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Repairing your Sonicareby bluescrubby on March 26, 2006

Table of Contents

Repairing your Sonicare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Intro:   Repairing your Sonicare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Step 1:   Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Step 2:   Top . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Step 3:   Getting ready to remove solder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Step 4:   Finally! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Step 5:   Circuitboard and battery pack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Step 6:   Corrosion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Step 7:   Semi-cleaned circuitboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Step 8:   Just for anyone who's curious... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

http://www.instructables.com/id/Repairing-your-Sonicare/

Intro:  Repairing your SonicareThis thread has changed from a take-it-apart project to lots of advice on how to fix a Sonicare and put it back together. I hope all the great comments below help peoplebring their toothbrushes (or lockpicks or glass etchers or whatever) back to life.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Repairing-your-Sonicare/

Step 1: OverviewCircuitboard with on/off switch, two AA size rechargeable batteries under.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Repairing-your-Sonicare/

Step 2: TopThis is the top coil, which controls vibrations to the toothbrush head. I know the head has magnets on it, but how does it work...?

Step 3: Getting ready to remove solderHere are the 8 points that have to be removed from the base. The 4 in a row are the connections for the top head; the 2 under that are the battery power leads. Thebottom 2 are the recharger leads. Note all the corrosion...

Step 4: Finally!Getting all the points loose was difficult, partly because many of the leads had wires soldered to them below the circuitboard and it seemed to replenish the solder Iremoved. I heat sinked with alligator clips and paper clips in the tighter spots.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Repairing-your-Sonicare/

Step 5: Circuitboard and battery packlines show corresponding leads.

Step 6: CorrosionI tried to get it off with a toothbrush (don't tell my girlfriend!) but had to scrape it instead. Here's what it looked like...

http://www.instructables.com/id/Repairing-your-Sonicare/

Step 7: Semi-cleaned circuitboardAnd here's what the board looked like after I scraped off the corrosion. It looks like I might have damaged by overheating while trying to remove the solder, too. Beyondhope? If I cleaned it would it still work?

Step 8: Just for anyone who's curious...Here's what's under the blue capacitor (?)

Another note for anyone who's interested in changing the batteries: they are a standard size but they are epoxied into the base with the same stuff that holds the coils.Remove them by cutting away the plastic film surrounding the cells, remove the cells, and then pull out the plastic.

Related Instructables

Wood InductionCharger by jvalal

Sonicare Elite7300 - BatteryReplacement byAaronX2621

Convert oldelectrictoothbrush toplug-in bymatthewbeckler

Ineed your help.IPT (InductivePower Transfer)by puffin_juice

Samsung Epic4g InductiveCharger by G4ry

Wireless Powerby robotkid249

http://www.instructables.com/id/Repairing-your-Sonicare/

Comments

50 comments Add Comment view all 69 comments

 dubyayoung says:  Jan 29, 2011. 2:54 PM  REPLYGreat instructions on removing the battery!That being said, when I removed the guts to my handle I found that there was some corrosion on the bottom of the circuit board. The battery was fine, nocorrosion showing on it, and there was no apparent moisture inside. I brushed off the corrosion, and the circuit board appeared to be in very bad shape (seephotos).I contacted customer service to see if it were possible to get a new board, and it is not. And since this unit is out of warranty they weren't going to doanything for me but offer a 15% discount off of a new one.After complaining a while, and one escalation, they actually agreed to send me a whole new handle!

 bluescrubby says:  Jan 29, 2011. 5:40 PM  REPLYGood job!

 dubyayoung says:  Jan 29, 2011. 2:59 PM  REPLYBy the way, this is from an HX7500, in case anyone was wondering. Forgot that little detail.

 holykal says:  Aug 25, 2009. 2:01 PM  REPLYFirst off thanks to bluescrubby for starting this Instructable. I know it's a couple of years old but I just read it so maybe someone else will get some good fromthis. After I cracked my 5000 series open, I measured the batteries and they were fully charged! I had to desolder the + terminal to remove the pack from thecircuit, let it set for awhile then reattached the + terminal and the unit started flashing like it needed recharged. I figured this was a normal part of thesubroutine so I placed it on the charger overnight until it quit flashing and now gives a solid green light. It has been working normal for over a week now. I ambeginning to believe the built in obsolescence theory. The batteries are always attached so there is no way to reset the processor (mine has a Zilog Z8).Maybe it's just a fluke but I think that's why one reader saw a flash then his unit started working again. He probably just shorted power to ground creating areset.

