broke it. don't pull white your hand but go around furst to get it unstuck

    Tom Dederen -

    i dit crack left and richt one removing it the other one putting back the screw so don't tide it. its very easy to brack it. but the damage was not a probably battery is replaceet

    Tom Dederen -

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    • Remove two 11mm Phillips #1 screws on the battery cover.

    • Pull the battery cover off with your hands.

    Take care when reassembling: Make sure the cable is tucked under the cover properly and as far as possible - if it sticks out, it can block the movement of the bass reflex thingy and create a rattling sound.

    Benjamin -

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    • Remove the large white plug that connects the wires from the battery to the main board using your hands.

    • Pull the battery out with your hands.

    • If the battery is swollen, you might not be able to pull it out with your hands, you might just rip the cables+charging board out.

    • In this case, you can try to remove the other radiator, unscrew the charging port and gently pull it out just a bit so a large screwdriver's end - without its bits - can fit in and push out the battery from this side.

    • The port might be hot glued and under the tapes there are very small normal and ribbon cables, so be careful not to cut or rip them.

    In my case there was no way to get the Battery out this way as it was a bit bloated and thus stuck.

    By removing the cap on the other side and removing the Charging Port I was able to push it out with the thick side of my screwdriver.

    I also have a slightly other version of the body where the caps are hold by a rotation/clipping mechanism not by screws

    Richardo Otros -

    Thanks! That was in my case as well needed to complete. Pulling was not possible, pushing out was also not easy.

    Dénes Bezzegh -

    +1 to this solution!

    I was trying to remove the battery in pulling direction as much as I could to avoid touching other parts but it was impossible and I was afraid of tearing it. So I decided to try this. It was actually easier than I thought.

    This tip should definitely be part of the guide!

    Héctor Antonio Rodríguez Arias -

    +1 Thanks! Alls I needed to do was shift the USB port a little bit (by removing the four retaining screws) to make space to push the battery from behind with the back end of a marker.
    JBL Flip 4 USB Port Replacement

    Noah Silverman -

    Similar to the other comment - I agree - this step was incredibly difficult. It took me about an hour of gentle prying, wiggling, and forceful pulling to get it out. In the end, VERY cautiously using a pair of broad nosed pliers was what allowed me to pull out it.

    Bloating I'm sure does play a role - but I think the main factor is the foam wrapper around the stock battery. It makes it stick to the battery channel.

    You have to be extremely cautious when doing this step, as you don't want to rupture the battery but need to apply a considerable amount of force to get it out with not much leverage for your hands.

    k9612 -

    As mentioned above, the battery is HARD to remove.

    You also need to be very careful to not tear or puncture the battery, as Lithium Ion can have a violent chemical reaction when it mixes with air (Google “Galaxy Note 7 Explosion” to see what I mean!) WEAR EYE PROTECTION at the very least.

    I don’t recommend removing the other side cover and charge port to push the battery out with a screwdriver. Danger!!

    What worked for me was first I inserted my this screwdriver down one side of the battery.

    This pushes the battery all the way to one side of it’s little compartment.

    Then I sprayed some WD-40 on the side after removing my screw driver.

    Then I switched my screw driver to the other side and repeated with the WD-40 on that side.

    Finally, I clamped the wires in a vise and gently pulled while wiggling the batter back and forth in it’s little compartment.

    Still, it took maybe 7mins of carefully pulling while wiggling to finally get it out.

    The wires were destroyed but who cares. The point of removing the battery is to replace it anyway.

    takentrashout -

    Thank you!!! Your WD-40 idea made this work. What a pain in the ass but I got it!

    James Egan -

    Mine was really bloated and stuck so I also had to push it out from the other side. You have to disconnect the first connector as you look down the tube from the charging port. Then take out 4 screws from the charging port and pull it out toward the exterior as much as you can (there is still another connector on it). That will give you enough room to snake in a long screw driver beside the ribbon cable and push the battery. Be careful around the ribbon cable!

    Flaviu Ciobanu -

    Can confirm, it’s the hardest part.

    Push from the other side +WD40 was the solution.

    Thanks guys!!

    Juan José D'Ambrosio -

    At the first try i couldn’t move the battery - totally stuck.

    Next day i bought a can of WD-40. After adding some drops an waiting for a couple of minutes the battery was pushable from behind (remove the charging port). ;-)

    Tammo Meyer -

    Mine was also bloated i had to take out the charging port, and start pushing it from behind until it got out, you have to be really careful since it is a lithium battery and if you pierce it there is a risk of explosion. Great step by step guide!

    Melvin Ulerio -

    Same “stuck” problem here too.. WD 40, patience and a Card helped… after ALL, I put some felt around the New battery to prevent vibration noise. Take a look: https://photos.app.goo.gl/BH5wGmBpQXRW7g...

    Luis Frederico -

    Since the Flip 5 have a 4800mAh cap, can I change the battery capacity of the speaker from the current 3000mAh?

    Randl Manigsaca -

    Didn’t work at all! The contacts came off, and the battery is still stuck. Have throw the whole thing away. Thanks!

    Mr. Caravaccio -

    Dommage d'avoir jeté.

