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Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

16

Time Required

                          20 - 40 minutes

Sections

2

  • Earcup Cushion
  • 2 steps
  • Battery
  • 14 steps

Flags

1

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Introduction

If your battery is swollen, take appropriate precautions.

For your safety, discharge your battery below 25% before disassembling your headphones. This reduces the risk of a dangerous thermal event if the battery is accidentally damaged during the repair.

You’ll need replacement adhesive to reattach components when reassembling the device.

What you need

Step 1

              Release the plastic clips
  • Before beginning any repairs, turn off your headphones.
  • The earcup cushions of the Sony WH-1000XM3 are held in place by small plastic clips and it’s the same removal procedure for both, the left and the right cushion.
  • In case you want to replace the battery you’re required to remove the RIGHT earcup cushion.
  • Insert a spudger into the gap between the earcup cushion and the earcup frame.
  • A screwdriver or a flat pencil will also do the job but might scratch your headphone housing or damage the cushions.
  • Pry up the earcup cushion by tilting the spudger downwards to release the plastic clips.
  • Repeat the previous step around the perimeter of the earcup cushion to release the remaining clips.

Before beginning any repairs, turn off your headphones.

The earcup cushions of the Sony WH-1000XM3 are held in place by small plastic clips and it’s the same removal procedure for both, the left and the right cushion.

In case you want to replace the battery you’re required to remove the RIGHT earcup cushion.

Insert a spudger into the gap between the earcup cushion and the earcup frame.

A screwdriver or a flat pencil will also do the job but might scratch your headphone housing or damage the cushions.

Pry up the earcup cushion by tilting the spudger downwards to release the plastic clips.

Repeat the previous step around the perimeter of the earcup cushion to release the remaining clips.

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Step 2

              Remove the earcup cushion
  • Remove the earcup cushion.

Remove the earcup cushion.

Step 3

              Remove the foam liner
  • The foam liner covering the speaker is held in place by two small pieces of mild adhesive.
  • Avoid separating the different foam layers during the following procedure.
  • Carefully peel the foam liner off the earcup frame.
  • Remove the foam liner.

The foam liner covering the speaker is held in place by two small pieces of mild adhesive.

Avoid separating the different foam layers during the following procedure.

Carefully peel the foam liner off the earcup frame.

Remove the foam liner.

Step 4

              Unfasten the plastic cover screws
  • Use a Phillips screwdriver to remove the four 10.4 mm-long screws securing the plastic cover of the earcup frame.

Use a Phillips screwdriver to remove the four 10.4 mm-long screws securing the plastic cover of the earcup frame.

Step 5

              Pry up the plastic cover
  • Turn the headphones over.
  • Insert an opening pick into the gap between the plastic cover and the earcup frame.
  • Use the opening pick to pry up the plastic cover until you can get a good grip to it.
  • Don’t try to remove the plastic cover all the way yet. The electrodes inside the cover which sense gesture controls are still connected to the headphone assembly.

Turn the headphones over.

Insert an opening pick into the gap between the plastic cover and the earcup frame.

Use the opening pick to pry up the plastic cover until you can get a good grip to it.

Don’t try to remove the plastic cover all the way yet. The electrodes inside the cover which sense gesture controls are still connected to the headphone assembly.

Step 6

              Open the earcup cover
  • Avoid straining the gesture control cable during the following procedure.
  • Carefully fold the right earcup cover to the left like you would open the front page of a book and place it next to the earcup frame.

Avoid straining the gesture control cable during the following procedure.

Carefully fold the right earcup cover to the left like you would open the front page of a book and place it next to the earcup frame.

Step 7

              Disconnect the gesture control cable
  • Use a pair of blunt nose tweezers or your fingers to disconnect the gesture control ribbon cable by pulling it straight out of its socket.

Use a pair of blunt nose tweezers or your fingers to disconnect the gesture control ribbon cable by pulling it straight out of its socket.

Step 8

              Remove the protective foam sticker
  • Don’t jab the battery with any sharp tools. A punctured battery may leak dangerous chemicals or catch fire.
  • Use a pair of tweezers to carefully peel the protective foam sticker off the battery and the thermal sensor.

Don’t jab the battery with any sharp tools. A punctured battery may leak dangerous chemicals or catch fire.

Use a pair of tweezers to carefully peel the protective foam sticker off the battery and the thermal sensor.

Step 9

              Remove the protective cloth sticker
  • Use a pair of tweezers or your fingers to carefully remove the protective cloth sticker.

Use a pair of tweezers or your fingers to carefully remove the protective cloth sticker.

Step 10

              Free the battery
  • Use a pair of tweezers to carefully bend the thermal sensor to the side to get free access to the battery.

Use a pair of tweezers to carefully bend the thermal sensor to the side to get free access to the battery.

