Philips Sonicare FlexCare Shaft Replacement

Written By: Tasha Panattoni
  • Comments: 69
Philips Sonicare FlexCare Shaft Replacement

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

8

Time Required

5 - 10 minutes

Introduction

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    • Pull the brush head away from the handle to remove it.

    Please DON’T buy a replacement shaft. I had NOT before I read you needed one and you DO NOT!!! The screw holding the shaft was loose be you’ll know because it unscrews or the shaft moves or wobbles freely. ALL you need to do is TIGHTEN THE SCREW!! Others have advised the same and it WORKS again after simply tightening the screw. I took it apart unnecessarily!!! Just tighten the screw, as the vibration or a fall loosens it only. Your problem may be bigger than that but tighten it first and turn it on before you slide it in the holding tube and it should sound softer and vibrate less when fixed. Now slide it back in and recap the bottom only by firmly pushing it in and locking it in place by pushing down on it with both hands until the bottom is even with the bottom cover!!! Yayyy it’s working again. Save your $$$$ folks.

    Lulu -

  2. iAQgvXoAKwd3uCOG

    • Have a look to an alternative opening procedure.

    • Push the flat edge of a metal or nylon spudger between the seal and the toothbrush body and pry it open. Do this all around the edge until the seal is partially sticking out.

    You will damage the toothbrush unnessecarily.

    jan hoek -

    There are better ways involving a pipe wrench.

    jan hoek -

    Das Gehäuse kann dabei mit einem Maulschlüssel in passender Größe eingeklemmt und gedreht werden, um dann in der entstehenden Lücke zum Abhebeln besser ansetzen zu können.

    sdiahfsefi9use -

    The alternative method offered worked great for me. It did not negatively affect the bottom piece

    Altascene -

    &&^& you, and this website. I’ve followed two guides from ifixit and both completely ignored the most likely cause of damage. What is not included in the image is the depth of the bottom cover or the location of the oring. Following this guide, or any other guide on this site, will cause unnecessary damage.

    Cary Neill -

    Please DON’T buy a replacement shaft. I had NOT before I read you needed one and you DO NOT!!! The screw holding the shaft was loose be you’ll know because it unscrews or the shaft moves or wobbles freely. ALL you need to do is TIGHTEN THE SCREW!! Others have advised the same and it WORKS again after simply tightening the screw. I took it apart unnecessarily!!! Just tighten the screw, as the vibration or a fall loosens it only. Your problem may be bigger than that but tighten it first and turn it on before you slide it in the holding tube and it should sound softer and vibrate less when fixed. Now slide it back in and recap the bottom only by firmly pushing it in and locking it in place by pushing down on it with both hands until the bottom is even with the bottom cover on a counter or strong table!!! Yayyy it’s working again. Save your $$$$ folks.

    Lulu -

    Take a screw, wrap it in paper and screw into notch at bottom. Opens like a charm

    sdf sadffad -

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    • Apply pressure to the shaft by pressing it against a firm and flat surface. Continue to apply pressure until the electronics located in the interior are exposed.

    Mine won’t pop out when pushing down on table.

    Debbie Turner -

    I literally had to band it down on a towel on my counter and it will give. Also when close to the edge I just tapped down on the tube edges so it comes out and down to grab it with fingers and pull it out. It works!

    Lulu -

    On many models, the electronics are held in place by 2 clips on the right and left side. If these clips are released, the electronics slide out with only light pressure.

    Christopher Cameron -

    I also had to unclip the two interior clips at the opposite end. A small flat-tipped screwdriver worked well for this task.

    Altascene -

    Please DON’T buy a replacement shaft. I had NOT before I read you needed one and you DO NOT!!! The screw holding the shaft was loose be you’ll know because it unscrews or the shaft moves or wobbles freely. ALL you need to do is TIGHTEN THE SCREW!! Others have advised the same and it WORKS again after simply tightening the screw. I took it apart unnecessarily!!! Just tighten the screw, as the vibration or a fall loosens it only. Your problem may be bigger than that but tighten it first and turn it on before you slide it in the holding tube and it should sound softer and vibrate less when fixed. Now slide it back in and recap the bottom only by firmly pushing it in and locking it in place by pushing down on it with both hands until the bottom is even with the bottom cover!!! Yayyy it’s working again. Save your $$$$ folks.

