Introduction
Use this guide to completely replace the logic board.
Outils
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Remove the following ten screws:
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Three 14.4 mm Phillips #00 screws
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Three 3.5 mm Phillips #00 screws
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Four 3.5 mm shouldered Phillips #00 screws
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Use the edge of a spudger to pry the battery connector upwards from its socket on the logic board.
Prying the battery connector off does not take much force. I did exactly what the guide suggested (walked it off back and forth) with the spudger without any problems. Just be very gentle, much like with anything inside laptops, they are very fragile and need to be worked with carefully. A+ instructions, battery replacement was a success.
Be patient on disconnecting this one. It worked for me step by step, little by little.
I used the nails of thumb and pointer finger simultaneously - worked pretty fine
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Bend the battery cable slightly away from its socket on the logic board so it does not accidentally connect itself while you work.
I put some tape between the connector and socket while working on the drive.
That's a good tip
Anrothan -
Great tip, I did that too
One other note: The screw heads fit flush with the curvature of the case -- which means that they aren't exactly horizontal. In other words, they aren't perpendicular to the table that the computer is resting on. Don't try to force them straight in vertically, because you'll risk cross-threading them. (nearly ruined one screw hole myself!)
On my MacBook Pro, the connector seems to be an integral part of the battery.
I suspect it’s just like the special screwdriver required for seatbelts on cars – to discourage regular consumers from attempting repairs. Of course, this only encourages consumers to use the wrong tool to attempt to repairs
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Use the edge of a spudger to gently pry the fan connector up and out of its socket on the logic board.
I successfully soldered the fan connector back on for a friend. I used a small soldering iron (maybe 6-10 watts) and ground the tip down to a very fine point. Also used a magnifying light and very fine rosin core solder. I took my time and lined everything up and was careful not to heat any other junction unnecessarily.
Yup. Be careful on this one. I was trying to gently pry up and popped it off the socket. Computer working fine after replacing magsafe board, but no fan for cooling…
This one is really delicate, as pointed out. Be careful if using the pointed end of a spudger NOT to dig down and under ….there’s a layer of plastic-y insulation that can be torn. I accidentally gored it with the pointy end of a spudger and it was slightly ripped. Fortunately, I was able to press it down and there was no problem when the cable was reinserted.
For less than $16 I ordered a new fan from amazon. Fans eventually start making noise. If they fail, your system could expire from heat. Consider simply replacing your fan since this model is now about five years old. Here’s link:
I simply skipped this step and left fan wire connected to logic board. Just unscrew screws from Step 6, put fan on the logic board and remove whole stuff togheter.
Thanks, I did that too,,
a lot easier
I used a really thin, plastic spudger gently inserting from each side on mid-2012 and then very gently twisting the spudger. It worked fine without tearing or damaging anything. When reinstalling the connector, do not forget to twist it 180 degrees so that the open side of the connector is facing down to insert properly for seating.
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Remove the following three screws securing the fan to the logic board:
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One 7.2 mm T6 Torx screw
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Two 5.3 mm T6 Torx screws
I think so too, (maybe on a certain batch?) tried a T6 and its too big
I wasn’t able to open mine up. The heads looked like little triangles instead of hex torqx things. Is there a chart with the head shape of all the bits you can buy? I want to just get the one.
They might be tri point
T5 for me, my MBP was manufactured in 2015.
When seating the fan, be aware that the cutout on the fan for the wire harness may not match up with the cutout on the board itself. Line the wires up to the board and then seat the fan in an incremental manner - gently pushing at each connecting hole. Then put the screws in without tightening at first. Once all of the screws are seated, then sequentially snug them up. Finally, push down gently on the fan and snug up each screw without over tightening. I found that the fan seats a tad further and I wanted to avoid future rattles. DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN THOUGH.
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Lift the fan out of its recess in the logic board, minding its cable that may get caught.
Note that, as per the photo, the fan goes in label side DOWN. Took me a few minutes to figure that out!
Before reinstalling the new fan and for novices like me, do not forget to have a can of compressed on hand to clear out years of dust, fine fibers, and maybe even a cat hair from the fins blowing outward. Do not shake the bottle and hold it upright, and use small squirts of air.
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Use the tip of a spudger to pull the right speaker/subwoofer cable out from under the retaining finger molded into the upper case.
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Pull the right speaker/subwoofer cable upward to lift the connector out of its socket on the logic board.
Reminder: When replacing the cable the connector should be placed in from above. This fooled me and I damaged the seat a bit, but not enough to prevent proper connection.
Excellent guide, I feel this bit could be clearer tho. As it is a socket like a fan connector.
Mine had a foam pad on the top like the other lift-up connections and I’ve accidentally taken the socket off.
So just to be aware if your mac has the foam pad on top of this connection.
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Disconnect the camera cable from the logic board.
