The rechargeable battery is at the end of it's life and I want to change it. How do open the toothbrush to get at it?

John Halstead, October 2008

I bought two Alkaline AA batteries. It took a lot of effort to get the batteries out of the toothbrush but that is nothing compared to trying to put the new batteries IN.
1. How do they go in? The plus in or to the end of the toothbrush?
2. I can't close it.
What is the trick? I would have never bought this had I known its this complicated to replace the AA batteries.

Camila Walker, May 2012

Different models use different methods. On the ones I've played with, there is a shaped recess in the base which matches the one on the charger. The ones with the posh travel charger have a dummy lump on the back to get the base off, otherwise use the charging lump carefully. The base is on a bayonet, and just twists off.
For a full explanation, see also the thread called "Can I replace the battery in my Braun electric toothbrush?"

Ed Vine, June 2009

at the bottom above cap there will be two things that will look alike.. it will have a . and then 3 curved lines.. push on both of those at the same time with one hand and pull cap off with the other hand.. its simple really.. i had that prob. 2

britt., April 2009

I managed to replace mine OK but you have to be an expert at dismantling to avoid breaking the induction coil wires and an expert in soldering. The battery has to be a 4/5 AA (not AF as suggested below). It may be worth realising that there are some half price offers on complete replacements at the moment.
These toothbrushes are not very hygienic as fluid goes past the brush spindle and festers in the gear casing. Flicking in the sink as if a mercury thermometer drains it (and foul smelling moulds that may have built up) before and after use - using a sterilising fluid occasionally (and on the brushes) is effective.

xyzbird, December 2008

Twisting off the end cap using the shaped lump on the charger will do nothing worse than break the two fine wires leading from the charging coil in the removable end cap to the little circuit board that sits behind the handle, and it usually doesn't even do that.
If you can't / won't do soldering, then there is no point in taking the end cap off as the battery is soldered in, those fine wires are soldered on and the motor / switch on mine needed to be de-soldered before I could get to the battery. See also the thread called "Can I replace the battery in my Braun electric toothbrush?"

Ed Vine, December 2008

Jason Braun,
what do you mean by "If you twist off the bottom cap this will ruin the machine!"
Is there a booby trap in the handle?

Marcel, December 2008

I ordered a 4/5 AF NiMh size battery as suggested by one of your contributors but when it arrived it was shorter and fatter than the original. The + and - tags were on opposing sides of the battery (one pointing up, the other down) so this was also a slight problem. However, I cut away the strengthening ribs from the inside of the battery holder, cut off the tags from the old battery and soldered them onto the tags of the new battery (providing both the extra length and the tag ends and sizes required to fit into the circuit board slots). Then I bent the circuit board upwards, pushed the battery in, soldered the tags on and it worked straight away! I had to strip the lacquer from the induction coil ends and resolder those because both ends broke away as I worked on the unit. Then I reassembled the unit and used the underneath of the base to turn the bottom of the unit back into place.
Don't know if it's going to charge up properly as the battery came fully charged and I'm going to run it down before trying the charger. If it does not charge then I'm fairly sure it will be because those induction coil wires have come away again during reassembly.

Phil Baker, November 2008

Hi John,
Most of the Braun toothbrushes are not repairable, this is done for cost effective reasons. If you want to contact me with the type number found on the circular base, I will quote you for a new handle. I am a Braun agent in Hove and stock all these products. NOTE If you twist off the bottom cap this will ruin the machine! You have been warned.
Jason BRAUN SERVICE 01273 734424

JASON BRAUN SERVICE HOVE, October 2008

Thank you, but is this for toothbrushes that are designed to have the battery changed? Mine is an old rechargeable version. I do not have the coloured tabs.

John Halstead, October 2008

Press the little coloured bits on the main body and pull the bottom off,make sure you put the batteries IN the right way.

!, October 2008