    Lulu -

  4. 5HStXSNjE2wNrXZD

    • Grab the circular, plastic base with the o-ring and pull it outward.

    Please DON’T buy a replacement shaft. I had NOT before I read you needed one and you DO NOT!!! The screw holding the shaft was loose be you’ll know because it unscrews or the shaft moves or wobbles freely. ALL you need to do is TIGHTEN THE SCREW!! Others have advised the same and it WORKS again after simply tightening the screw. I took it apart unnecessarily!!! Just tighten the screw, as the vibration or a fall loosens it only. Your problem may be bigger than that but tighten it first and turn it on before you slide it in the holding tube and it should sound softer and vibrate less when fixed. Now slide it back in and recap the bottom only by firmly pushing it in and locking it in place by pushing down on it with both hands until the bottom is even with the bottom cover!!! Yayyy it’s working again. Save your $$$$ folks.

    Lulu -

  5. jwSeIjcsFUdGLCxp

    • Using a #00 phillips head screwdriver, loosen the screw completely.

    What size is that screw?

    Mike Faint -

    Please DON’T buy a replacement shaft. I had NOT before I read you needed one and you DO NOT!!! The screw holding the shaft was loose be you’ll know because it unscrews or the shaft moves or wobbles freely. ALL you need to do is TIGHTEN THE SCREW!! Others have advised the same and it WORKS again after simply tightening the screw. I took it apart unnecessarily!!! Just tighten the screw, as the vibration or a fall loosens it only. Your problem may be bigger than that but tighten it first and turn it on before you slide it in the holding tube and it should sound softer and vibrate less when fixed. Now slide it back in and recap the bottom only by firmly pushing it in and locking it in place by pushing down on it with both hands until the bottom is even with the bottom cover!!! Yayyy it’s working again. Save your $$$$ folks.

    Lulu -

  6. PsFbIUDsYUnR61nT

    • Rotate the interior of the toothbrush until the screw is facing downward. Slightly shake the interior so that the screw with its accompanying metal part fall out.

    • Slightly shake the interior so that the screw falls out.

    • A small ring may fall out when the screw is removed. Be careful not to lose the ring.

    Thank you for spelling “lose” correctly.

    Tocki Cohi -

    Please DON’T buy a replacement shaft. I had NOT before I read you needed one and you DO NOT!!! The screw holding the shaft was loose be you’ll know because it unscrews or the shaft moves or wobbles freely. ALL you need to do is TIGHTEN THE SCREW!! Others have advised the same and it WORKS again after simply tightening the screw. I took it apart unnecessarily!!! Just tighten the screw, as the vibration or a fall loosens it only. Your problem may be bigger than that but tighten it first and turn it on before you slide it in the holding tube and it should sound softer and vibrate less when fixed. Now slide it back in and recap the bottom only by firmly pushing it in and locking it in place by pushing down on it with both hands until the bottom is even with the bottom cover!!! Yayyy it’s working again. Save your $$$$ folks.

    Lulu -

  7. kPLLVOKx6mTRkaRh

    • Use a metal probe to press against the hole located at the edge of the interior. While applying this pressure, pull on the shaft outward. Repeat this step on the opposite side.

    • A small nut may fall out when the shaft is removed. Be careful not to lose the nut.

    Right here would be a great place to show us where you found replacement parts for this product. It doesn’t help much to open the toothbrush when we can’t repair it.

    Bruce Lloyd -

    Die kleinen Plastik-Widerhaken lassen sich alternativ innen mittels Drehung mit einem kleinen Schlitz-Schraubendreher abhebeln.

    sdiahfsefi9use -

    Several posts reference finding the part on eBay. However, in 2023, I was unable to find the part there. Finally, I located a China-sourced part on Amazon. While the shaft piece appears to be generic, there are several versions of seals, caps, etc., that come with it. My brush has the short seal, and a sensor wire attached to the interior clip.