The camera cable head has bump at both sides. Just use two spudgers to pry it out.
thank you great suggestion
Here's where the mid-2009 13" MacBook Pro 5,5 makes its first major departure from this guide. No such connection exists. At least nowhere I could find on the motherboard.
Just broke this cable by pulling to hard. Definitely use a spudger to pry out the connector instead of pulling the cable.
Same, any suggestion about its replacement?
Really grip those little bumps on the head with a pair of pliers and gently wiggle!
In case you need replacement parts for the broken cable : http://www.powerbookmedic.com/MacBook-Pr...
To find out how to replace the cable, you can have a look at this tutorial : https://fr.ifixit.com/Tutoriel/Remplacem...
Die Metallverbindung besteht aus zwei Teilen. Der kabelferne Teil drückt den Stecker nach unten. Der kabelferne Teil ist ein festgelöteter Schuh. Mit Hilfe einer dünnen Präpariernadel konnte ich den kabelzugewandten, beweglichen Metall-Teil der Verbindung zum einen horizontal herausschieben, zum anderen habe ich gleichzeitig gezogen. Nicht zu viel Kraft beim Ziehen aufwenden.
Mir hat geholfen, ein Makrofoto vom Stecker zu machen, um ihn zu verstehen.
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Disconnect the following four cables:
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AirPort/Bluetooth cable
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Optical drive cable
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Hard drive cable
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Trackpad cable
On the mid-2009 13" MacBook Pro 5,5 the Airport/Bluetooth cable is different from the other three cables in this step. It's fabric wrapped, and its connection works in a fashion more like the display data cable connection, although it does not have a lock that releases by pulling a tab back over the cable. So, to those of you who are repairing this model, be careful. Prying upward is not the way to remove this cable. I played with it until I could detect which parts were moving which way and why. Although I can't say with precision how the connection works, I removed it by gently coaxing slightly up at an angle and back along the plane of the optical drive. The idea is to pull the cable back out of its socket while lifting slightly.
Too bad we can't post photos in the comments.
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Use your fingernail to flip up the retaining flap on the keyboard ribbon cable ZIF socket.
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Use the tip of a spudger to pull the keyboard ribbon cable out of its socket.
Hello i've a late 2011 and have manged to break the keyboard ribbon cable ZIF socket. Is this a part that can be replaced? Ribbon is still good just the plastic has broken on the edge. Thanks
No, You'll need to replace the logic board. I'd probably just use a wired or bluetooth keyboard and put the money towards a new machine.
I ran into trouble reattaching the keyboard ribbon cable into the ZIF socket. I couldn't grasp it in a way that let me push it all the all back. A local repair guy told me his trick: use a piece of tape. Attach a piece of tape to the ribbon cable and make a tab so you can pull the cable into the socket. Use of a piece of tape that you can easily remove. Works like a charm.
Buy that man a pint! I've been working on computers professionally for a decade and I've never thought of that trick. Brilliant!
Gryyphyn -
Amazing this saved me!
You've saved me countless hours of crying trying to simply push it in
Tunipguy -
Thanks! This saved me hours!
Thank you so much. Very clever idea that works like a charm!
Thank you so much! After 15 minutes of frustration, it inserted in less than 5 seconds.
After I put it all back together, the keyboard didn’t work; I traced it to this cable not being plugged in all the way. I used the tape trick to coax it all the way in to seat well and it works like a charm.
It’s worth pointing out that the lever to lift this is at the back of the connector and that you’re pulling it towards yourself - this then releases the plastic on top of the cable that’s holding it in place.
The tape tirck saved my bacon!! Thank YOU!
Thanks so much. This trick saved the day!!!!
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If present, remove the small strip of black tape covering the keyboard backlight cable socket.
This is the most difficult ribbon cable to reinsert. As noted in the comments for the keyboard ribbon cable above I’d recommend also using a a small piece of tape to help reinsert.
I used Blu-Tac on the end of my spudger to provide a gentle grip to get it to slide in.
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Use the tip of a spudger or your fingernail to flip up the retaining flap on the keyboard backlight ribbon cable ZIF socket.
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Pull the keyboard backlight ribbon cable out of its socket.
The first time I reassembled the system I left this tiny ribbon connector under the logic board by accident. If your keyboard backlight no longer works after reassembly it’s because you forgot to reattach this small connector. Fortunately, I caught my mistake before securing the logic board screws. It’s an easy to miss item.
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Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the sleep sensor/battery indicator connector up from its socket on the logic board.
the sleep sensor/battery indicator were not included with my new case, i had to transfer them over from my old case. once the battery is out (step 22), you can see the three screws you need to remove in order to take it out. it’s also secured by adhesive. the button for the battery indicator will likely fall out (at least it did on mine) when you remove the board, so be careful not to lose it…my new case did come with the button for the battery indicator (even though it didn’t come with the board or cable), but i just re-used the old one.
