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Use this guide to replace the fan.
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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 parallel to the board toward the front edge of the Air.
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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.
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Carefully peel the I/O board cable from the adhesive securing it to 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 flat end of a spudger to pry up 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 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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To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.
To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.
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Step 1
My mid-2013 MacBook Air requires a pentalobe P4 driver, not a pentalobe P5 driver. I got a set of P1 - P6 so it wasn't an issue for me.
Do I need the artic silver thermal paste? I know the guide does not mention it, but a repair guy I went to first included it in the quote they gave me to fix the fan ($200 for parts and work for a fan replacement)
Arctic silver is a great thermal paste, but in my experience the swapping of the fans does not require any thermal paste. Thermal paste is usually used in between the connections of the computer's processor heat sink(s) and the processor, as well as the graphics card and the heat sinks.