    Altascene -

    Please DON’T buy a replacement shaft. I had NOT before I read you needed one and you DO NOT!!! The screw holding the shaft was loose be you’ll know because it unscrews or the shaft moves or wobbles freely. ALL you need to do is TIGHTEN THE SCREW!! Others have advised the same and it WORKS again after simply tightening the screw. I took it apart unnecessarily!!! Just tighten the screw, as the vibration or a fall loosens it only. Your problem may be bigger than that but tighten it first and turn it on before you slide it in the holding tube and it should sound softer and vibrate less when fixed. Now slide it back in and recap the bottom only by firmly pushing it in and locking it in place by pushing down on it with both hands until the bottom is even with the bottom cover!!! Yayyy it’s working again. Save your $$$$ folks.

    Lulu -

  8. E23XDeVlyeCrcibp

    • Once the shaft is released, separate it from the body of the interior.

    • Insert the replacement shaft by aligning the the components and applying a force to insert the legs (one of the legs is identified by the red arrow) of the shaft into the interior.

    So you do need a replacement shaft? I don’t see a link or a part listed.

    Jay Snider -

    OR…..call Phillips and tell them to send you a new toothbrush….this is rediculous. I paid $50 plus for this thing and now you want me to take it out and reengineer it with a replacement shaft….5-10 minutes…ssuurrreeeee. No link to where I get the shaft either….guessing when I see the price of the replacement shaft, my wallet is going to get the shaft !!

    lance frasier -

    For me this was extremely helpful. If your toothbrush only lost it’s cleaning power, or the top is a bit loose, you can follow the instruction but only loosen the screw a bit, try to see if it arranged correctly and tighten the screw again.

    my top was loose and the power was almost non-existent, after tightening the screw it was cleaning perfectly again!

    Franziska Teichmann -

    No replacement shaft needed for my HX685T, just needed to tighten the screw shown in steps 5 and 6. I recommend using locktite or something similar to help keep the screw tightened.

    Mark P -

    Brilliant. I ordered the part as instructed from ebay. Fits like a dream and my toothbrush is now working perfectly! Thank you Tasha and Co.

    Michele Hancock -

    This just saved me $$$ and frustration as I have braces and need to clean my teeth several times a day. The screw came completely off and was rattling in handle. Thanks so much for making this an easy fix for max use in my electric toothbrush.

    (Not all of us like wasting money Lance)

    Rachel Moore -

    A fiddly job, but a success! I paid £13 for the part and now my Sonicare works like new! Thank you so much for posting this guidance.

    Christian G -

    Where exactly do I assemble the small black ring that can fall out in step 6? This happened to me and I do not see it on any of the photos.

    Domi -

    Please DON’T buy a replacement shaft. I had NOT before I read you needed one and you DO NOT!!! The screw holding the shaft was loose be you’ll know because it unscrews or the shaft moves or wobbles freely. ALL you need to do is TIGHTEN THE SCREW!! Others have advised the same and it WORKS again after simply tightening the screw. I took it apart unnecessarily!!! Just tighten the screw, as the vibration or a fall loosens it only. Your problem may be bigger than that but tighten it first and turn it on before you slide it in the holding tube and it should sound softer and vibrate less when fixed. Now slide it back in and recap the bottom only by firmly pushing it in and locking it in place by pushing down on it with both hands until the bottom is even with the bottom cover!!! Yayyy it’s working again. Save your $$$$ folks.

    Lulu -

Conclusion

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

Author

Tasha Panattoni

Member since: 14/04/15

777 Reputation

38 comments

Where do you get a replacement shaft? I can't find any online

noahmckinnon -

You don't need to pry the bottom plate off and risk damaging the seal. Simply apply firm pressure on the shaft against a table while simultaneously wiggling the bottom plate back and forth with a large flathead screwdriver inserted into the charging hole on the bottom. It will pop off smoothly leaving the seal untouched and not scratching the housing or charging plug.

jelneutron3 -

I can not find the shaft anywhere who sells them

bennie -

Like the previous comments I also am looking for the replacement shaft. If anyone has found a source please leave a comment with regards to where they can be found.

Thanks for the help

Lino Valadas -

Like everyone above, I can't locate the "replacement shaft". Anyone have any ideas who might have one? A $179 toothbrush should last more than the one year warranty! Is the Braun Oral-B any better?

pgootos -

I need a replacement shaft also. Where do we order one?