I forgot to place this tiny flex cable on top of the mainboard, and tried to recover it from under (lazy!) so I broke it.
In general I would tape all those connectors out of the way of the mainboard. Use paper tape or paper labels as you want to avoid the electrical discharge associated with peeling off of plastic tape.
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Grab the plastic pull tab secured to the display data cable lock and rotate it toward the DC-In side of the computer.
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Pull the display data cable straight out of its socket on the logic board.
On my mid-2009 13" MacBook Pro 5,5 the display data cable was square with the motherboard, rather than at an angle. I'm not experienced with working on computer connections, but if I were going to describe this procedure, it would be more like:
"Grasp the plastic tab on the end of the display data cable connection, and pull it gently back over the cable, toward the DC-in board. The tab is connected to a flat rectangular 'ring' that locks the cable to its connection, and when you pull the tab, the rectangular lock will flip back over the cable, allowing the cable to be removed by pulling the same direction, parallel to the surface of the motherboard."
Exactly the same as on the Mid2010 Model - never pull up, always parallel to the board, using the spudger to keep the cable down might helpfull while pulling with fingers the cable towards DC-In at the right side.
Hans -
My display is not working after reassemble the mac.
Any reason?
I had the same problem, and it was solved by slightly unscrewing the 14.4 mm screw that sits nearest the ESC button (upper left hand side, if the computer is open as if you’re using it). All the way screwed in, and the display conks out (something must be getting pinched). Slightly loosened, and the display immediately came back!
I choose not to remove this, just laid the board over. Worked just fine.
I second this. It’s quite easy to leave this connection in place. The board flips over nicely, and everything is still accessible.
When replaced the logic board when reassembled lap top screens not working. Saw others similar issues plugged in my monitor it’s working great must have messed up any ideas how to fix?
Hi Wayne, and Michael! I had the same problem, and it was solved by slightly unscrewing the 14.4 mm screw that sits nearest the ESC button (upper left hand side, if the computer is open as if you’re using it). All the way screwed in, and the display conks out (something must be getting pinched). Slightly loosened, and the display immediately came back! —Shannon
My display is not working after I put everything back together, can hear the macbook chime. Tried shining light onto the display, see nothing. Tried loosening the screw slightly like someone suggested here, that does not help either. Tried cleaning the contacts of the LVDS cable, nothing. Any help appreciated.
Found a solution: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjIQXwit...
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Remove the following nine screws:
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Five 3.6 mm T6 Torx screws
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Two 4.3 mm T6 Torx screws
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Two 7.2 mm T6 Torx screws
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Five 3.0 mm T6 screws
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Two 3.6 mm T6 screws
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Two 6.7 mm T6 screws
2 of the 7 listed 4mm screws attaching the logic board are actually 4.5 or 5 mm.... unfortunately. I didn't notice that until I was reassembling. so I don't know which positions they came from.
I'm just noticing this too... I've put the longer screws as the two on the far left of the picture because they seemed to be the two holes I couldn't see the bottom to.
Just took one apart and paid attention this time. On this Mac, the screws colored orange should be red, and the 2 screws on the left side of the board should be orange (they’re a bit longer).
For keeping the screws straight I drew a simple diagram and placed them on it head down/threads up in their respective positions. Then all screws went back into their original positions without any guess work. Another suggestion I have during assembly is to start the screws without torquing them all the way down - leave them a little loose to allow some adjustment of the logic board for getting them all to line up with their holes, then torque them down. This technique also works for the screws on the bottom cover/lower case.
Great guide! Saved me some dough, and now my MagSafe connector stays nice and cool.
for me the two on the farthest left were the 4.3mm screws. otherwise all went as described
on something like this (like in iphones) i print the picture and place the screws on the picture. saves some problems and guessing.
Well on my mid 2012 MacBook Pro the screw heads are definitely not T6 but rather J000. Will place the removed screws on a paper drawing of logic board. Good tip ….
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Remove the following two screws:
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One 8.6 mm Phillips screw
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One 5.5 mm Phillips screw
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Remove the display data cable retainer from the upper case.
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Use the tip of a spudger to gently peel the microphone off the adhesive securing it to the upper case.
I finally got that mic out by gripping it between two spudgers like a pair of chopsticks and gently pulling it out at an angle. The rubber shroud on it makes the thing hard to grip, and when I finally pulled it free, part of the adhesive ring tore off and stayed stuck to the chassis. When reassembling the machine, I had to kind of squish it back into place. It doesn’t hold quite as well as it did before, but it seems fine.
when reseating the logic board, first install the DC board in position and loosely seat the screws. then try to align the logic board to the 3.6mm screw housing closest to the firewire/ thunderbolt port and align the board to the ports and gently drop it into position. watch out for the cables that can get snagged under the board while seating it.
