This happened to me as well. Often the batteries will last longer than the rest of the shaver. You can obtain the batteries as cheaply as $12 a piece on "that auction site."
Opening a Braun 7000 Series Shaver
1) Find a thin metal object with no sharp edges (such as a nail file). Use your thumb and pull on the bottom end cord socket part, enough to cause a gap between it and the back shell. Insert the metal object into the gap in the center of the part. THEN pry it off. If you use a regular screw driver, you will likely cause gouges in the plastic. And the best leverage is in the center.
2) The silver side parts are held on by two tabs at the top. With the bottom piece gone, the side parts swing off easily. Don't worry about keeping track of which sides the silver trim pieces go on, as they're designed to fit on only one side (you'll see the cutout for the shaver head stem is off to one side).
3) The case is held together by 4 small torq screws. Use a torq screwdriver--do not attempt to do this with anything else. Be careful to turn the screws slowly, so you don't strip them.
4) With the screws removed, the two halves of the shaver will come apart. The remaining parts can be extracted without any special tools. Keep note of how they are removed, as assembly will be the reversal of removal.
5) Note that if you are replacing the batteries (there are two of them), you will need a soldering iron to detach them from the circuit board, unless you're replacing the whole part.
6) Reassembly is pretty much what you expect--the reverse of disassembly. However, the bottom cord socket part is tricky to get put into place. Pushing straight down on this part will not get it to go in, nor any other obvious way. It's best to get the prongs inserted on one side, then while pushing in on the prongs of the opposite side, apply pressure on the top side surfaces. The part should snap right back into place.
Check other posts here, but you can open the case and buy a replacement rechargeable battery. Braun says their rechargeable batteries are supposed to last 2 years or less, but mine usually last 2 years or more. I love Braun as a shaver but they are expensive and the only part that seems to need to be replaced that the user can not fix is the battery. The foil and cutter is easy to replace, and some places will replace the battery for $40-$50. But after doing that a few times (and having to have it done every few years) I decided to do it myself. You may end up with a case that is not in perfect shape, but if you try to do it yourself and are successful, you have a "new" shaver" for less than $10.
Answers & Comments
This happened to me as well. Often the batteries will last longer than the rest of the shaver. You can obtain the batteries as cheaply as $12 a piece on "that auction site."
Opening a Braun 7000 Series Shaver
1) Find a thin metal object with no sharp edges (such as a nail file). Use your thumb and pull on the bottom end cord socket part, enough to cause a gap between it and the back shell. Insert the metal object into the gap in the center of the part. THEN pry it off. If you use a regular screw driver, you will likely cause gouges in the plastic. And the best leverage is in the center.
2) The silver side parts are held on by two tabs at the top. With the bottom piece gone, the side parts swing off easily. Don't worry about keeping track of which sides the silver trim pieces go on, as they're designed to fit on only one side (you'll see the cutout for the shaver head stem is off to one side).
3) The case is held together by 4 small torq screws. Use a torq screwdriver--do not attempt to do this with anything else. Be careful to turn the screws slowly, so you don't strip them.
4) With the screws removed, the two halves of the shaver will come apart. The remaining parts can be extracted without any special tools. Keep note of how they are removed, as assembly will be the reversal of removal.
5) Note that if you are replacing the batteries (there are two of them), you will need a soldering iron to detach them from the circuit board, unless you're replacing the whole part.
6) Reassembly is pretty much what you expect--the reverse of disassembly. However, the bottom cord socket part is tricky to get put into place. Pushing straight down on this part will not get it to go in, nor any other obvious way. It's best to get the prongs inserted on one side, then while pushing in on the prongs of the opposite side, apply pressure on the top side surfaces. The part should snap right back into place.
Check other posts here, but you can open the case and buy a replacement rechargeable battery. Braun says their rechargeable batteries are supposed to last 2 years or less, but mine usually last 2 years or more. I love Braun as a shaver but they are expensive and the only part that seems to need to be replaced that the user can not fix is the battery. The foil and cutter is easy to replace, and some places will replace the battery for $40-$50. But after doing that a few times (and having to have it done every few years) I decided to do it myself. You may end up with a case that is not in perfect shape, but if you try to do it yourself and are successful, you have a "new" shaver" for less than $10.
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