Nancy

Zahra Lohr -

Same story.I contacted Philips and was told they reserved that part for warranty repairs.I told them I might buy a new one,take the part out and return for refund.I wonder how anyone would feel,if they bought a car and the company wouldn't supply a repair part,after warranty ran out and no one else made the part?

jrj90620 -

+1 Also looking for a shaft replacement... Anyone?

Victor Marquez -

Yes - search eBay for Genuine Philips Sonicare Vibrator for HealthyWhite FlexCare HX6710/6930/6950. They're sold by Gadget Salon. It came with the whole vibrator assembly, which was much easier to replace than the shaft alone (steps 5-8 no longer needed). Simply desolder the two red wires, pop the whole thing off, put the new one on and resolder the two contacts. The brush is like new.

Also - reference the steps above, step 2 is unnecessary. Simply roll back the rubber cover a little bit and, while holding it out of the way, push in on the shaft (step 3) and the whole innards come out. I used a large screwdriver in the charging peg hole on the bottom to gently twist the bottom cap back and forth a little bit to loosen it while pushing. In this way I avoided marring the bottom of the handle.

Douglas Schrage -

I have 2 Sonicare handles with loose shafts. Do you have any idea what causes them to go bad? Is that screw sheared off from the vibration? Was there a little ring that fell out somewhere along the line?

Kevin Curriston -

Great suggestion. Just ordered the Genuine Philips Sonicare Vibrator for HealthyWhite FlexCare HX6710/6930/6950 off eBay. Thanks for the suggestion.

Bryan Swift -

I just ordered mine! Thank you, thank you for your suggestion. The shaft in my brush sheared at the screw. Finding parts isn't easy. Great finding your tip!

Teri Jewell -

Also ordered thru GadgetSalon on eBay. However, I determined that merely replacing the broken shaft, and not the entire vibrator unit, was a less invasive solution, and no soldering. Worked like a charm! Thanks to all!

rwerts -

anywhere you can get these in the UK ? the one mentioned on eBay only sells to USA :(!

Jonathan Galloni -

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/new-original-P...

$2.99 shipping!

Ian Burgess -

Arrived in two weeks from China. Its the real deal and works a treat. Saved a lot of money.

Ian Burgess -

Way too difficult to get the electronics out of the casing. Just could not press hard enough.

Corliss Blue -

Similarly to the previous comment I can’t get the electronics out of the casing (step 3). I am applying a huge amount of force but it isn’t moving at all…I wonder if anyone else has had this issue and been able to solve it.

Lewis Lovedale -

Squeeze the base of the shaft firmly on the top and bottom sides - there are two plastic catches burrowed in to the left and right sides of the housing, that when pressed will allow the guts to come out as you apply pressure on the tip. you also of course need to unscrew the bottom side and remove it, of course (on some models. mine is Series 3)

Patrick Thompson -

How do you remove & replace the shaft seals. I ordered a new shaft that does not have the seals installed.. I need to remove the old seals and plastic shaft parts to install on the new shaft. My old shaft was broken where the screw and nut attached

sledgems -

Thanks for the tutorial! This ended up being a quick 5 minute fix! I reused a shaft from an old unit that I never replaced the battery on.

Jacee Zaraza -

Bei Ebay nach “Philips electronic toothbrush" suchen. https://www.ebay.de/itm/electric-toothbr...

Steffen Krüssel -

Tried soldering the shaft but a part melted right away.

Anybody knows what kind of metal is it made of ?

Any guess on how to detach the shaft from the pin we put the brush on ?

Regards

JF

Jeff -

Thanx for the exellent guide! My brush got loose - now I opened the case without any problems and just tightened the screw!

Oliver Bonifer -

Hi folks,

thank you for sharing all the tips and info.

I would like to also share this which I came cross few days ago when I was looking for the solution to fix my 2 years old Philips Diamondclean, I found this video on youtube: [http:// https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_cWZtli...|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_cWZtli...] , and immediately bought the motor part for my toothbrush (it comes with motor, shaft and rubber seal, total price is lot cheaper than to buy each part separately), after change the new motor, my toothbrush works just as perfect as before. They do have many other spare parts available at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GFLVTJW?...

