Ipod's headphone jack problem?

Question

so, currently i have a 30 gb ipod classic. i've owned this ipod since last year...bought it on may, 2007, from circuit city...i think. so i bought the ipod, w/o any warranty. the ipod works perfectly, until 2 days ago, when only the left side of the headphone works...its not the headphone since i've tested the headphone with my laptop, and other ipods. but it looks like the headphone jack have been pulled down, causing it to move around, and its making the headphone not plugged properly. i've never opened the inside of an ipod before...and i'm not planning to either. my question is, can it still be fixed?
ps: i dont have anything from that ipod's box...the paper and stuff. the only thing remaining from the original ipod box is the ipod and the cable.

Answer 1

You raise an interesting point rjo3491. (Wow, that's such a 21st century name, man! )
I've noticed over the years how many people leave the headphones plugged in but then wrap the headphone cord tight around the their player when they're storing it in their pocket or bag. This is definitely a recipe for disaster, since this puts strain on the cord and on the headphone socket. I winch every time I see it.
Imagine two pieces of plastic, glued to each other at an angle to form a letter L. (No, not with super-glue.) If you then put strain on each leg of the piece, eventually the glued joint will fail. This is how the headphone socket is connected inside the iPod - well, the pins of the socket will be soldered directly to the circuit board, and the solder is simply electrical glue.
Although this is robust enough, if a plug is hanging out of the socket and pulling to one side because the cord is forcing it to, then eventually the socket will become unreliable or even fail completely. In larger items, you will probably find the socket has wires from the back of the socket to the circuit board, but in the iPod, there isn't the space, or need.
My advice is; if you're going to wrap the cord of any device around the device itself (iPod included) (and with the cord still connected), then leave some slack so that the tension is not there. Even then, make sure that the iPod and plug will not be knocked about or subject to strain from anything else in the bag/pocket.
By the way, once you ensure the connection does not get strained, leaving the plug in can be a good idea. It will stop dust/pocket fluff from getting into the socket. Dust and fluff can cause poor connections.
As for the original question in this thread:
hahasniper wrote:
Can it be fixed?
Yes, I think it probably can, but..., it will take someone who is experienced in electrical soldering and who has worked on similar small devices previously. If you seek out professional help, it may well cost more than it's worth.
Regards,