 WMUNN says:  Feb 4, 2010. 8:09 AM  REPLYGreat thread! Hope I can add some info and get a question answered.

I have a HX7500 Sonicare. I replaced the single sub A battery with an exact replacement NICd. Like everyone says a pain, but doable. (I worked as anelectronic tech for quite some time, so not a newbie :-)

After replacing the battery and giving it a long time to recharge, it seems to run for a good many brushing cycles off the charger. (I always fully charged,then took it off the charger stand until the batteries were very low even though Philips says to leave constantly on charger.)

My HX7500 has the multi-LED row that is supposed to show battery charge level. However, no matter how long I leave it on the charger, when I removeit from the stand after 1-3 brushings it goes directly to the 1 amber LED "low charge" level. If I ignore this I will continue to get a large number ofbrushings. So it looks like the charge indicator really isn't measuring the battery, but maybe counting brushings. This seems likely since I have also readsomewhere about the brush having a "learn mode" although I can't find that info now.

On this model, if I put it on the stand and hold down the ON/OFF button for a couple seconds it will toggle between emitting a single or a double beep.This is different than the sensitivity/ramp up mode which is on a second button on my model. I wonder if this could be putting the unit into or out of a learnmode? If so, what are the details of making it learn?

Also, inside the HX7500, there is a RESET pad. It is two adjacent solder pads meant to be shorted. I'm familiar with these from other devices and itwould appear to be a manual processor reset. That did not solve the problem either.

I've tried multiple combinations of settings and charge cycles, but never seem to get the indicator LEDs to show brushings left.

Since the unit comes from the factory showing a relatively accurate reading I imagine they had another way of setting the unit.

BTW, I ordered three replacement batteries (Sanyo KR-1500AUL) from www.batterystation.com for $19 delivered by Priority Mail. They do have standard1/4" solder tabs, so I had to add a short length of bare wire to connect to the 7500 circuit board.

Cheers! 

 50_Oama says:  Dec 4, 2010. 12:44 PM  REPLYThanks to all, fixed my model e9800:

CHOMOT: Excellent tip on how to open the case. "Rock back and forth" is the key! Takes some patience, but once the o-ring seal is cracked, it slidesout easily!

holykal: Thanks for mentioning the processor reset. Since none of my LEDs were lit, my symptoms sure smelled like a confused CPU to me (and notbattery-related).

WMUN: Thanks for mentioning the reset pad. Since I didn't know which pads might reset the processor, I took a chance and used my screwdriver toshort various pads that were on the circuit board ("below" the battery, if handle held w/brush-side up). After about 6 seconds of trying the possiblecombinations, a press of the on-off switch resulted in one of the LEDs going on. It was like getting a new pony for Christmas. It recharged normally

http://www.instructables.com/id/Repairing-your-Sonicare/

thereafter.

Summary:

1) e9800 seemed "dead"...LEDs would not illuminate no matter how long it was left in the charger.

2) Use rocking motion (not twisting) to easily access the "guts" of the handle.

3) Reset the CPU by removing power via short.

4) If none of your LEDs illuminate, it might be a glitch that is not related to failed batteries.

Boo-boo confessions, if you are interested:

a) Removed the rubberized portion of the handle to see if there was obvious access points underneath. Don't bother. See CHOMOT post instead.

b) Since the unit seemed "dead" (and not "limping"), I tried the Fonzi technique of giving the handle a few solid raps against the counter. If there arecold solder joints, or inadvertent shorts caused by residue build-up, sometimes the Fonzi trick works wonders. 'Course, I usually try this as a last ditcheffort, I should have consulted Instructables first!