Best,

Goodman

Alex Goodman -

All four of my toothbrushes failed because the triangular shaft broke. And i believe all broke because of the failure of the $0.20 rubber seal allowing toothpaste and water to enter and eat away at the aluminum. Can’t be fixed by replacing the head (good instructable anyways!) but at least i am now a forewarned engineer. Oral-B? Or should i try to figure out a way of upgrading the seal?

broregret -

Thank you so much!! This fixed my problem with the tip coming out when I changed brush heads every day!!

sdfrankel@cox.net -

Awesome! I took off the screw then reinserted it and tightened it really well and it fixed the loose shaft that caused a very loud rattling noise. Thanks!

Ed Correa -

Definitely the way to open the HX6750 unit is to squeeze the left and right sides with pliers across the shorter diameter of the oval. This opens gaps at the top and bottom of the oval where you can pry gently with a small screwdriver. Then there are black plastic tabs about 1 cm inside the left and right sides. Free those with the screwdriver while gently pressing the shaft down on the table. Look at about 1:15 in this video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3PBPU2j...

Then I fixed my weak and wobbly shaft by removing and then reinserting and tightening the screw.

Rick Macdonald -

Quite old post but i found it online now :)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/BAQI-Toothbrush...

jerem0808 -

Dental hygienist here. I had 2 fairly new Diamond Clean Sonicare brushes that started throwing the brush head off while brushing. I knew how to properly attach the head, so that wasn't the problem. At that time, there weren't as many users complaining about this. I finally called Phillips, who tried to tell me that it was me, not them. I said that I could no longer recommend Sonicare to patients because of this hazard. They offered to replace the brushes. After 1 year of use, it's happening again. I have switched to Oral B. Not as good in my opinion, but at least I don't risk breaking a tooth while using it. FYI...Consumer Reports rates the sonic Bruush brand highly. It's around $100.

Julie Fleiser -

Alas, in my toothbrush it turned out that the complex shaped metal screw nut housing opposite of the screw loosened in steps 5/6 was broken in two parts - seems to be made of quite brittle metal. I consider it beyond repair, now.

Lutz Vieweg -

If I am understanding your description, it sounds as if you need to replace the link rod shaft assembly.

As of the date of this comment, you can find those on Ebay at https://www.ebay.com/itm/314600533864?mk...

I just replaced mine and the toothbrush is working good as new.

bilagaana -

I noticed this issue (broken shaft) as well. Luckily, with a little coaxing, I was able to remove the broken shaft piece from it's socket. I will now be able insert the replacement shaft piece, once it arrives.

Altascene -

Several posts reference finding the part on eBay. However, in 2023, I was unable to find the part there. Finally, I located a China-sourced part on Amazon. While the shaft piece appears to be generic, there are several versions of seals, caps, etc., that come with it. My brush has the short seal, and a sensor wire attached to the interior clip.

Using a machine screw in the base post hole (the referenced alternative method, mentioned in step 2), worked well for me.

Altascene -

Please DON’T buy a replacement shaft. I had NOT before I read you needed one and you DO NOT!!! The screw holding the shaft was loose be you’ll know because it unscrews or the shaft moves or wobbles freely. ALL you need to do is TIGHTEN THE SCREW!! Others have advised the same and it WORKS again after simply tightening the screw. I took it apart unnecessarily!!! Just tighten the screw, as the vibration or a fall loosens it only. Your problem may be bigger than that but tighten it first and turn it on before you slide it in the holding tube and it should sound softer and vibrate less when fixed. Now slide it back in and recap the bottom only by firmly pushing it in and locking it in place by pushing down on it with both hands until the bottom is even with the bottom cover!!! Yayyy it’s working again. Save your $$$$ folks.

Lulu -

Bevor buying any replacement parts, check if the screw from Step 5 is loose. If so try what Lulu suggested. It worked for my Philips Sonicare HX684A.

Jannis -

Same shaft screw was loose on my HX686P, which appears to be same as HX6829 in Philips' site's troubleshooter, and the loose screw was causing the toothbrush to buzz loudly, but not vibrate the head very much. I used a #1 Phillips screwdriver to loosen but not remove the screw, then applied some blue Loctite with a toothpick to the threads, then tighten the screw, which resolved the problem.

Caterwaul B. -