Introduzione
Use this guide to replace the heat sink, or remove it for reapplication of thermal paste.
Be sure to apply a new layer of thermal paste before reinstalling your heat sink.
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Use a P5 Pentalobe driver to remove ten screws securing the lower case, of the following lengths:
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Two 9 mm screws
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Eight 2.6 mm screws
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Wedge your fingers between the display and the lower case and pull upward to pop the lower case off the Air.
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Remove the lower case and set it aside.
There is a nub on the inside of the case which is attached to the battery. When you try to pull it open, it appears to be attached to the plastic casing of the battery, which sometimes splits. I gently unhooked the nub from the battery before removing the case fully. This seems to happen if the battery has suffered some drop damage (plastic parts broken around screws and parts of plastic frame split). Just an FYI in case your lower case doesn't pull away easily.
To add - the slim 1cm tab “nub” is on the centre of the back cover & fits into a hole in the battery frame. I ran my fingers around the whole of the cover to eventually here it click out.
nijafe -
So this is a legit back cover for MacBook Air?
What about disconnecting the battery?
I bought the part and tools from iFixit and followed the directions. The mechanical part went smoothly - maybe 10 minutes to disassemble/replace/reassemble.
Getting Catalina (the current MacOS) to install was not working until I used Cmd-Opt-R (as noted in the OWC paper sheet that came in the box) which brought up the proper installer - I believe from a pre-prepared bootable SD card but it’s hard to say. From there the install succeeded taking ~1.5 hours.
Beware that (a) the install requires a working internet connection for verification and updates, and (b) the system must have been running at least macOs 10.13 (High Sierra) before the install in order to have an EFI BIOS that recognizes the SSD.
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Grab the clear plastic pull tab attached to the battery connector and pull it parallel to the board toward the front edge of the Air.
how does a person put the battery connector back in?- that is the only thing i’m afraid of touching after putting new fan in.
I found it was possible to put the battery connector back in as the last step, however having gone through that and found it to be a little challenging, I would actually recommend attaching the battery connector before screwing back in the bracket. That way you’ll put a lot less stress on the connector cable.
When you are plugging the connector back in, make sure to give it some extra pressure to make sure it is all the way in. It may look like it’s in but needs to be pushed harder!
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Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the I/O board cable connector up out of its socket on the I/O board.
When putting this back together, be careful you don’t flip I/O board cable. It will fit, but the computer will not work. You’ll know it’s wrong if it covers the fan.
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Carefully peel the I/O board cable from the adhesive securing it to the top of the fan.
the instructions should really indicate you’re only disconnecting one end of the cable. you disconnect the other end in step 6.
Bonjour,quand je retire la nappe de la carte E/S , l’éclairage de l’écran s’affiche mais quand je remets la nappe de la carte E/S ,j’ai un écran noir.J’attends votre réponse.Cordialement.
I literally did this wrong just like you warned not to! Very easy to do…
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Use the tip of a spudger to carefully flip up the retaining flap on the fan cable ZIF socket.
The end of that cord slips into the channel whose lid you just flipped up. Don’t forget to re-insert that when reseating the fan and before flipping that retaining flap closed, it’s easy to miss and should have been part of these instructions, ifixit!
Thank you so much! Without your comment, I wouldn’t of realized that the ribbon cable is supposed to go into the socket (I know, dumb mistake now that I think about it). You also made me go back and correctly insert the microphone cable. Cheers!
After my repair, my fan is super loud now! Any tips?
I didn’t find any need to unplug the fan. All I did was remove the three screws which hold the fan to the case and gently fold the fan out of the way. All you are trying to do is gain enough room to route the camera cable into the little cut-out in the I/O board so it can go below the board along the edge of the fan.
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Remove the following three screws securing the fan to the upper case:
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One 5.2 mm T5 Torx screw
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One 3.3 mm T5 Torx screw
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One 4.4 mm T5 Torx screw with a short head
I was unable to remove the 4.4 mm screw with the T5. I needed to use the T4 to get a grip so I didn’t strip the head.
The 3.3mm Torx is actually a 4.4mm
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Lift the fan from the I/O board side and pull it free from the upper case.
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Removing the fan will also disconnect the fan ribbon cable. Be careful not to snag it.
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Disconnect the I/O board by pulling its power cable away from its socket on the logic board.
The connector has a latch (at least mine does) that prevents it from simply sliding out. To release it, I inserted a 5/64 flathead screwdriver to lift the edge of the socket. Then the jack and cable easily slides out.