Thanks again everyone!

 bluescrubby says:  Feb 4, 2010. 3:57 PM  REPLY@WMUNN, great input, and thanks. 

 bitor says:  Apr 22, 2010. 8:12 AM  REPLY***Another Way To Replace Your Batteries***

First off, Thank you for the direction and commentary on this subject.While on vacation I had dropped my older sonicare and after that it did not work.So, I decided to open it up like I normally do on things in general. This was before I came across these directions. I cut along the seam and opened it up. Tomy surprise two double AA batteries in some epoxy. I tested one and it read ok, but the other one was dead. So, I knew I had another older sonicare brushthat I acquired because of my friend getting a newer one and this older one I thought would be a back up when my previous one went bad sometime in in thefuture. I knew it had worked before, but had not been charged for a 1 year or so.

When in my closet and put it on the charger..the light went on and the next day I decided to us it on  my teeth. Guess what? It did not work. The light was onbut nobody was home.Tried to reset the the sonicare, but this did not either have the reset built in or maybe the reset event is different for the older ones. So I looked at both ofthem and thought I'm going to replace the batteries in this unit because the were both the same size I decided to go about the replacement of the batteries alittle bit different. 

The method here is good, but this to me after opening the first one did not seem piratical to open the whole brush to get at the batteries. To destructive forme. I decided to take measurements on the first one to calculate the exact spot where the batteries are and with the one that was not open, came frombehind from the bottom up and cut the back side open at the top of the batteries and bottom. These two cuts would be parallel with the bottom of thesonicare base.Next I cut one perpendicular and down the center between the two prevous cuts connecting them with this one cut. (Like an I beem)This cut was made because of the epoxy that encased the batteries for easier removal of the outer case. Which would give me more sight on how to removethe batteries.Next and very last I went across the mfg. seams to connect the first cuts.So the whole cut was like a box with a single cut down the middle of the box with only the battery section half of the sonicare back side removed.

Then I took a screw driver's flat edge and placed it in between the second middle cut and twisted to remove the outer shell of the sonicare battery case.It popped right off on one side and the other popped off after wedging the flat head of the screw driver between the outer sonicare case and the epoxy.Always keep in mind to try and hold the batteries so as not to stress the  joints on the PCB board.

Now what I had left was the batteries and the epoxy that had not all the way been cut throw on the first cuts.My biggest concern here was not to break the connection from the PCB board. So I cut throw the rest of the epoxy so the only thing left holding the epoxyand batteries were the connectors from the PCB board to the ends of the batteries. This left me room to gently pull the ends of the batteries closes to thebottom out enough to get a small flat head screw drive in for prying.I then simply place a small flat head screw driver in between the contact spot metal weld points of the batter and rotated/twisted the end until the spot metalarea on the tops of the battery released. Now I could pull out the two batteries and replace them. Note that you only have to break the spot weld on thebatteries' top closes to the sonicare button. The bottom doesn't need the spot metal to be removed in order for you to remove the batteries form the sonicarecompartment you have made.

I know this is a lot of info and pictures would cut down this to half or more. But this I found to be a much better solution then slicing the whole sonicare brushin half. You will now have to do some soldering and could make so you could put springs in to just pop in and out the batteries when they go bad.I just decided to solder wires to the batteries and put a rubber band around it for now. I will do something to seal the PCB board from the outside so waterand etc. will not get in. I just did this so everything works great on it now. I've charged it and it works great.The reason why the second older sonicare brush did not work even throw the light came on but would not charge is because one of the batteries leaked overtime. That's it. As far as the first one I dropped on vacation, I don't know. Maybe it damaged something inside.

REMEMBER this is for the older sonicare brushes and not the newer ones.Not to say this would not work for the newer ones.

I hope this gives a different angle on how to replace the batteries and inspires others to fix theirs this way. Less destructive and still keeps the integrity of thesonicare brush in tact.

Best regards

http://www.instructables.com/id/Repairing-your-Sonicare/

 slogreen says:  Sep 4, 2010. 1:10 PM  REPLY@bitor. I followed your instructions to remove the batteries on my Sonicare that was no longer working. I have a nice clean cut and was able to accessthe battery compartment and remove the 2 AA NiCads. I tested them and discovered that they are charged. I tried two other NiCds, but it still doesn'twork. Is there some sort of reset button on this model?

 skylimey says:  Aug 22, 2010. 5:12 PM  REPLYHi Guys, My HX6930 died, so I pried the bottom plastic plug out of the base and the entire assembly fell out of the plastic toothbrush. Its a hi-power Ni-Cad(SE US14500V) and I'm guessing mine died because it's all wet inside. The battery seems to be in pretty good shape, so if it dries out, maybe it'll startworking again. I just need to waterproof the gap between the head and the plastic. M

 fractalthinking says:  Jan 6, 2010. 4:00 PM  REPLYMost of the time, only the first cell of a NiCad battery pack is bad.  