    Frédéric ORAIN -

    J’ai réussi à extirper la pile de son logement grâce au truc du wd-40 et en la poussant par l’extrémité du port de recharge. Heureusement car en tirant sur les fils, je n’ai réussi qu’à les arracher.

    benoitbensimard -

    y donde consigo una batería nueva?

    solri

    jordy -

    Alliexpress:

    https://www.aliexpress.com/item/10050018...

    Rodramca -

    Another stuck, bloated battery. Using an eyedropper to add a few drops of isopropyl alcohol around the sides seemed to somewhat dissolve the sticky rubbery foam tape, but wasn’t enough to free the battery from the front. In the end I removed the charging port and used a pair of pencils (blunt eraser side toward the battery) to get enough reach and grip to force the battery out from the rear with firm pushing.

    Jason Gerecke -

    Agree with other commenters. Remove the other end cap, remove 4 screws around charging port, remove first cable from charging port and kind of pull the charging port out of the body a little bit to give yourself some room to see the battery behind (be careful because there are two more cables connected). Apply a few drops of oil around the battery and wiggle the battery back and forth a few times. Use the eraser end of a pencil (nothing sharp like a screwdriver, if you pierce the battery it may catch on fire) to push the battery out from the back side, being careful to avoid the ribbon cables. You may have to push pretty hard. Use a paper towel to clean up the oil before installing the new battery.

    Kyle Winfield -

    apparently I have been lucky that my battery didn’t explode! The battery was stuck and I used a tiny flat spatula with some vinegar to get rid of the sticky black material around the battery and then a corkscrew into the battery and took it out as I open my favourite wine! Worked best for me; however, I don’t suggest doing it if there is a risk of explosion!

    Mehran vafaee -

    How to play JBL without battery as its batter is not available market or battery is very expensive

    shobhitjain664 -

    Mine was bloated too, but it was enough to remove the other end cap and push the battery out with a screwdriver.

    Jaider -

    Leider läßt sich der Akku nicht so leicht hinausziehen wie erwartet. Er ist mit dem Gehäuse verklebt.

    Thumm78 -

    guys, as mentioned above, be very careful! my battery kinda exploded while pushing with screwdriver (stupid idea) luckily just a little smoke/steam came out, finally i got it done but please do not use sharp tools at all. good luck!

    p.jiranek -

    The pencil and “triflo” did the trick. I removed the other end and, careful of the ribbon cable, put the pencil in and used a small hammer to tap the battery free!

    Paul -

    No joy. Tried for one hour but could not move the battery by even a mm. Nicely done, JBL. Next speaker is another brand.

    Sebastian Bernhardt -

    You have to use a fair bit of force. Just make sure you're using a blunt object that spreads the force as much as possible and be careful of the ribbon cable

    Kiraely Adam -

    I had to put the blunt object and flipped it around and tap it against my table

    Kiraely Adam -

    Another thing I don’t see people mentioning is that when you are putting the screws back on the end caps make sure they are as tight as possible. At first mine were loose and cause a vibration/muddy sounding bass.

    Dylan Ceronio -

    It was really hard to get the Original Battery out,. pushing in a tiny Screwdriver on one side of the battery and spraying WD-40 in the “hole” you created definetly helps. If you repeat the process on the other side aswell it is even easier to remove the Battery. Still stuck? Try ripping off the Original connector, then youre left with a litte metal piece sticking out of your battery, you can grab onto that with big pliers and pull the battery out. I wouldn't recommend trying to push from the other side and removing the Charging port since i almost ripped my cables out of the connector and you can pierce the battery and set your Flip 4 on fire

    GLHF

    Tanne 55 -

    Der Akku geht sowas von schwer zu wechseln da er im Gehäuse verklebt ist. Am besten kann man ihn heraus bekommen wenn man ihn mit einem Korkenzieher heraus zieht

    Tanja Schmidt -

    Wie geht das denn? Bloß nicht anstechen!

    VauWeh -

    Another vote here for WD-40 and pushing from the other side. I think my battery was bloated too - the aftermarket one was so much slimmer.

    Also, for the new battery, it was so much slimmer than the compartment that I added some felt pads on the speaker side to make it fit snugly, decouple from the speaker and avoid rattling or vibrating. Worked well.

    Benjamin -

    Ich hatte natürlich dasselbe Problem! Der Akku war ca. auf das Doppelte angeschwollen. Danke für den Tip mit WD40! Bei mir war es Ballistol, es geht jedes Kriechöl. Bei meinem Austauschakku war ein Toolset dabei incl. einem Blechstreifen. Der ist stabil genug um ihn oben und unten zwischen Akku und Gehäuse zu schieben, damit das Kriechöl dazwischen eindringen kann. Damit ließ er sich dann leicht herausziehen.

    Zur Sicherheit hier (nochmal):

    Den Akku niemals an/durchstechen, schon gar nicht mit einem Korkenzieher! Sicherheits/Schutzbrille tragen (auch wenn es komisch aussieht).

    Vor dem Zusammenbau überschüssiges Öl entfernen, sonst kriecht es u.U. in die Elektronik oder Lautsprecher.

    Apropos Lautsprecher: bei der ganzen Aktion liegen die Lautsprechermembranen offen! Die sind recht empfindlich und dürfen nicht beschädigt werden (irgendwie logisch), wäre schade.