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Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the left speaker cable connector up and out of its socket on the I/O board.
when i did this the whole socket came off the board and i had to get a replacement i/o board. Be warned, do this very carefully and avoid my mistake
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Use the tip of a spudger to carefully flip up the retaining flap on the microphone ribbon cable ZIF socket.
There was black tape covering this socket. It was attached to the ribbon tape. I needed to pull up the tape covering the socket to expose the retaining clip.
Thanks Brant!
The note about the black tape should be in RED in the main text above. I broke off the connector thinking the tape was part of the cable assembly. Always read the comments. Always. : )
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Remove the single 4.1 mm T5 Torx screw securing the I/O board to the upper case.
Steps 14-15 & 28-29 seem unnecessary. I managed to replace the logic board without removing the I/O board or right speaker, although that means the logic board cannot be removed easily - the right rear corner is hindered by part of the chassis so that the edge of the logic board facing the battery should be lifted gently first and then the board be slid away from that obstructing part.
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Lift the I/O board from the logic board side and pull it free from the upper case.
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Removing the I/O board will also disconnect the microphone ribbon cable. Be careful not to snag it.
Nor for the logic board removal
The back end of the microphone riibbon cable may be stuck down with a bit of glue under the flap. You can gently loosen it with a flat spudger.
how do I reattach the riibbon cable now that the adhesive has been removed?
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Remove the two 4.9 mm T8 Torx screws securing the antenna cable retainer on the left display hinge to the upper case.
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Remove the heat sink from the logic board.
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To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.
Take your e-waste to an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler.
Repair didn’t go as planned? Try some basic troubleshooting, or ask our Answers community for help.
To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.
Take your e-waste to an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler.
Repair didn’t go as planned? Try some basic troubleshooting, or ask our Answers community for help.
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6 Commenti
hello if I do not put the gasket in the heatsink that me causes any problem when using the mac?
Don’t be lazy and do it right or don’t do it at all. It is not a difficult step and should not be skipped
BRUCEL86 -
My MAC didn’t have a gasket on the heat sink. It’s not about lazy, it’s about not finding that part. I assume the repair shop didn’t reassemble it correctly, or it came without.
The gasket is what is shown in step 8 that surrounds the long heatsink next to the backside of the case. It essentially wraps around the heatsink and rests on top of the small fan. The two purposes of this small gasket is primarily insulate the fan against vibration. The second function is that in some small part it could help provide insulating effects for air flow. This is to ensure that air passes through the fan and out of the rear of the heat exchanger and then out of the back of the laptop.
I suspect it for the first reason I gave primarily and really don’t see an issue as to the performance of the laptop. It just means it might be a little louder with rattle due to vibration.
Thanks for the guide C: i had the required tools. Mine is actually a 2017 but the 2015 one also works fine, got a mx4 and replace the thermal paste, now it dosent heat up at all. thanks
Pulling the fan cable out was terrifying but you actually just pull on the cable itself. No way to get any leverage at the connector to dislodge it. Did come out easily but like I said, scared me!
allison - Replica
Draai de schroefjes voorzichtig los en leg ze op een stabiele plek neer en let erop dat de schroefje een verschillende lengte hebben.
bwgvanderveer - Replica
I thought I could replace my 256 Gb SSD with 512? regards
ola m - Replica
Do you have good Test Point Voltages? It appears there are silver colored Test points on the I/O Board. I am working on a water spill and trying to troubleshoot if both the I/O board and the Logic need replaced.
andrew - Replica
It's probably not necessary but may be a little safer to completely discharge the old battery before replacing it.
Larry Smith - Replica
tell a model that was not inferior to the speed of the one in the laptop.
Thank you
ilyabuhov - Replica
Do i need to order tools separately to replace the battery i just ordered?
anne uhlir - Replica
im looking for a Logic Board for a
Apple - MacBook Air® - 13.3" Display - Intel Core i5 - 8GB Memory - 128GB Flash Storage (Latest Model) - Silver Model: MQD32LL/A
Any help is appreciated.
Jamie Comstock - Replica
P5 pentalobe screwdrivers are too big! The correct size for these screws are p4 pentalobe. P5 pentalobe was just able, with difficulty, to turn some of the screws. If the screws were at all tight, my p5 was unable to get them out, and started to strip the screws. A p4 screwdriver fit better and removed the screws with ease. (I was using high quality Wiha brand screwdrivers.)
William Skinner - Replica
I had same experience (with MacBook Air 13-inch Mid-2012) … had to get P4, which worked swimmingly
eric -
Very simple installation. The screwdriver heads were exactly what we’re needed, one head for the outside case screws, the other for the screws holding the battery in place. The computer started right up. Now to see how the battery holds up, but I have a good feeling about this!