NiCads develop "wiskers" which can be fixed/destroyed by running higher than the normal voltage of 1.2v across them intermittently.  

It is greener to try to fix it rather than replacing it.  

In this instance it was also much easier than desoldering and replacing the battery.

I usually use a 5V wallbrick and some tape to attach leads from the 5V plug end.

I was able to fix mine with the battery in place.  1.3V after I  "sparked" the bad cell with 5V.

Taking the sonicare apart was the most painful part.  It was a bloody affair after the utility knife slipped.

The plastic also fractured. Now I have to make sure moisture does not get into it.

 jeffreyi says:  Jul 29, 2007. 2:23 PM  REPLYI went away for two weeks and left the sonicare unplugged. Returned home, plugged it in...not charging (no green light). Charger very slightly warm, so thepower seems OK. Advice?? Thanks.

 suzeliz says:  Sep 5, 2009. 10:28 AM  REPLYJeffrey - I just had the same experience - was on vacation for two weeks and when I came back my sonicare won't charge. Did you figure this out?Thanks, Susan

 free.self says:  Aug 10, 2009. 10:46 PM  REPLYHow to open the 9000 seriers brush? I can't find a way in.

 krush_groove says:  Apr 20, 2009. 1:49 PM  REPLYGreat instructions! These were a great help, I had to look at the picture to figure out which pin is positive when putting the new batteries in, it's a good idea tonote this when taking the old batteries out. 2300mAh Ni-MH batteries are charging up pretty well so far and I used a hot glue gun to secure the batteries andseal the sides up. And if you can, recycle the old batteries :)

 stress_guy_53-30 says:  Apr 18, 2009. 9:57 PM  REPLYFor those who would rather let someone else do the dirty work, I found a guy on eBay who fixed my classic 4700 handle in a week (first class mail bothways) for $25. It works as good as new, and with three old brush-heads that would not fit the new handles, I took a chance and I am glad I did. Look for"Sonic Repair" -- I even gave him my first-generation handle for spare parts, and he overpaid me for the first-class postage. Great e-business person!

 JerryI says:  Dec 24, 2008. 2:15 PM  REPLYSince the old-style Sonicare runs on about 3V DC, would it be feasible to snip the battery leads and tap a ~3V DC wall charger cord in at the appropriatepoints; then forget about recharging. Plug the wallcharger in, all the time or whenever you want to use the toothbrush. I would appreciate comment fromsomeone who has already torn one of these apart. I haven't done so yet, but mine is to the point where I only get 4-5 brush cycles without recharging. Iwouldn't mind a corded toothbrush if I could save $50 bucks or so.

 wizrd4824 says:  Oct 26, 2008. 5:23 AM  REPLYNever scrape a board. Use isopropyl alcohol and a small brush (medium bristles). The foreign debris and corrosion should come off.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Repairing-your-Sonicare/

 wizrd4824 says:  Oct 26, 2008. 5:08 AM  REPLYIf you use a little flux and some desoldering braid, this step will be a breeze. It will also avoid overheating the PCB and damaging the traces and pads.

 grooveman says:  Aug 26, 2008. 2:07 PM  REPLYwell, I blew it... Word of warning: Be careful when removing the solder from the 8 identified pins... a couple pins heated up too much on me, and wound upcoming out of the plastic which held them, and somehow one of the copper wires from the coil around the electromagnet came off as well. There was no playin the wire what-so-ever, so I couldn't solder them together. Looks like I'm out a toothbrush. I think this would have been avoided had I been more patient. Ireally just needed another hand... I recommend at least 3. Also, my soldering pencil was not hot enough to remove the wire soldered to the battery, mightneed a soldering gun, or more powerful soldering iron.

 chamunks says:  Sep 19, 2008. 10:40 AM  REPLYYou could allways epoxy it back into the case. But good luck getting the pins back out again.

