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Use this guide to replace the upper case, including the backlit keyboard, but without replacing the TrackPad.
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crwdns2935267:0crwdne2935267:0P5 Pentalobe Screwdriver Retina MacBook Pro and Air$5.99
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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.
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Grab the clear plastic pull tab attached to the battery connector and pull it toward the front edge of the Air to disconnect the battery from the logic board.
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Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the I/O board cable connector upward out of its socket on the I/O board.
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Carefully peel the I/O board cable from the top of the fan.
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While gently pulling the I/O board cable upward near its connection to the logic board, use the tip of a spudger to pry upward on alternating sides of the connector to help "walk" it out of its socket.
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Remove the I/O board cable.
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Use the tip of a spudger to carefully flip up the retaining flap on the fan cable ZIF socket.
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Peel the rubber gasket off the adhesive on the top of the fan.
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Remove the following three screws securing the fan to the upper case:
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One 3.6 mm T5 Torx screw
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One 2.7 mm T5 Torx screw
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One 3.6 mm T5 Torx screw with a short head
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Lift the fan out of the upper case and carefully pull the fan ribbon cable out of its socket as you remove it from the Air.
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Disconnect the I/O board by pulling the power cable away from its socket on the logic board.
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Pull the camera cable parallel to the face of the I/O board toward the corner of the Air to disconnect it from its socket, using the tip of a spudger to help push the connector out of its socket.
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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.
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De-route the left speaker cable from its retainer on the I/O board.
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Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the microphone cable connector up and out of its socket on the I/O board.
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Remove the single 3.6 mm T5 Torx screw securing the I/O board to the upper case.
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Carefully lift the I/O board from its edge nearest the logic board and remove it from the upper case.
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Remove the following five screws securing the battery to the upper case:
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Three 6.3 mm T5 Torx screws
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Two 2.4 mm T5 Torx screws
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Lift the battery from its edge nearest the logic board and remove it from the upper case.
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Use the tip of a spudger or your fingernail to flip up the retaining flap on the trackpad ribbon cable ZIF socket.
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Be sure you are prying up on the hinged retaining flap, not the socket itself.
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Use the tip of a spudger to flip up the retaining flap on the keyboard backlight ribbon cable ZIF socket.
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Use your spudger to help pull the cable out of its socket.
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Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the right speaker cable connector up and out of its socket on the logic board.
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Gently push the tip of a spudger under the black plastic flap stuck to the display data cable lock to make the lock pop upward and away from the socket.
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While holding the lock away from the socket, use the tip of a spudger and your fingers to gently remove the display data cable from its socket.
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Use the flat end of a spudger to pry both antenna cable connectors up and off their sockets on the AirPort/Bluetooth card.
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Gently de-route the antenna cables from the slot cut into the logic board.
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Remove the single 2.85 mm T5 Torx screw securing the SSD to the logic board.
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Pull the drive straight out of its socket and remove it from the logic board.
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Remove the six 6.3 mm T5 Torx screws securing the logic board to the upper case.
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Remove the inner two 4.9 mm T8 Torx screws securing the antenna cable retainer and left clutch hinge to the upper case.
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Push the antenna cable retainer away slightly and remove the 3 mm T5 Torx screw securing the end of the heat sink to the upper case.
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Carefully remove the logic board assembly from the upper case, minding any cables that may get caught.
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Gently de-route the antenna cables out of the channel cut into the upper case.
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Remove the inner two 4.9 mm T8 Torx screws securing the right display hinge to the upper case.
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Open the display until it is perpendicular to the upper case and place it on a table as shown.
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While holding the MacBook Air steady, remove the remaining 4.9 mm T8 Torx screw from the lower display bracket.
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Remove the last 4.9 mm T8 Torx screw securing the display to the upper case.
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Push the upper case slightly toward the display assembly, then rotate it away from the front of the display assembly.
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Once the two display hinges have cleared the upper case, remove the display and set it aside.
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Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the right speaker off the adhesive securing it to the upper case.
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Remove the right speaker from the upper case.
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Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the left speaker off the adhesive securing it to the upper case.
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Remove the left speaker from the upper case.
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Use the tip of a spudger to pry the microphone away from the left side of the upper case.
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Remove the microphone from the upper case.
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Upper case remains.
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Use the tip of a spudger or your fingernail to flip up the retaining flap on the trackpad ribbon cable ZIF socket.
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Pull the trackpad ribbon cable straight out of its socket toward the rear edge of the Air.
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While carefully lifting the keyboard ribbon cable with one hand, use the tip of a spudger or your fingernail to flip up the retaining flap on the keyboard ribbon cable ZIF socket.
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Pull the keyboard ribbon cable straight out of its socket toward the front edge of the Air.
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Remove the following seven screws:
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Six 1.6 mm Phillips screws securing the trackpad to the upper case.
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One 1.4 mm T5 Torx set screw from its tapped hole near the front edge of the upper case.
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Carefully lift the edge of the trackpad closest to the keyboard from its recess in the upper case by lifting it away from the brackets attached to the upper case.
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Remove the trackpad from the upper case.
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The upper case remains.
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To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.
To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.
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question for anyone...just did step 14, and accidentally pried the whole microphone cable box out of the board. Any way to put that back in or did i just lose microphone capability?
You can resolder it back on or carefully use a hot-air rework station and Kapton tape to protect the surrounding area.
This guide is truly SPOT-on!!
I went to my local Fry's Electronics and purchased a Pro's Kit branded "Consumer Electronic Equipment Repair Kit" that had all the necessary bits and tools needed for US$35.
No need to spend $250 for a new upper case, I figured: what did I have to loose?
I found a brand new keyboard $45.95 (included priority shipping) from MCCComputers.com
Steps: Remove keyboard:: CAREFULLY, remove all #000 Philips head screws around the outside edge of the keyboard on the logic board side of top case. Then, i started at one end, four keys at a time and started rocking around the four corners and pressing firmly in sections (from the side where you usually type on the keys, inward) until the rivets started popping out. MAKE SURE YOU ARE DOING THIS IN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT IS CLEAN and SMOOTH SURFACES. They go everywhere!
Reassembly:use 3M #77 adhesive spray on the aluminum casing to reattach and make up for lost rivets. Snap in rivets with flat end of T-15 bit and screw-in edge screws.
Step 9
On reassembly with a new upper case I spent a long time trying to replace the red-circled screw to hold the fan. After a while I figured out that the new case I purchased from IFIXIT had a small screw already inserted in the socket. Once I removed this extra part everything went smoothly.
THAT’S why I ended up with an extra screw!
I agree, this guide is great. Was able to skip the last few steps, as my replacement upper case was already assembled.
