Repair Ellie's Walkman: Sony Walkman WM-1

Disclaimer: The information in this tutorial is for educational purposes only. The author is not a professional electronics repair technician. Any repairs you attempt are done at your own risk. The author and publisher are not responsible for any damage or injuries resulting from the use of this guide. If you are not confident in your ability to perform these repairs safely, seek professional assistance. By proceeding, you accept full responsibility for any outcomes.

Required Tools and Parts:

Small screwdrivers, both cross and flat head
Minidrill (or small electric screwdriver)
Pointed tweezers
(to unscrew a small object with two indentations)
“Sony WM-1” Belt
FF/REW Linkage
Drill bits (2mm and smaller)

Optional Tools:

Any magnetic tray or a mat (the one by IFIXIT is good)
Grinding accessory or sandpaper (for corrosion on contacts)
Dielectric grease (for corrosion on contacts)
Scissors (any kind)
Electrical tape (you won’t need much)

You can still find the Sony Walkman WM-1 on eBay or other platforms for sale. Unfortunately, the prices for fully working units are quite high, starting from $400. However, you can get defective ones for around $70, so I decided to try to find out how to repair the most common problems.

If you don’t find one immediately, be patient. New units arrive on eBay every few weeks. Be careful not to confuse the WM-1 with the WM-F1 or WM-4, as they look very similar. Ellie’s unit is the WM-1 in both the game and the TV show.

Many units come with descriptions like, “Plays fine, FF/REW do not work.” That’s a good point to start from. Sometimes, they only play with an external power supply (not with batteries), so they also might be listed as: “doesn’t play”.

I’m not a professional electronics repair technician (more of a TLOU fan 😊), so if anyone finds any issues or errors in my description, feel free to reach out.

Common Sony WM-1 Problem 1:

Corrosion of the battery contacts. This causes the unit to work only with an external power supply. My unit here did not have that issue, but I will show you how to eventually get rid of it.

Common Sony WM-1 Problem 2:

When FF/REW does not work, in most cases, it’s a combination of a broken part, which we will replace in this tutorial, and a defective belt, which we will also replace. Search for Sony WM-1 Belt. — it costs around $7.

The broken part must be replaced with a 3D-printed one. For those who have the capability, here’s a link to the file: Thingiverse. Everyone else can order such a part on Shapeways. The PA11 version costs around $15 (Shapeways).