Fix your busted headphones!

Step 2: The fix.

Disassemble your new headphones jack and thread the housing onto the existing headphone cord (see images)

I used a 'helping hands' clamp tool to hold the new jack in place while I threaded the three wires into place. With the archaic set of headphones I was using, it didn't particularly matter which wire was fed into each pin - I tried all possible configurations,  I put the white wire in the long pin, and the red and black wires in the smaller pins. Gingerly, heat each pin, and solder into place.

Comments

[jlyvers743]

Where did you buy that replacement part, the actual jack? This could save us $85 on a new charger for a laptop! Wohoo, thank you!

[audreyobscura]

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2104061

There you go :)

[MW0GKX]

It does matter which wire goes to what pin as you have 2 speakers, a Left and a Right plus the ground wire(s) as incorrect connection could cause damage to the device thart they are used on.
Take a look at:
http://highfields-arc.co.uk/repairs/headphones.htm
for explanation of wires, plugs etc.

[rapier1]

It may be possible to cause equipment damage if you connect the ground to a signal post but it's unlikely - not impossible - just unlikely. Simply swapping the left and right cannot cause damage.

[paziggie]

Alternatively, you could open up the previous headphones plug that you've just cut off and see which wires go to which points. Randomly soldering this to that isn't the best move when dealing with electronics - it's best to know exactly what goes where!

[lsymms]

yeah, it's really not that hard to figure it out based on the old plug using a conductivity tester (most volt meters have these) unless it's shorting out. That being said if you have 3 wires and they're red white and black it's fairly certain that black is ground (long post aka the sleeve), red is right (the middle part of the plug aka the ring), white is left (the tip of the plug aka the tip). The way I remember this is to think of the red as the key to the puzzle. Red Right that's easy. Red and White? Doesn't make me think of anything in particular. Red and Black though is the standard color coding for DC batteries (cars, alkaline, etc) where red is + and black is - and - should always be ground. Red is right, black is ground, so white must be left.

[rihaller]

You can also determine the proper wire-to-plug arrangement by using a continuity tester (or ohm meter) on the plug you cut off. Test each color for connectivity to which part of the plug tip it connects to. Then connect colors identically on the replacement plug.

[Jerry999]

The BEST reply! Thank you!
If a DIYSer can use a soldering iron properly, then he/she is fully conversant with a basic volt-continuity meter.
For one, you can't go wrong with the 'common' or ground wire. After that, just connect it as rihaller says.
As a rule, one of the wires may be intermittenttly contacting or even broken at the plug but not likely both.
Smart as most DIYSs are, use the process of elimination.

[Vaxinius]

Worth noting even a second time just how important sliding the outer enclosure onto the wire is before commencing anything else. Shot myself in the foot so many times getting excited about stripping and soldering only to realize my chronic error.

[tinyweasel]

My speaker system has a broken jack, but the wires in it are weird and I can't find instructions on how to fix it anywhere.