    Wäre schön, wenn beim Austauschakku ein Satz neue Schrauben dabei gewesen wäre. Bei mir waren 3 Schrauben nicht wieder verwendbar, weil Kreuznut überdreht.

    christian karstens -

    My speaker has the plugs on the other end glued in place so I can’t get the charging port out and the battery feels like it’s practically glued in. Almost no wiggling possible and the cables to the battery that you pull on to get it out have pretty much pulled off of the battery itself. Not really sure how I’m going to get this bad boy out now. Just be aware that this is likely MUCH harder than these instructions make it seem.

    Melinda Rabenstein -

    Wenn die Gefahr besteht, dass der Akku beim Ausbau beschädigt werden könnte und infolgedessen in Brand gerät, kann man doch vorher dafür sorgen, dass dieser vollständig entladen ist. Also spielen bis Autoabschaltung (die geschieht bei Erreichen der Mindestentladespannung. Diese ist nicht gleich Null und die Zellen haben immer noch Spannung!) und nach Öffnen einen geeigneten Widerstand anschließen oder einen anderen Verbraucher direkt an das Akkukabel anschließen. Mehrere Male kurzzeitig kurzschließen geht dann sicher auch, wenn man dabei die Temperatur des Akkus überwacht und darauf achtet, dass dieser dabei nicht heißer als 80 °C wird. Wenn der Akku total leer ist, besteht auch praktisch keine Gefahr mehr, dass er in Brand gerät. Zu beachten ist aber der Akkuaufbau (Anzahl der Zellen, jede Zelle muss entladen sein, Voltprüfer erforderlich, jeden Anschluss testen). Das ist jetzt sicher kein Expertentipp, aber, wenn man schon unsachgemäß dran rum dengelt, dann doch bitte so sicher, wie möglich, oder?

    Ishana -

    De grosses difficultés pour sortir la batterie d'origine qui avait gonflé après 3 ans d'utilisation. Les fils se sont arrachés en tirant dessus et début de fumée et court-jus. Faut pas plaisanter avec le lithium. Obligé d'ouvrir à l'opposé de démonter le circuit et de pousser avec une tige et au marteau (en écartant une nappe) avec l'aide d'une giclée de WD40.

    Pour palier ce problème quand la nouvelle batterie sera morte, j'ai ajouté une bande de tissus sergé pour aider à l'extraction si elle venait elle aussi à gonfler.

    Voir photos ici: https://vu.fr/eAIr

    Frédéric ORAIN -

    In almost any case the battery will be bloated when it's "dead". Opening the other side and pushing the battery with a 8-10 mm screw was the solution for me. The risk of puncturing the battery is less than when pressing with a screwdriver. Be careful not to damage the ribbon cable that runs across the battery.

    JBL could have used standard-18650 cells instead - cheaper, higher capacity, and much easier to replace, but they prefer to sell us a new, incompatible (when it comes to pairing two of them) speaker. Shame on you, JBL :-(.

    Paul Sommer -

    As a commenter suggested, I used a little isopropl alcohol and a thin metal shim (actually, the tool that came with a replacement battery) to work in the alcohol between the battery and its housing. I put some alcohol on the shim and worked it down each side of the battery. I had to do this 6 or 7 times. Eventually, the adhesive on the tape loosened and I was able to wiggle the battery back and forth by the cables and pull it out using the cable. It came out quite easily at that point. I did NOT have to open the opposite end of the speaker to push. My battery was swollen as well, so that is likely the reason it was so difficult to remove. New battery is in place. Thanks for the suggestion to use alcohol.

    eepizzuti -

    den Akku kann man von der Gegenseite mit einer ca. 8 mm breiten und ca. 15 cm langen Schraube herausdrücken.

    Keine spitzen Schrauben verwenden!

    r2d2d2 -

    One way that helped me get the super fat battery out was sticking a butter knife in between the battery and plastic housing and then inserting oil. Stick it about halfway or as much as you can with moderate pressure. You then need to move the knife to the side to create a small gap of space and then you want to use oil. I used tea tree oil (the only thing I had). You then repeat this to the other side of the battery allowing oil on both sides. Allow the oil to drip to the bottom so leave your standing up so the oil can go down. You then want to open the other end of the JBL speaker so you can then stick a screwdriver or something with a flat dull end that way you don’t puncture the battery and create a fire. If you let the oil sit for long enough it will pop right out with moderate pressure. May take a couple of tries.

    Jesaiahs Macias -

    I tried sliding thin feeler guage blades along the sides of the swollen battery pack to no avail. I followed the instructions to pull up the charge port and then used the small end of a plastic chop stick to drive it out. That worked slick.

    oldnorseguy -

    Like all the other comments, it is extremely hard to remove the battery. I wish I read the comments first. I ruined the charging by breaking the connecters while trying to push the battery out. I'm sure someone with mad soldering skills could fix resolder the connectors to the board, but that is not me. Anybody need parts, because my flip4 is not going back together.

    Z-Mania -

    Bottom line it is best not to try pushing the battery from the back. The charging port board doesn't have much slack and is likely to be damaged in some way.

