Sony WF-1000XM4 Earbuds Battery Replacement

Do your Sony earbuds batteries not last as long as they used to? Are your Sony earbuds not powering on or connecting to your device? It's likely that all they need is new batteries. 

This repair is fairly simple and straight forward, however, it requires a heat gun and that you handle some very fragile ribbon cables and small connectors. As long as you're careful, you'll get it done. 

Parts you'll need 🧰

(If the tool cost seems prohibitive, check out our Repair Catalog to see if we offer repair services for this device.)

• A replacement Battery 
• Scroll on the product page to "Frequently bought together" to add all the tools you need as well. 
• Or, add the Battery below if you only need the part.

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1. Open The Housing 

1.1: Set your heat gun to 200°C (392°F) and apply heat to the seam that goes all the way around the ear bud for a minute or so. Keep the heat constantly moving along the seam for around 1 minute as you do not want to melt the plastic. 

1.2: Put some rubbing alcohol on the end of your thin pry tool and work it into the seam. Then work it along the seam until you've gone all the way around the ear bud. You should then be able to start prying the two parts of the housing apart. When the gap is large enough, switch to your nylon spudger to finish prying the two pieces apart.

1.3: Once the pieces are loose, you can fold them open. Just be careful of the ribbon cables on one side of the housing. 

2. Remove The Old Battery

2.1: Slide the flat wide end of your nylon spudger underneath the top PCB and gently lift it up. It's just held in with a multi pin connector that once unclipped, should offer no resistance. 

2.2: Use the pointed end of your nylon spudger to open the black locking clip on this ribbon connector. It needs to lift up and downward following the arrow in the photo below. 

2.3: Slide the ribbon cable out of the connector using the two tabs on the sides or by carefully grabbing it with tweezers and pulling it out. Sometimes these ribbons are glued in place so you may need to use a bit of heat briefly to loosen the adhesive. 

2.4: Use your nylon spudger to gently pry the PCB away from the battery.  

2.5: Use a small flat head screwdriver, your tweezers, or nylon spudger to pry the battery up and out of the housing. 

3. Install The New Battery

3.1: Lift the tabs that make contact with the battery so that they are at 45° angles. 

3.2: Grab the new battery with a pair of tweezers so that you can evenly set it into the housing and use your finger to push it into place. (Make sure to put the battery in with the same side facing upwards as shown in the photo below). 

3.3: Place the battery PCB onto the battery and press it into place. If the adhesive is no longer sticky on the PCB, you can use thin double-sided tape to hold the board in place. 

3.4: Use your tweezers to slide the ribbon cable into it's connector and close the latch. (Make sure that the ribbon is in all the way and not at an angle. You may need to hold the ribbon cable in place with your finger whilst closing the latch.)

4. Reassembly!

4.1: Apply a thin line of glue all the way around the ledge that is at the edge of the other piece of the housing. Make sure there are no breaks in the line as this will decrease the water resistance of the earbuds. 

4.2: Connect the multi pin connector on the PCB to it's socket while avoiding smudging any glue.  

4.3: Press both half of the housing together firmly for around 15 seconds. 

4.4: Clean the excess glue off with a Q tip and rubbing alcohol. 

4.5: Test the earbud, if it works put it in a clamp or wrap it with a rubber band and let it sit for around 24 hours for the glue to fully cure. 

5. Get back to enjoying your gear 🤓