 spiderx says:  Sep 18, 2008. 11:59 AM  REPLYIt works just like a speaker does, except this coil is the "speaker coil" and the head is the permanent magnet. Apply a voltage to the coil, and it repels themagnet. Apply the opposite voltage, and it attracts the magnet. Since it works the way a speaker does, they decided to call in "sonicare" since all they haveto do is push a 700hz signal through the coil... actually, its a 666(and 2/3)hz signal, to get 40,000 cycles a minute

 cleanme says:  Aug 9, 2008. 3:40 PM  REPLYI replaced the 700 mAh NiCad batteries in my sonicare with 2600mAh NimH batteries - ran the unit with a meter and watched charge cycles etc. Worksperfect! Unit trickle charges within acceptable limits for NimH and even registers a full charge. In my case above, it logically took about 3x longer to reach afull charge, but the unit will also run 3x longer from a full charge then vs. the NiCad. Cheap and plentiful to get NimH AA batteries retail. Requires de-soldering of about 6 points - use a low temp solder iron, solder sucker and appropriate skills. $12 in batteries, 3 hours effort - saves me wasting a good unitthat lasts three times longer run time and will be better suited charge longevity over NiCad. Pays to be a geek.

 guetch says:  Jun 28, 2008. 1:42 PM  REPLYRepaired the first one without problems. I use an Arborite scraper ground down to fit the groove of the housing. Now with the second one I was maybe a bithasty with the solder braid succer and shorted a transistor.AERA surface mount but can't fine a replacement with this #. So, my advice to anyone is, cut thepositive lead to the battery under the board before desoldering. Any advice on the repl. trans. would be appreciated. Thanks Armin

 Red-Headed Woodpecker says:  Jul 3, 2006. 10:09 AM  REPLYI successfully replaced the batteries in my Sonicare. I used a utility knife to cut the halves apart. The case is thicker on either side near the switch. You cancut a depth of about 1/8 inch alone each side. Be careful and don't cut too deep on the bottom. Take the circuit board off by unsoldering 8 points. Thebatteries are glued in very tight. I slit the outer wrapping of the batteries and was able to get the batteries out then removed enough of the wrapping to getthe new batteries in. I used RTV silicone (get it at an auto parts store) to secure the new batteries in place. After doing the repair and verifying it worked, Iused super glue gel to put the halves together. BTW, the original batteries lasted about 6 years, and I leave it in the charger all the time when I'm not using it.

 dgmoose says:  Dec 28, 2007. 7:54 PM  REPLYI was able to get the sonicare opened with a utility knife, but instead of replacing the batteries, I used a battery resurrection technique that I purchased oneBay for $12.95. http://stores.ebay.com/Battery-ResurrectionThe sonicare had been dead but now is alive, hallelujah!

 0.775volts says:  Mar 29, 2006. 7:36 PM  REPLYif you can get it working again, electric toothbrushes can make one very good lock pick, i'm sure you can find directions online, but just looking at an"electronic lock-pick" will give you the basic idea. keep in mind however that this may not be legal in your area.

 BorisTheSpider says:  Oct 24, 2007. 9:18 PM  REPLYHas anyone seen any decent instructions on this. None on Instructables. Maybe someone is up to the task?

 darbytomusa says:  Aug 16, 2007. 6:03 PM  REPLYEureka! I found a way to remove the insides(battery etc.) from a Sonicare Elite 7300. With the help of others on line, I knew it would come apart. I triedvarious other non-destructive methods and then Eureka! With the toothbrush assy removed I stuck a painters roller brush extension, (a broom handle etc.will work) about 4 ft. long, into the cavity in the top, tapped it lightly with a rubber mallet. Then I put the wooden handle in a vise with the battery just showingon top of the vise. The other end of the handle is best positioned if it is pressing against the floor (for stability). Now you can wiggle the outer case vigorouslyupward with two hands and it will come up with relative ease and no damage to anything. Be aware there is only one battery in it..There are two solder tabs,easily desoldered and not epoxyed. apparently it is a 1.5 volt battery,no markings but another on line user replaced it with a AAA battery. Probably works finebut just shorter run duration. He jut increased the diameter to fit tight. I'm going to Batteries Plus tomorrow to try for the correct battery. If somebody has thebattery spec's or # would appreciate