    Z-Mania -

    Je comprends pas. Vous dites de démonter le connecteur de charge. Mais il y'a un câble qui le retiens qui est minuscule que je n'arrive pas à décrocher ! Vous faites comment ???

    florian fhlor -

    Thank you! I didn'teven know I could change the battery. These instructions made it easy. Thanks!!

    Jay Shatsky -

    Vielen lieben Dank für die ausfülhliche Beschreibung.

    Isbesondere der Tipp mit den aufgeblähten Akku, das Poblem hatte ich.

    Dank Ihres Tipps, hat meine Flipp 4 wieder ein paar Jahre dazugewonnen und Ressourcen eingespart.

    Wolfram Hahn -

    In my case, the Battery was bloated, too. Some WD40, removing the USB Port an using two pencils (blut side towads the batterie) from behind (with gentle force) helped to get it out.

    Mine was mainly stuck at the ends of the pack, where black fometape was attached. In them main Part of the Battery, there was no tape and so in was slick enogh to glide freely.

    Discharge your device properly, don´t work on a loaded batterie. Thanks to all commentators for your helpful advices!

    N.G -

    When the battery is swollen, I could not even push it out from the USB port. It helped to slightly warm the inside up with a hairdryer

    Andre -

    The battery was very swollen. Had to use a tiny bit of WD-40 and gently tap it out with a wood spoon handle and a small hammer.

    JASPER SEGAL -

    At this point I had to give up. The battery was stuck and pushing from behind wasn't possible, as the battery was radially compartmented and separated by a thin plastic wall. My learnings for the next time are to wait buying the spare parts until I took it apart as I now have a brand new spare battery but no use for it anymore :(.

    Dominik Rutschmann -

    There should be an opening on the other side, I was able to find it and using silicone oil to lubricate the battery I was able to push it. It took way longer than expected, I was also very close to giving up but am glad I didn't

    Artur Wiśniewski -

    this stap was really hard in my case,

    the trick of removing the usb dit helpt.

    i have cute a old credit card in half to cut the glue from both sides of the battery. and use a big hex key to push it out from the other side, it took a long time pushing slowly to get it oud. my battery was expended badly. i dit it outside in case it exploded or got fire during the process.

    Tom Dederen -

    So the result of this process is a mixed bag for me... I read all the comments before even starting, which made me expect that the battery would be hard to get out as I've been using it for at least 6 years now. I indeed had to open the back and push it out (using WD40, trying for an hour, letting it rest for 2 days and retrying again), taking care of all the cables I could see around it, but I was not expecting one to be hidden inside a black fometape glued to the side of the battery wall and attached to the back of the battery, which broke when I pushed the battery out. It seems that this cable is the one going to the main buttons at the top, which means that now my JBL is perfectly unusable as I can't turn it on. So much so from being extra careful, but the bad design just killed it... Anyone knows if that small cable is replaceable in one way or another?

    Ambroise Grau -

    It seems there are two cables there. The largest one is a 13 pins flat cable. Full reference is

    AWM 20624 80C 60V VW-1 (type A)

    Pitch 0.5mm

    I think original length is 12 cm, the only one I found was 15cm, and it works.

    Fabrice -

    Be careful trying to push it out with the screwdriver. Mine exploded.

    Swanny -

Conclusion

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

Author

Philip Pang

Member since: 08/10/18

1299 Reputation

72 comments

Is the battery glued into the socket like the Flip 3?

Kenneth -

No it isn’t. but the black rubber around it makes it really hard to get out. try to push it from the otherside by removing the charging-port.

Be careful not to pierce the battery

Richardo Otros -

Yes with me the battery was glued

Diter Freeman -

Be careful and don’t do like me: my old battery was bloated, so I had to push from the other side, but when doing so, I ripped the ribbon cable from the power button… now trying to find a replacement cable

jmbarroso -

Did you find the cable of the power button?

mohamed da -

I bought a 13pin cable for the buttons from here, but make sure it's the same number of pins for your cable as well: FFC/FPC Flat Flex Cable 13Pin 23Pin 33Pin 43Pin 53Pin Same Side 0.5mm Pitch AWM VW 1 20624 20798 80C 60V Length 15cm 5PCS

Afthrast -

très bon tutoriel, toute l’opération réussie à un bémol prêt, ma batterie aurait chauffé (?) et demeure inextricable de son logement soit elle a gonflé sous l’effet de la surchauffe, soit la bande noire en caoutchouc des extrémités de la batterie ont fondu.

Philippe -

Va voir le truc du WD-40 dans les commentaires de l’étape 5, c’est comme ça que j’en suis venu à bout.

benoitbensimard -

Am I correct to assume that the speaker will no longer be water proof after performing this? or would it still be able to keep the water out even after the repair?

valenzonap -

Step 3 seems to be outdated, apparently in newer models the caps with the membranes can be twisted off, no more screws.

Other than that, thanks for the great tutorial! I too encountered the removal problems with the battery (which was on top of that somewhat bloated).

Philipp Wagner -

Yep, the new models only have two screws inside the body that connect the caps and the outer shell.