Dennis Eaton - Replica
My P5 and the T5 worked perfectly with my early 2015 Air 13”! And it is super fast! Thank you iFixit!
Pennny Beach - Replica
The supplied kit and instructions worked perfectly!
Nikolay Andreev - Replica
Comments that the P5 pentalobe are too large are absolutely spot-on. There is no way the P5 pentalobe bit I have will work with the MacBook Air without destroying the screws. Hard target search for P4 pentalobe bit in progress…..
joemoog - Replica
Bonjour j’aimerais changer mon SSD de 128 Go pour en mettre un de 512 Go. Je ne sais pas ce qu’il faut prendre car il faut qu’il soit compatible avec le macbook air A1466. J’aurais vu un Samsung Evo 970 500 Go mais si je ne me trompe pas, il faut un adaptateur.
Merci pour votre aide.
chicco33 - Replica
oui, vous aurez besoin d’un adaptateur, pour completez le changement.
Dan -
The tool kit should include tweezers for re-inserting the battery connector.
Andre Clement - Replica
P5 pentalobe worked perfectly for me. Instructions were spot-on. Antenna connections were a bit fiddly to refit but got them in ok.
michaelquinnell - Replica
Maybe the problem some are experiencing is that the designations are confusing (blame Apple rather than iFixit). the P2 is also known as PL1. The P5 is also known as PL4. The P6 is also known as PL5. So it is possible to mistake the P6 (PL5) for the P5 (PL4), meaning it (P6-PL5) will be too big, while the P5 (PL4) will be just right. Sort of a 3 Bears explanation, but it is very confusing.
Thomas Lewis - Replica
To add to this. In searching for the P5 screwdriver to buy in UK, as far as I can tell, it is also known as
Pentalobe 1.2(mm)
also
P4 = 0.8
P6 = 1.5
Just unscrewed the back case of MacBook Air 13” mid 2011, with no problems using Pentalobe 1.2
nijafe -
I have not replaced a display on the A1369 but have done many A1466 which is a newer 13” model. They seem really similar and its not clear why one needs to remove the logic board to remove the display. The antenna cables on the A1466 dont have to rest under the logic board but can be tucked in the hinge crevice. Cant this same thing be done with the A1369?
Sean Love - Replica
Did mine today - but new battery wasnt charging. Went back in and noticed the battery connector cable was not quite 100% “seated. It was sticking out by less than a millimetre! - you need to give it quite a firm push in to get it seated properly. Otherwise - all ok .
John Brennand - Replica
Just installed on a MacBookAir6,2 (13-inch, Early 2014).
Was very easy.
New iFixit battery looks great so far:
Jonathan Cross - Replica
can you tell me which size of screwdrivers you’ve used to crack it up, please? I have the same model and size,
hawk_lpc -
Screw P5 Pentalobe 1.2
Mario Verlent - Replica
Install went flawlessly. Only challange was reattaching blue tooth antennas. Those sockets are so tiny.
Joel Sebastian - Replica
Installation was a little challenging at first because the instructions on this site did not perfectly match my model (late 2013 to early 2015).
Found this video on YouTube which described the procedure perfectly https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lue6lVWh...
Also the Ifixit kit I received was well put together with everything I needed and more. The calibration went perfectly and I am very pleased. Will buy again!!
Donald Niamath - Replica
Gently pulled out connector of old battery, then pressed and held the power switch for 1 minute. Unscrewed and removed the old battery. Pressed and held power switch for 1 minute again. I know from previous work that this helps drain charge from spontaneous recharging as the dielectric recovers. Gently “fine tuned” leads from new battery to connector till connector stuck out at right angle to the edge of battery. Held the battery by the edges and let the connector slide into the socket. Set the battery down and put the screws in all the way. Then checked that the connector was completely seated before tightening the screws. The laptop come on immediately and showed 98% charge and registered normal (checked in “About this Mac”. Very happy to this point. Now for calibration.
Amir Zaidi - Replica
Thank you very much for the guilde. My MBA2011 had reborn !
Billy Wong - Replica
Allow for electrostatics, otherwise you may cook components on the logicboard /motherboard (like I did with one of these!)
See great advice: Electrostatic Discharge
Fletcher Cole - Replica
… und wenn du eines von diesen wirklich kleinen Schräubchen vermisst: bevor du den Boden aufkehrst oder mit einem starken Magneten absuchst, schau mal am seitlichen (magnetischen) Ladekabelanschluss nach … ?
... and if you miss one of these really small screws: before you sweep the floor or search it with a strong magnet, take a look at the (magnetic) charging cable connection on the side … ?
Blatt - Replica