Why does my ipod touch 5th gen not charge when plugged into my computer? (it keeps stuttering(lightning symbol next to bettery goes on and off literally every second))

Question

so I have my ipod touch 5th gen connect and the little lightning symbol, next to the battery on the top left, keeps flashing on and off every second. I don't know what to do and also it doesn't show up on iTunes.

Answer 1

Hey Ed, Try trouble shooting 101. Do you have a different cable and/or charging device? If so, try the different cable first, then a different charging device. If the problem goes away, I'd say it's the cable, replace it. If with in 1 from date of purchase, Apple will replace for free if the cable is found to be defective. If the problem continues with a different cable or a different charging device, then the problem is with your iPod. With a strong light and a magnifying glass look in the iPod's charging port. Your looking for damage in and around the port. Is the port lose? (shouldn't be). Are pieces missing or damaged? Bent or damaged contact pins can do what you describe. Foreign debris, namely pocket lint or corrosion can also cause charging issues. If you see something like lint, try to blow it out, or if you must use a non-conductive probe, I find a round wooden toothpick works well to carefully remove the lint from the bottom of the port. Just be careful to not touch, bend or damage the gold contact pins on the long side of the port. Also make sure the locking pins on the short ends (looks like two silver bumps, one on each end) of the port are free to move. If you find corrosion, try plugging / unplugging about 12 times to clean the contacts off. If you must use a cotton swab cut to fit, with a drop of 91% isopropyl alcohol on it, you want it damp, not wet, then plug it in and out until the swab comes out clean. You will most likely need several swabs. If you find nothing physically wrong, then try resetting your iPod. If that does not work, restore from backup, last resort, make a backup then restore to new, a full factory restore. If issue continues see your Apple store and have it evaluated for a possible hardware issue. But start with a different or new cable. Good luck, Cheers.