Two other points to consider, the screws are absolute trash so it is VERY easy to strip them out. It’s almost easier to take the speakers out by unscrewing them (no need to disconnect them, just pull them out and to the side) so you can get a straight shot at the screws. The other thing is that the new caps can also be quite hard to twist back on. Rather than break your wrists, the body or the caps by wrenching them on, apply a small amount of lubricant like evaporating silicone to the little clasps inside the cap rings. The caps will twist on easily from there

Ian Gun -

This was an excellent tutorial, but should be amended to note that, if the battery is swollen, you can remove the end cap from the other end, remove the USB port (carefully) , and push the battery out from the other side, instead of trying to pull it out.

Joshua Rector -

Achtung!

Bei mir war der Accu mit dem Gehäuse verklebt, was ein tausch durch einen neuen unmöglich macht.

Diter Freeman -

Das ging mir heute auch so. Der Akku ist dermaßen fest verklebt, was einen Austausch unmöglich macht.

Thumm78 -

Hola cuando me compra reglar jbl flip 4 battery replacement por favor que necesito que me ayuda muchas gracias

julian cruz -

Buenas noches, mi FLIP 4 luego de sonar un rato comienza a distorsionar el sonido y se apaga; será la bateria defectuosa?

Freddis Rivas -

Hola Freddis,

Sí, tuve el mismo problema y es por batería

Gabriel Sibaja -

My battery was very swollen so in the end I had to completely disassemble the speaker removing everything including pcbs, antenna, speakers etc. Finally I soaked the battery in oil and after a lot of very hard pushing with a big tool on the back of the battery it came out. My battery was so swollen that it curved the roof of the battery compartment.

Carl -

Mine was very very swollen and I managed to push from the other side with a chopstick. Just needed to disconnect the charger and push slowly.

Nice tutorial, thanks!

civilon -

Battery is likely swollen. push it out from the other side. use something blunt long and strong. I had to force it. be careful ware safety glasses. good chance you will puncture the battery. I did it outside. bad smell came out but no fire or explosion. battery was badly damaged. safety concern about how to dispose of a punctured battery. works like new again though. Good luck.

Lioneye -

There is a data/power cable wrapped around the end of the battery preventing its removal. Can’t identify where this is Connected…

Chris Vincent -

Decided to ‘go for it’. It is a short length of ribbon cable Just securing the battery.

Chris Vincent -

This cable runs from the on/off switch, under the pcb, through a very fine slot in the speaker body & around the battery. So. This cable needs to be disconnected from the on/off switch pcb then partially fed back through the slot to allow the battery to come out. DO NOT PULL THE CABLE ALL THE WAY OUT. You’ll never get it back through the slot under the battery once the new one is in place. Hope this helps you…

Chris Vincent -

WARNING - power ribbon cable.

If, like me and many others, your battery is extremely swollen then force from the bottom is the only option to remove it. That said, please take care to try and avoid the power button ribbon cable. In successfully forcing the bloated battery out of my JBL Flip 4 I have severed the ribbon cable connection and the speaker is now unusable as the power button and charging lights do not work.

Now I have a new battery and a broken speaker!

If there is a way to fix the ribbon cable I’m all ears but it looks very busted to me.

Cheers

Cal -

Yes, my friend had the exact same issue and I almost did the same mistake when trying to remove mine. It would be nice to find a place where we can buy this flat cable. We are going to try to make one using a wider flat cable.

Ildefonso Zanette -

Use a non metallic screwdriver if possible. I ruined both side speakers when the magnates grabbed hold of the screwdriver poked holes in them.

Larry Alfonso -

for those who like me ripped out the ribbon cable that connects to the power button circuit board due to a bloated battery

i highly recommend salvaging your ribbon cable! there is excess ribbon cable that is tucked under the speaker (note that the ribbon cable is attached to the center port peel back the foam adhesive and you’ll have excess ribbon cable to route)

after which use a scissors to make a fresh straight cut followed by either a straight razor or a craft knife to scrape the plastic revealing the copper wires underneath. do about 2-3mm worth or just follow the ribbon cable that is still attached to the port on the circuit board.

a small note is to reuse the blue plastic piece to shim the newly exposed cable into the port and close the tab and it should work! (at least it did for me.)

Kiraely Adam -

THANK YOU!!!

This saved my speaker. It should at least be a cited footnote in the main instructions!

Dave -

Brilliant advice, this worked great. I initially tried without a shim as I didn't have the other bit, that didn't work, had to press on the clamp to get the connection to go through. Instead I cut out a piece of duct tape and added it to the extremity as a makeshift shim. This seems to have worked just fine. Adam, you are a gentleman and a scholar, thank you for the great tip !

Gordon Freeman -

Kompliment an den Verfasser! Das Ganze ist “laientauglich” :-)

Super erklärt…

Thomas Wick -

Screws are very glued and it got damaged, What to do in this situation?

Gaming Tabby312. -

It is still water resistant after replacing battery???

Aashish Shrestha -

The battery was stuck inside for me, I tried going at it from the other end and one screw head stripped on me, so I just took some goo gone an dribbled it on both sides of the battery, let it sit for a few minutes, dribbled some more in and slide a butter knife in on both flat sides, and that thing came right out when I pulled on the wires. Easy peasy.

cranktango -

Bis zum öffnen der Accuabdeckung alles iO. Nur ich bekomme den Accu nicht raus, der ist total fest im Fach . Warscheinlich aufgebläht?‍♂️ Gibt’s da Tips?

