Sostituzione trackpad MacBook Pro 15" Touch Bar fine 2016

This did not work when running High Sierra.

Tried this on a 2018 MBP 13” Touchbar (there’s no iFixit guide for this model yet). Need to replace a broken screen.

Luckily I managed to connect to an external screen (Cmd-Down Brightness to switch displays) and enter above command. Seems to work, but there’s another problem with this model - it powers up as soon as any key is pressed……. ffs <gnashes teeth>

I unscrew the battery first and wrap electrical tape over the logic board battery connector before attempting any repairs to the board. Haven’t had any problems yet and I’ve worked on about 10 of these models already. Also when you open the bottom case use a suction cup at the bottom and pull up then run a plastic spudger along the edges to disconnect the clips. Also only use a plastic spudger on the board. Saw a youtube video from a repair shop and he did not disconnect the power and used all metal tools during the entire process of removing the board. His last step was to disconnect the battery terminal.

Is this step necessary if my mac can turn on? Battery fully dead(

BEFORE YOU START: The included torx head stripped off before I was done (and you might need an additional T4) so stop now and go buy a good one. Also they fail to warn you above to get some blue threadlocker ahead of time.

This command did not work for me and I read that sometime in later 2020 Apple stopped this command from working…any ideas on a work around?

Hi. This does not work on 2018 13” MacBook Pro with Touch Bar. I did exactly this to disable auto boot. But when I check by using nvram -p it says: auto-boot true. Am I doing something incorrectly? I did everything step by step. Copied and pasted the sudo command, pressed enter and then entered my password. I have Big Sur 11.1 installed. Is there any other way since I need to replace the screen. Thank you. Adrian

Hi everyone. This is also a little pointless if you can’t see anything on the screen, and you don’t have a display adapter to USB C to display it. I agree with Brian about removing the back and disconnecting the battery cable before you even think about opening the lid of the MacBook. Applying the insulation tape is also a handy little tip that just makes sure there is no way to discharge from either the board or battery.

This step is completely unnecessary if you follow the guide to disconnect the battery properly. Just put some tape between the battery and logic board connection to prevent it from accidentally touching and therefore powering on the laptop.

It took me a few tries to make this command work, as I was able to copy and paste the command into Terminal, but could not type in my laptop’s password. I finally typed my password into a text document, copied it (command C), and then pasted it into Terminal and it worked.

I didn’t do this. Mine never auto-booted before I replaced the battery. Now it does.

BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING - CHECK THE BATTERY!

I-fixit sent me a bad battery, which I didn’t realize until it was already install. They sent me a new one, but I wasted hours uninstalling and reinstalled.

Get a volt meter and measure the voltage on the output of the battery pack. If it reads 0 V, SEND IT BACK. It should read over 2 V.

I received the battery kit for my 2018 MacBook Pro and as per the above comment from bcardanha - Oct 12, 2021, I checked the voltage on the pads marked + and - . It was zero volts so I panicked a bit.

I sent a message on the iFixiT Facebook page and I got no reply. I finally found the customer service email for Ifixit Europe and sent them an email voicing my concern as I was not keen to work for couple of hours just to discover that the battery is faulty. I had an almost instant reply on the email (kudos to them) and they adviced me to go ahead and install the new battery as the voltage measured when battery is not connected is not relevant.

I took a leap of faith and after two hours… the new battery showed 50% charge and everything seems to be working just fine. I am happy it worked.

After removing the old battery and installing the new battery I powered up the MBP before screwing the bottom on. I discovered the my keyboard would not function. It took a few hours of investigation and frustration that I discovered the track pad power ribbon had become partially dislodged from the trackpad. I was able to see that this through the little machined slot where the battery sat. I had to remove the trackpad to reinsert the power ribbon back into the connector in the trackpad. after reassembling and reinstalling the battery etc the keyboard worked. Just food for thought if your run into the keyboard issue.

This should be the default. IMO I tell you to power on - not the lid.

These screws are TINY and different lengths. I highly recommend purchasing the recommended magnetic project mat.

So this need to replace each and every screw in its exact former position explains exactly the excruciating difficulty I am having in getting the set of four shorter screws screws back in after everything else having gone successfully. Wanna scream at the top of my lungs. Maybe this point needed to be made in all ALL CAPS and BOLD for me. So can I still just start over trying each screw in each hole or have I messed up the threads in trying to screw in screws mismatched to their holes?

The front screws are at a slight angle, pay attention when putting them back!

I did not have the magnetic project mat, but instead I stuck loops of blue painter's tape on the table, wrote the step number on them in sharpie, and stuck the screws/covers for the corresponding step on them.

If the battery you are replacing is swollen and you do not know it is - swollen, Watch out!

You may strip threads on some of the screws. Rotate the unscrewing as in a clockwise - counterclockwise manner if some of them start to feel tight.

You can probably just skip to step 6 if battery is swollen. These steps will likely be taken care of for you.