Step 11

              Free the battery cables
  • The black and red battery cables are routed underneath a little plastic hook on the battery frame.
  • Use a pair of tweezers to carefully free the battery cables.

The black and red battery cables are routed underneath a little plastic hook on the battery frame.

Use a pair of tweezers to carefully free the battery cables.

Step 12

              Free the battery connector
  • Use the flat end of a spudger or an opening pick to carefully fold the cables blocking the battery connector to the side until you get free access to the connector.

Use the flat end of a spudger or an opening pick to carefully fold the cables blocking the battery connector to the side until you get free access to the connector.

Step 13

              Disconnect the battery
  • Use a pair of blunt nose tweezers to grasp the sides of the battery connector.
  • Pull the connector up and out of its socket, gently rocking it back and forth to loosen the clips securing it.
  • Always pull cables by their connectors and not the wires themselves.

Use a pair of blunt nose tweezers to grasp the sides of the battery connector.

Pull the connector up and out of its socket, gently rocking it back and forth to loosen the clips securing it.

Always pull cables by their connectors and not the wires themselves.

Step 14

              Insert an opening pick
  • Insert the tip of an opening pick into the gap between the right edge of the battery and the battery housing.
  • Rotate the opening pick to insert one of its long edges into the gap.

Insert the tip of an opening pick into the gap between the right edge of the battery and the battery housing.

Rotate the opening pick to insert one of its long edges into the gap.

Step 15

              Pry up the battery
  • Slide the opening pick underneath the battery.
  • Pry up the battery intermittently to work it away from its adhesive.

Slide the opening pick underneath the battery.

Pry up the battery intermittently to work it away from its adhesive.

Step 16

              Remove the battery
  • Remove the battery.
  • Do not reuse the battery after it has been removed, as doing so is a potential safety hazard. Replace it with a new battery.
  • Remove old adhesive backings before installing new adhesive and clean the relevant areas with isopropyl alcohol (>90%).
  • If your replacement battery does not come with replacement adhesive secure the new battery with pre-cut adhesive or double-sided adhesive tape. In order to position it correctly, apply the new adhesive into the device at the place where the old adhesive was located, not directly onto the battery. Press the new battery firmly into place.

Remove the battery.

Do not reuse the battery after it has been removed, as doing so is a potential safety hazard. Replace it with a new battery.

Remove old adhesive backings before installing new adhesive and clean the relevant areas with isopropyl alcohol (>90%).

If your replacement battery does not come with replacement adhesive secure the new battery with pre-cut adhesive or double-sided adhesive tape. In order to position it correctly, apply the new adhesive into the device at the place where the old adhesive was located, not directly onto the battery. Press the new battery firmly into place.

If possible, turn on your device and test your repair before installing new adhesive and resealing.

For optimal performance, calibrate your newly installed battery: Charge it to 100% and keep charging it for at least 2 more hours. Then use your device until it shuts off due to low battery. Finally, charge it uninterrupted to 100%.

To reassemble your device, follow the above steps in reverse order.

Take your e-waste to an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler.

Repair didn’t go as planned? Try some basic troubleshooting, or ask our Answers community for help.

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                                                                                      12 other people completed this guide.

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                    Dominik Schnabelrauch

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Brady Eisert - May 12, 2022

Reply

Thank you! This is a very detailed and helpful guide. I especially appreciated the battery calibration tip at the end of it! The battery removal was probably the most difficult part, as the adhesive was strong. Slowly working the opening pick under the battery as directed did the trick, though.

vectorracer - Jul 25, 2022

Reply

Thank you very much. This gonna help me out. Draining the battery now and gonna give it a shot later today. I love this headphones and I didn’t want to get rid of them.

Francisco Garcia Pérez - Aug 21, 2022

Reply

Hola. Aparte de cambiar la bateria de estos auriculares, no sabria usted donde puedo comprar para cambiarla la toma del puerto de carga de estos auriculares. Porque parece que se dañó de alguna forma. No me entra el cable , me lo hecha para atras. Tengo que apretarlo con mucha fuerza para que cargue, aun así me lo despide para atras y no carga. Gracias si pudiera ayudarme.

francisco-tiscar@hotmail.com

Michael - Nov 15, 2022

Reply

The batterie replacement was very easy. The guide described everything perfectly. Well done and thanks! I already tried to do the calibration once, but it seems it has not worked yet as the software gave me, for instance, 80% first and 5 minutes later it has dropped down to 30% and then very quickly to 10%. I have these 10% now for more than 8 hours. So it seems it is not calibrated. Any ideas? I also tried to reset the headphones. It not really worked.

Mathijs Groothuis - Jan 4, 2023

Reply

What third party battery have people used here? I see a lot of batteries on the typical Chinese shop, but I doubt those will be as good as the original one. Unfortunately Sony nor iFixit sell the original themselves.