Mario Achilles -

Hallo, sehr gute Anleitung. Beim entfernen des Hauptgehäuses ist mir leider ein Clip abgebrochen. Aber das lässt sich wohl noch reparieren. Bei mir saß der Akku so fest, dass man ihn mit WD-40 nicht bewegen konnte. Es schien mir wie festgeklebt. Ich habe ihn mit einem kleinen Messer vorsichtig vom den Kunststoffwänden des Akkufachs gelöst. Trotz dem kam er mit ziehen am Anschlussdraht nicht heraus. Ich musste wie bei einigen anderen hier die Abdeckung auf der anderen Seite des Flip4 öffnen und dann mit einem im 3D Drucker selbst gemachten Druckstück von hinten herautreiben- Selbst wo der der Akku halb herau war, lies er sich nicht am Anschlussdraht herausziehen. Ich musste ihn komplett heraustreiben.

Frank

frank-solingen -

I also ripped the Controls Board ribbon cable on trying to remove a bloated battery, managed to get a salvaged replacement cable from eBay. Think it is a good idea to put a smear of lithium grease over the new battery to help with removal in the future.

Walt -

You can buy the torn part on eBay

find 0.5mm pitch 13 pin flexible flat cable ffc fpc

חרמון חרמון -

It seems to me that at least one screw per group has some kind of Loctite on it. Most screws were easy to remove, but there was always one per group that was really hard to remove. It basically would strip out if you weren’t super careful. I also could not pull the battery out by hand. The battery would wiggle back and forth a little, but the wires broke off after a bit. I tried to push the battery out from the other side, but I had no luck. My end caps were on very well and also did not pull off by hand easily. One of them cracked near the screw holes in a couple of spots. I wouldn’t say they are glued down, but I think the rubber seal sticks if it hasn’t ever been removed before.

This is the second time I tried to fix a FLIP speaker with a battery replacement and the second time I failed. Super frustrating since I know this would fix the problem, but JBL makes these speakers in such a way that it is not an easy repair. This comes from a guy who has been an Electronics Repair Tech for over 20 years.

Scott Aumann -

Die Anleitung zum Öffen funktionierte bei mir bis zum Schritt 4 schnell und unproblematisch. Das Problem war - wie oben mehrfach beschrieben - den Akku rauszuziehen, da die alten Akkus meist aufgequollen und zudem gegen Wackeln mit einem Isoband umwickelt sind.

Mein Vorschlag: den Ladeanschluss mit Aufdruck "FLIP4 entfernen (4 Schrauben) und rausdrücken. Dabei lösen sich wahrscheinlich auch die 2 kleinen Stecker. Diese bekommt man später aber wieder mit einigem Gefummele wieder rein.

Dann kann man von dieser Seite die Unterseite des alten Akku sehen und mit einen Schraubenzieher oder besser mit einem Bleistiftende durch Drücken und Ziehen am Kabelanschluss diesen rausbekommen.

Der Rest ist dann einfach.

Franz Maucher -

Nederlandse vertaling:

De instructies voor het openen werkten bij mij snel en probleemloos tot stap 4. Het probleem was - zoals hierboven meerdere keren beschreven - het eruit trekken van de batterij, aangezien de oude batterijen meestal opgezwollen zijn en ook omwikkeld zijn met isolatietape om te voorkomen dat ze wiebelen.

Mijn suggestie: verwijder de laadaansluiting met de opdruk "FLIP4" (4 schroeven) en druk deze eruit. De 2 kleine pluggen zullen daarbij waarschijnlijk ook los komen. Maar je kunt ze later met wat gepruts er weer in krijgen.

Dan kun je vanaf deze kant de onderkant van de oude batterij zien en deze met een schroevendraaier of beter met het uiteinde van een potlood eruit halen door aan de kabelverbinding te drukken en eraan te trekken.

Dan is de rest makkelijk.

Toon Konings -

English translation:

The instructions for opening worked for me quickly and without any problems up to step 4. The problem was - as described several times above - pulling out the battery, since the old batteries are usually swollen and also wrapped with insulating tape to prevent them from wobbling.

My suggestion: remove the charging connection with the imprint "FLIP4" (4 screws) and press it out. The 2 small plugs will probably also come loose in the process. But you can get them back in later with some fiddling.

Then you can see the underside of the old battery from this side and get it out with a screwdriver or better with the end of a pencil by pressing and pulling on the cable connection.

Then the rest is easy.

Toon Konings -

Deutsch: Ich habe das gleiche Problem gehabt und mein Akku hat sehr geklemmt. Ich habe erst versucht an den Kabel zu ziehen bis sie Abrissen. Dann habe ich den USB Port mit den 4 Schrauben entfernt und den einen kleinen Stecker innen an der USB Buchse entfernt damit man besser mit einem Schraubendreher von hinten schieben kann. Vorher noch wie oben beschrieben mit einem kleinen Schraubendreher den Akku zur Seite geschoben und WD40 reingesprüht. Auf die andere Seite geschoben und Nochmals eingesprüht. Immer wieder den Akku nach links und Rechts geschoben bis man merkt das es leichter wird. Anschließend neben dem USB-Port mit einem dicken Schraubendreher mehr oder weniger kräftig den Akku rausdrücken. Habe dazu den FLIP4 auf den Boden gestellt um genug Druck aufzubauen. Und zu guter Letzt hat der Akku verloren und ging dann wiederum von der anderen Seite rauszuziehen .