 darbytomusa says:  Aug 17, 2007. 3:07 PM  REPLYTo follow up on the battery I got an exact replacement at Batteries Plus,Lake Zurich,Il. Part #NUH4/5A-1, 1.2v 4/5A 1700MAH NIMH . Cost $4.29, Theyeven tacked on the leads.(Tack Welded) I put the + lead in first with the battery at a 45 angle, then brought the other end down while feeding in the -lead. Take your time, clean the lead holes so the leads slide in easily. I used my old reliable 37 watt iron. Don't over heat board. It snaps together easily

http://www.instructables.com/id/Repairing-your-Sonicare/

 bibbli says:  Jul 21, 2007. 11:16 PM  REPLYFor anyone interested in prying open and trying to install a new set of ni-cad rechargeable batteries in an older Sonicare Advanced model, I highlyrecommend against it. Both batteries are surrounded by an epoxy that makes it pretty much impossible to remove them.

 regnadkcin says:  Aug 15, 2007. 7:53 AM  REPLYpretty much impossible? bah, aint nuttin bilt wut cant be unbilt with a dremel....or some low grade explosives....he he he he

 bluescrubby says:  Jul 22, 2007. 7:20 AM  REPLYHowever, the batteries are epoxied in while still in a plastic wrapper--the white wrapper is easy to see in the pictures. Cut the wrapper open, remove thebatteries, and you have a nice indentation to place your new batteries in! Or you can remove the epoxy after the batteries with a dremel tool and put newepoxy in when you put your new batteries in.

 slickdog7 says:  Jun 23, 2007. 11:54 AM  REPLYObviously someone knows how to repair the sonicare toothbrush. Why not open a website and do repairs for a business? I, for one would rather get rippedoff an pay full price when the batteries die. If you could replace the batteries at a fair price, I think people would beat your door down to send in their units. Iuse a service that repairs old HP scientific calculators that we oldtimers refuse to give up (functions thatthe new ones just don't have) and for $75 he repairsthem just like new with a 1 year warranty. He says he does about five units a day, and hasn't run out of work yet. Maybe someone would consider it and allthese people would probably just send in thier units rather than get frustrated trying to fix them themselves.

 Jafafa Hots says:  Jun 1, 2006. 1:24 AM  REPLYI only wanna know one thing - how'd you get the damned thing OPEN?

 Technical Renaissance says:  Mar 25, 2007. 11:16 AM  REPLYThere are 2 slots at the top, where head screws on. Use one or two flat head screw drivers, alternating back and forth, to pop it apart.

 chomot says:  Jun 10, 2007. 5:53 PM  REPLYDoes it unscrew or pull out or what? I tried to unscrew it and am having no luck.

 Technical Renaissance says:  Jun 12, 2007. 1:46 PM  REPLYYou have to wedge 2 screw drivers in the gaps and pry them appart. don't know about the ultra...

 chomot says:  Jun 10, 2007. 5:55 PM  REPLYOh I have the Ultra if that makes a diff

 chomot says:  Jul 14, 2007. 5:26 PM  REPLYHay I figured out how to open up the Ultra 7500 and similar. First remove the gray rubber tab from the back of the device, just opposite of thebuttons and just below the threads. To do this use a thin bladed knife and pry up on both sides. It may take a bit of force as it is held in prettytight by two tabs that go through the handle side and into the threaded top that locks it all togather. Then screw on an old brush head with theinsides wrapped in paper towel or similar to support and protect the inside. The old brush head will but used to protect the outside of thethreaded part from the tools you use to grab the top with. Using pliers or a bench vise etc gently but with some force rock it back and forth atthe same time you are pulling strait out. It will not twist as it has keyways to insure the position of the handle case to the top part, so do not tryand twist it. Just rock it back and forth until it pulls strait out. The threaded part will crack easily so be gentle but forceful. There are lugs in thethreaded part that go into detents in the handle is what you are pulling against. From there the batt replacement is strait forward. Enjoy