This step drew blood. Darn you Apple!

I found it easier to insert a screwdriver through the hole (not too far down), and use that to pull sideways, as it was hard to get a strong grip with my fingers.

If you have a black stick, or a nylon probe tool, you can insert it at the back at the point closest to the screw holes, and use that to push the lower case forward. I’ve seen this help me quite a few times, and it makes it quite easier.

I like adrianbrown's suggestion. Spot on!

Its difficult if the side catches arent released properly, check them again if it seems too much.

I snapped one of the spring loaded logic board grounding pins. Take your time. Leverage from the back in order to push it out versus pulling on it.

Take the opening pick and stick the edge down behind the hinge all the way to one side, so it is perpendicular to the case, and give it a twist. That end should pop free. Do the same on the other side and there you go.

Thanks Indawg Wetrust, Made it very easy!

They, iFixit, are not kidding. Quite a bit of force needed.

This step requires a lot of force to slide the back cover away. Make sure you get a good grip of the mac body and of the back panel.

I am doing a battery replacement for a client on this model. The battery has swollen more than I have ever seen before on a Mac! Roughly a ½” higher, once cover removed. Cover was so tight that one screw stripped and had to drill out one screw after trying everything else! Fortunately, I’m an exmechanic/machinist and I own a full size drill press! None of the screw extraction tools sold by ifixit worked or were applicable until I finally got the cover off. Then the small screw pliers from Japan were easier to use than anything else I own. My tools are mostly for larger nuts, bolts and screw extraction. Possibly a mini hammer driver screwdriver would work if one could be made small enough for tiny screws! Ross

Do you know if this piece is necessary. I lost mine.

My Macbook doesn’t appear to even have this piece.

This cover is not attached to anything critical underneath, so do not be afraid that you can break anything like pulling anything from the mainboard. Just pull it out. To reattach, I removed the old double side adhesive tape and replaced with fresh one.

Wow, mine peeled up from the board. Now I have some board level soldering. Any part number on the connector for this cable on the board.

I second that; does anybody know where this battery board data cable connector can be purchased?

Note that the tape covering that comes on the OEM battery is not included in the battery sent from iFixIt. I removed it from the old and attached it to the new, but it does not “re-stick” very well, so it’s rather difficult to re-insert. Be careful, the ribbon is fragile.

I was able to reinsert the cable easily a number of times with the nice Ifixit angled tweezers as the ziff connectors tiny latch came off! I ended up using a bit of Pliobond 25, contact cement to mke sure the data cable doesn’t move. A future repair will just pull off or at most need an xacato blade knife to slit the rubbery cement. Ross

REALLY important. You need to really pull this back in snug for things to work when you reassemble.

I didn’t seem to have any tape covering it, I just proceeded to the next step

My battery board connecter is broken. Let me know where can I get these cables.?

I recommend to just lift a little the right end (end of the cable side), then keep the socket in place with a spudger while removing this adhesive tape, to avoid any accident like ripping off your socket. With a little care, it is safe and easy to remove completely.

Sie sollten in der Lage sein, das Kabel wieder anzuschließen und mit einem guten Klebeband abzudichten.

My zif connector was already open. It apparently never got closed during manufacture. Being so tiny this made it difficult to see why there was nothing to pry up with the spudger. Once I put my finger on top of it I realized the flap was already verticle.

lock flap broke when I was about to close it, is there any way to fix it? The computer can't find the battery

I had no issue here but I recommend to use a second spudger to keep the rest of the socket in place while GENTLY lifting the lock. It should lift without effort.

When putting it back, be careful, there might be a little piece of transparent adhesive foil on top of the socket, gently lift it up on the side of the cable. The cable should slide in easily, but do not force it. About 0.5mm of the cable contacts will be VISIBLE on the left side, when the cable is fully it, do not force it more than that.

If this breaks, what’s the risk to the computer?

I tried powering mine on after my zif connector socket broke. It made bad electrical noises. I had water damage at one point and cleaned the unit very well but never replaced the battery. Through excesive, a hot and bad battery, or water damaged weakening the area mine came right off with the tape when i peeled it up. Im working on finding the part and will attempt to solder it back. Of course i still need a battery which ours was swollen. After water damage it worked great for over a year though.

Mine broke and now the Macbook will not power on, this was after a battery replacement, the Macbook powered up afterwards, but after transporting it, it would not power up. I removed the back cover and noticed the battery board cover was missing and the zif gate for the battery data connector was half off.

Same here, I broke the cable which was soldered on the mainboard. I tried to hold it on place with a tape, but I couldn‘t charge my macbook though. Then I tried to solder it and I also failed. I wish I had read the comments before :/

Anybody know where this connected can be purchased? Mine completely snapped to pieces the moment I touched it.