Carsten Manns -

Super Anleitung!

Mein Flip 4 hielt nicht mehr lange durch, klang komisch nach ein paar Minuten und die Akku-Anzeige hat auch rumgesponnen.

Da mein Akku etwas aufgebläht war, musste ich von der anderen Seite mit dem Schraubendreher etwas drücken, weil sonst wohl das Kabel abgerissen wäre.

Jetzt läuft er wieder ohne Probleme :)

Spillunke -

Dcdfrrfffdggef

Shamsad Ali Ansari -

don't waste your time. I can't get the end caps back into place. they must be aligned to correct screw holes else the spine will not fit back over them. I'm up to 4 hours and still can't get spine repositioned. total waste of money. Will have to toss away speaker and replacement battery.

Jumbeen B -

does anybody know where to get a set of replacement screws?

Heinz Ullmann -

Weiß jemand woher man Ersatzschrauben (gerne als "Set") bekommt?

Ich habe die Box geöffnet weil irgendwas innen geklappert hat. Nach dem Öffnen habe ich versucht die Kabel so zu fixieren, dass diese das Geräusch nicht mehr verursachen. Es war auch für kurze Zeit weg, kam dann aber wieder genauso.

Hat jemand dieses Problem schon mal gelöst?

Danke schön :-)

does anybody know where to get a set of replacement screws?

I've tried to get rid of a rattling noise, I opened it up tried to look after the cables, the noise was gone first, but soon came back anybody encountered that?

Thanks a lot :-)

Heinz Ullmann -

Sehr gute Anleitung! Der Akku ist nicht verklebt, aber etwas aufgquollen. 1 tropfen Silikonöl und kurz warten, dann herausziehen.

Karl Marx -

I did this repair successfully. Very happy. My battery was bloated so it took significant persuading to get it out. I tried some pushing from the other side but didn't want to damage things as others have commented. So ultimately needle nose pliers to pull and a screwdriver inside to pry more room while pulling worked. I did puncture the batt... but it didn't explode into a fireball.

Someone mentioned trouble with the end caps. I made sure to mark the two screw holes on each side from step 3. It helped line them up for reassembly. I will do it again with my second flip4. Good luck. It's not impossible but definitely intermediate job.

Jason W Wines -

Definitively hard to get the battery out. it feels like its glued stuck, but actually it might not have been. WD40 is your saviour for sure. remove the usb port and press it down/out of the way to reach the back of the battery (in the middle) just spray some WD40 around the battery using a thin spraytube.. then let it soak and after that try to wiggle the battery side to side using small firm flat screwdriver. When you feel the battery is sliding more smoothly, then press with the rounded back of a thin strong pen or pencil on the back of the battery. Be carefull here of the thin flat white cable, and push it to the side first. I got the battery out with a firm push. hurray. after this it's easy to put everything back together! thanks guys for this info.

Moo Shii -

De batterij leek wel als vastgelijmd.

De batterij verwijderen was daardoor niet zo eenvoudig als voorgesteld in deze handleiding. Ik heb de batterij met enig geweld vanaf de andere zijde en met behulp van een inbussleutel (L-vorm; de korte zijde tegen de batterij) eruit geduwd (tikken met een hamer). Wel uitkijken dat je de platte kabel die over de achterzijde van de batterij loopt niet beschadigt.

Uiteindelijk is met het plaatsen van de nieuwe batterij de flip weer als nieuw.

RuudAh2o -

Changed battery successfully, but now charging function not working - thoughts? KBL

Kevin Lewis -

Done! Now here is my two cents:

x) It's probably a good idea to discharge the old battery before you start (if possible).

x) Be patient when disassembling your Flip 4. It takes a bit of time and probing. You don't really need any specials tools; apart from the screw driver, a plastic card (like an old credit card) will do.

x) Be careful with the screwdriver. The drivers have really strong magnets; you can easily rip the membrane, if the tip gets caught.

x) For me, the only way to get the (pretty bloated) battery out was to remove the USB charging port on the other side. This is not rocket science, but makes the fix a bit harder. I disconnected all cables from the small board (2x 2 pin connector, 1x ribbon cable) first. I used a 1/4 drive extension to push -- any thin, longish, and most importantly non-pointy (!) tool will do. Depending on how bloated the battery is, you need to apply quite some pressure. Steady hands. You don't want to wiggle the thing around and break something...

Good Luck!

ben_el_dude -

Is it worth it ?

Rocksan -

Will my speaker still be waterproof ?

Rocksan -

Anmerkung zu meinem vorherigen Kommentar:

Wie schon einige zuvor darauf hingewiesen haben,

sollte auf keinen Fall ein spitzes Werkzeug dafür verwendet werden.

Beim Herausdrücken immer einen leichten Druck beibehalten und vorsichtig herausdrücken.

