[porrmans ipod]

I also replaced the battery in my chIpod with a new 400 mAh 3.7v battery I bought off of ebay. The install went well and it worked fine for about three weeks, until one day I picked up the player to use it and all of the buttons on the front were frozen. I looked at the case and it appeared that someone stepped on it, it was deformed. I took the back off and I found that the battery had balloned up. The increase in size caused the whole case to deform and put pressure on the front buttons making them inoperative. I contatced the seller in Hong Kong and he sent a new one ASAP. From what I have now learned this could be dangerous as the balloing is caused by gases building up in the battery. The cause?? No one really knows why, some specualte soldering problems, others say charging problems (ie cheap chargers sent with these cheap players), others think cheap batteries that have contamination in the cells during manufacturing. Bottom line- they can explode (go to youtube and search overcharged lithium polymer batteries)if overchaged and not designed to allow venting of the gases.

I have the new battery, but am very reluctant to install it. I think I will retire my chIpod after a full two months service, and bought an iriver clix instead. Sometimes its worth spending a little more money for a name brand. Anyway I just wanted everyone to be careful if you decide to replace the battery, if you do I would suggest buying a battery from a known seller!! and avoid Chinese cells!! Very low quality.