Surprised by the tolerance of this little connector to my mistake of not flipping up the not very noticeable clamping element on side opposite to where the contact tip is inserted. The contact tip pulled right out without having done that. Saw in a video I should have done that before pulling the contact tip out. Remembered when reinstalling it.

The cable is stuck on the board underneath with adhesive, so it is best to first work it a little from left under (as the picture is oriented) in order to break the adhesive, and then pull it sideways. At all times, I kept the socket safe with a spudger to avoid ripping it off the board. The cable will come out with a little effort. Remember, it is the socket you need to take care of, not the cable (the cable will be thrown away with the old battery).

I had issues in reassembly - the lever for the ZIF socket was missing. I think it came off with the tape. I found the lever, but it was way too small for me to reattach (I couldn't hold it well enough with the tweezers and wasn't sure where the hinge pins went).

The computer did not recognize the battery or recognized it with errors (if I got the cable just right) without the lever.

My solution was to cut a tiny bit of electrical tape and put it on the back of the ribbon cable to make it thicker. This gave it enough traction to stay in the socket and pushed the ribbon onto the contacts.

It was actually T6 in my case

I tossed a piece of tape on the connector just to be safe.

Same problem, any solution?

Lifting up to about 75 degrees is more that enough and safe, and I did also use some electrical tape to block the contact. When this goes back, there is no socket in place, it is just the screw that keeps it there.

I put electrical tape on this as well. Glad I did. "Being careful" during the whole process gets lost when you're focusing on other parts.

T3 doesn’t seem to fit, somehow on my a1707 the driver doesn’t grip and it just slips on the screw.

What am I doing wrong?

I don’t have a T2 to try, what can I do?

I managed to get a holt of a T2, but still no luck: there are a bunch of screws that seem to be T2 but everything I stick inside them just spins around and doesn’t grip :(

T4 worked perfectly

Indeed, a T4 worked for me, also.

I managed to pry the metal bit with screw holes off first. Whoops.

Make sure the spudger goes under the entire plastic connector, not just the surface metal place, as you risk damaging it like the comment above.

I used a hairdrier. Barely needed to hold it there for 20 seconds before I could peel it off.

This cable can be carefully peeled off the battery by hand by those deft of hand. Gradually and inching along its length.

Just warming it gently made it easy to peel off. Work with care starting from the free end, lift a little, move your grip, etc. Do not lift it all at once, there is a risk of breaking it. It is safe to then move it at 180 degrees angle, completely on the other side.

All my battery packs were swollen. The trackpad ribbon cable was barely adhered to this battery pack. No heating necessary.

Rubbing with your finger and heat the ribbon. Works also.

thin ifixit pick opener sliding gently/slowly underneath ribbon cable towards the front edge of mbp did the trick for me. no need for heat.

Using a piece of cellophane tape can help hold the trackpad in place with with proper clearance all around.

WARNING - READ THE NEXT STEP NOW OR YOU WILL LOSE THE WASHERS. Please update this with BIG RED LETTERS in the step to indicate what is about to happen, or you’ll skip forward and the washers will fly everywhere. I’m really upset right now.

I would add step 21 to step 20. The warning about potentially losing the washers should be part of this step, not a separate one.

this step is BS, I didn’t remove the touch bar, you just need to remove enough screws on the upper board to be able to pull the battery plastic frame and put it gain…

what a loss of time!

They are not kidding about the jumping washers.

Pro Tip: put your magnetic mat under the trackpad as you slide it out to catch the tiny washers. Alternatively, a magnetic tool bowl, or a terry cloth towel so the lighter guys can’t get far if they fall.

yep lost a washer in the process

My trackpad underside was dusty. Without thinking, I tried to blow off some of the dust. One washer and one double washer were finally found thanks to a bright flashlight and the contrasting color of the wood floor.

One of the washer remained stuck on the body, luckily I observed it on the working table when I cleaned the dust from the trackpad casing area. Be VERY careful to not loose these tiny metal pieces!

Without the washers the clicking and moving mouse around doenst work well. very important

Ok, I have all but 1 round washer. I found the rest. Not knowing a source (not even in my extensive parts collection) I will reassemble with the middle one without a washer. If anyone knows of a parts source (other than buying a trackpad assembly) please post here, Thanks.

When you put the trackpad to the side, write a note and put it on top so you don’t forget about the washers when you come to reassemble it.

Followed the advice on disassembly but did not on re-assembly. Lost one of the larger ones.

Recommend changing text to RED (They will fly off and get lost with very little provocation.)

*also agree with Robert Such but I was in a bit of a hurry to finish. Take your time.

I agree. An obvious warning at or right after the removal of the trackpad screws should be added. The trackpad washers can be easily dislodged and go missing if you are not prepared to protect against that from happening.

I used a clean paint brush to dust off the back of the trackpad and internals. One of the round washers flew out of the assembly and got lost. The washers are super easy to lift off the posts. BE VERY GENTLE WITH THE TRACKPAD REMOVAL AND HANDLING!