Ab einen gewissen Punkt geht dann der alte Akku leicht raus.

Wolfram Hahn -

CAUTION!

As several other commenters have noted if your old battery is bloated and you need to push it through from the other side, be careful not to damage the adjacent ribbon cables. One wraps around the end of the battery, going from the power button to the board, another goes across the board near the back of the battery. These are wrapped in dark grey and look exactly like the foam padding in other locations. They are easy to catch with the edge of a tool, so be very careful. Otherwise, you’ll end up ruining your speaker like I did.

Tom -

Hi Ifixers! II just bought a battery to replace the old one that died, but unfortunately it doesn't seem to work. The battery voltage looks legit at 4 and the USB port also looks fine I mean I've tested it with the multimeter and if I touch it with the red one looks like electricity pass through. What else can it be? The day that the battery died, before disconnecting the elec cable it has produce produced a strong permanent loud sound....

Raimondo Giordo -

Getting the piece apart was really hard work The meshseams seemed to be glued to the rubber in the very first step. This ifixit- „knife“ did help loosening the seam. Again, the end caps: same issue the knife was neccessary to loosen the seems. Finally the battery: really stuck and swollen. Without the pencil-trick it would have been impossible: remove the four screws around the usb-interface and pull it out, move the flat band connector to the side and you see the bottom of the battery. Push with a pencil (dull end cap of the pencil, not the sharp end!) to the battery. I took a rubber hammer with delicate pounding to get to loosen the battery a bit, then put it on the edge of an old table so that the battery could move out and used the rubber hammer to nail the pencil into the bluetooth box to get the battery back out of the case.

Thanks for the tips!

Andre Paus -

[[my flip 4 does not have the 5 9mm screws on the end cap opposite the usb end. can you answer that problem

Roland Ledbetter -

my flip 4 does not have the 5 - 9mm screws on the end opposite the USB end. Can you answer this problem?

Roland Ledbetter -

Mine is waterproof. I cant seem to separate the speaker like the diagram. Is there a way to do this on the waterproof model?

Connie Coleman -

Needle nose pliers worked great in pulling the battery out

uriahh62 -

This type of battery does not like to be charged and discharged simultaneously. That is when they get hot and swell up.

craig acker -

If your flip4 does not have the 5 screws at the end opposite the charge port, it is a twist off.

craig acker -

My battery slipped right out. My flip is only a couple years old. I hope this fixes it. It would not charge. Too low to power on and refused to charge non powered on. The light showing charging only visable when flip is powered on. So unit would power on. Charge light on. 2 seconds then auto power off. No more charge indicator lights . No charging. I kept plugged in anyway all night. And no power.

Also my end cover was barely on. No screws. Takestwist but I didn't need to.

It's a Aqua colored Flip 4

Thanks.

I dig this better than pausing videos

mush mouth -

Battery is stuck plus bloated, what to do?

Drop some small amount of Ethylalkohol (household cleaning agent, found in any hardware store) on the sides of the battery and wait for some minutes. The adhesive becomes weak and now push the battery from other side. It worked for me well.

Otherwise the explanation is good enough. Thanks..

Samdafixer -

Nel mio JBL Flip 4 non c'erano le 5 viti che tenevano i due radiatori, che hanno invece un attacco a baionetta

La batteria si era gonfiata ma è venuta via spingendo con un cacciavite dalla parte opposta

Il resto tutto molto semplice

Alessandro D'Alfonso -

Success overall, amazoned a suposssedly 4000 mha battery, no tools upon arrival but with a sharp knife, a carpenters tool at times in the beginning, and a good screwdriver set from S.Korea it took an hour.

1. its super easy to cut thru the tiny speakers diaphragm with metal tools -- ask how I know - tweezers to put back the tiny screws suddenly decided to get attracted to strong magnets. Fixed the cut with some office sticky tape.

2. Longish screws described in step #2 appeared to be glued on mine, so upon reinstall they went nowhere, there was nothing to grasp for them.

3. My battery was swollen enough for me to unscrew the other lid and power board to push it out -- shine some light in there to understand where to push -- there is a ribbon cable on one side and a wall of the casing -- leaving a relatively small window for something long and tiny yet flat to come in and help get the swollen batt out.

Einstein -

disregard my #2 above -- realized I made a mistake

Einstein -

My Battery was blow up.Verry tricky.😤

Roberto Eisold -

Hallo.

Vielen Dank an die Verfasser für diese wirklich sehr gute Anleitung. Wie vermutlich fast jeder musste ich den alten Akku von der Rückseite herausdrücken. Einbau des neuen Akku und der Zusammenbau war dann richtig einfach. Bei mir sind ein paar Clips an der blauen Schiene gebrochen. Die kann man mit etwas Feingefühl und Sekundenkleber aber wieder gut ankleben. Mein großes Aber: Bei mir funktionieren nun die vier Tasten im Lautsprechergitter (Laut, Leise, Play und Bluetooth) nicht mehr. Hat jemand eine Idee was da passiert sein könnte? Ich befürchte ja, ich hab eine Platine oder ein Kabel geschrottet beim Austreiben des alten Akkus.

Beste Grüße,

Martin

Martin Riebel -