 StElmo says:  Jun 13, 2010. 12:03 PM  REPLYRight on - that opens the sonicare 7800 too. Mine was crusted so to get gearpuller like leverage I put a 2" length of thin 14ga wire oncearound the outer perimeter and twisted the cap down onto it.

 thorpozon says:  Mar 25, 2007. 10:36 AM  REPLYhello, read all your comments and they were all nice. I am pretty interested in the no contact battery charging this device adopted. I was wondering if they didit miniturely, would it be adoptable to cellular phones wherein you don't damage the contcks with repetitive charging. please respond thor

 bluescrubby says:  May 20, 2007. 9:09 PM  REPLYI'm sure that you could adapt this kind of charger to a cell phone, but first you'd need to attach that big black thing and the coil you see on the left side ofthe picture! The size would be reminiscent of 1980's carphones... I don't know what kind of juice cell phones need to recharge or what kind of juice thisputs out as I haven't played with it recently, but it seems like a possibility.

 mekk says:  Nov 6, 2006. 12:19 AM  REPLYI am having difficulty desoldering the points on my sonicare to replace the batteries. Does anyone have any suggestions?

http://www.instructables.com/id/Repairing-your-Sonicare/

 Technical Renaissance says:  Mar 25, 2007. 11:33 AM  REPLYI used the braided solder wick, but it was tough with so many interdependent joints. Radio Shack sells a 40w de-soldering iron with a built-in bulb. It getsgreat reviews, the suction hole is built into the tip of the iron and seems like it would work great. Has anyone used it yet? One word of caution: be sure touse a heat sink/clip and don't hold it on for more than a few seconds. At 40 watts, I'm sure the iron puts out a lot of heat.

 GMC ROYALE says:  Nov 13, 2006. 10:42 PM  REPLYI've used the copper braid and I've used an excellent desoldering tool, but my favorite is an infant nasal syringe, available in the drug dept. for only abuck or so. I just finished repairing my Sonicare. Neither the desoldering nor the soldering were a problem. The iron I selected for this job is Ungar 27watt, pencil style with a 1/8" diameter tip. At Fry's I found 1-1/2" diameter, blue heat-shrink tubing for $10 (kind of expensive for the job, but it theremainder will be useful). I pre-punched a hole for the switch to avoid constant pressure on the switch. Also at Fry's I found GE/Sanyo Ni-Cd's for$6.00/pair, much better than the $12 that Radio Shack wanted for theirs. #18 solid copper bell-wire worked well for jumpering the the two batteries andmaybe the wire up to the board were one size smaller. They soldered easily onto the batteries after roughing with steel wool and applying flux. It worksgreat now and was well worth doing.

 kirklawton says:  Jan 5, 2007. 3:14 PM  REPLYGMC Royale, would u be intersted in fixing my sonicare and if so how much would u charge. kirkpas@yahoo.com Thanks

 GMC ROYALE says:  Feb 10, 2007. 6:15 PM  REPLYAny Sonicare that is a battery replacement candidate may have other problems also; corrosion, water damage, or defective electronics, whichmakes for a low predictability of a successful repair. Although I would enjoy repairing a few of these, I would have to charge you for an hour or soof time, materials and return shipping. If the job was a failure, you would unhappily be about $100 poorer. You may as well take the $100 and buya new one. I think this is a job to be approached only by the owner/hobbyist where the cost is minimal, hobby time is educational, and ifsuccessful - personal gratification is high. If you would like to try it yourself, ask around and you may find a friend to assist and provide thenecessary tools and you will come away from it with some new skills. Many people are here online to assist with questions along the way. Sorryto take so long to reply; I've been traveling.

 bluescrubby says:  Nov 6, 2006. 1:02 AM  REPLYmekk, I think the only way to do this is to use a solder vacuum or a braided copper solder remover. The posts are soldered all the way through thecircuitboard, so you have a lot of solder to remove. If you're really committed to not damaging your circuitboard, go slow and remove the solder little bylittle, as it could take some time.

 mekk says:  Nov 8, 2006. 11:01 PM  REPLYThanks. I have a little battery powered solder that is 6 watts (900 degrees) and I was trying to use the braided copper, but it was only picking up avery little bit. However, the solder melts when I put the iron directly on it. Should I get a stronger iron? Or just go with the vacuum?

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