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Minding the many connectors near its edges, lift the logic board from the end nearest the optical drive.
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Without flexing the board, maneuver it out of the upper case, minding the flexible connection to the DC-In board that may get caught in the upper case.
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Remove the logic board.
I did all this, and worked! .but Im wondering, has anybody unscrewed what seems to be a mini heatsink (black 1 inch square housing) on the integrated GPU? Could I re apply paste on that?
I did make the change yesterday. inside it has a thermal pad, that appears to be 3mm or less. i try to clean on my best. I make a making a very tick pea size and added again. but i have no idea if it works or not. still having temps on 56c on idle. there is no much info on that. i use MX-4 from arctic. but i still, in my option, a little to for my use. if someone have more info on that part on the late 2011 i7 macbook pro 13inch please send the info.
I did and applied Arctic Silver 5 underneath instead of the crap tape they put under there. This alone stopped the random freezing and rebooting problem I was having with this macbook pro. I recommend if you're already that deep into it, you might as well do it. I'm glad I did.
ej257lgt -
Need help. After I put everything back together, everything works fine but my macbook just wont charge. Any diagnosis on this? Anyone who can explain to me how the battery and the charging work in a Mac?
If this happened to me, I would first suspect I hadn't completely connected the DC-in board cable. If I hadn't just replaced the battery, I would wonder if the battery was good. MagSafe power cable connect connections fail too, especially if they've been attached for a long time to a red hot DC-in board.
If those failed, I'd head to the genius bar!
I had this problem. I accidentally cut the a cable from the DC-in board and I had to buy this component and replace it. You have to be very careful when mounting back the logic board in its position to not get a cable from the DC-in board cut by the screws.
The fan exhaust grille was catching onto the speaker unit so I had to skip to step 28 to take it out. After taking out the airport card the speaker was able to move away from the fan grille and let me lift out the logic board.
Also be sure to lift up the logic board to a slight angle so it clears the optical drive then pull it out gently at that angle. Do not pull it ulwards.
The mainboard got stuck with the speaker and I can't lift it up. So I removed the first speaker screw (Wich is nearest to the mainboard) then I was able to remove the mainboard
I removed the battery …. helps getting the logic board out.
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De-route the microphone cable from its slot molded into the left speaker enclosure.
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Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the left speaker connector up from its socket on the logic board.
I found it easier to reverse steps 22 and 23. You got more wiggle room to get the spudger underneath the left speaker connector. Just be careful when you remove the left speaker since the left speaker wire is still attached to it’s connected and the adhesive that you got to work loose on the belly of the speaker.
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Remove the three 8.4 mm #1 Phillips screws securing the heat sink to the logic board.
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Carefully remove the heat sink from the processor.
Are there only 2 springs?
nop on the cpu are 3 springs. I am still looking for more info on the other heat black part. i did some digging it appears that works with 3mm pads. the thermal paste is ok but there is no contact like cooper. Have any one know here i can find more info on that part?
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To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.
To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.
Annulation : je n'ai pas terminé ce tutoriel.
96 autres ont terminé cette réparation.
5 commentaires
Hello guys,
I have a question for you : if i need to change my macbook pro early 2011 logic board (the one with the core i5 2.3ghz) with a late 2011 logic board (core i5 2.8Ghz). will it work ? thanks a ton for any input on that matter !
Should be fine Guillaume, things to note are: The serial number will give the old info of the old main board. Also the CPU cooler my be different, on 1 I noticed the cooler has 2 fans on the 2.3Mhz it has 1. Assuming you have both cases in front of you, I don't see to much of an issue.
I would advise taking the memory out sooner then the last step, as while your trying to maneuver everything around it seems the sticks could get in one's way or even worse break off the retaining tabs for the memory.
i lol @ the spudger !
Hey guys, I changed my logic board but now I’m not getting any audio. The headphones nor the speakers seems to be working. Can anyone assist me or suggest what can be done to fix this?
How much weight can I save by removing the optical drive?
gunes314 - Réponse
You can save a lot of weight if lets say your installing a solid state drive or putting in a second hard drive but if you know that you use the CD/DVD disc drive a lot then you might just want to leave the drive alone.
Marshall WahlstromHelgren -
Tip: Use one of those weekday pill holders to have a cheep way to store screws you remove and each day of the week can be for different sizes or parts. It has been handy to have (much less expensive than the magnetic mat.
Robert Wacker - Réponse
Hello, where can I buy the screws I need in case I lose one of them?
taylornya - Réponse
iFixit sells a kit: MacBook Pro Unibody Lower Case Screw Set
Darrell Johnson -
I have one stripped screw... How opening without drill it?! Any suggestions please?
rodrigosady - Réponse
I also stripped a couple screws. I wasn’t able to open it up without drilling. After drilling the heads and removing the cover it was easy to hacksaw the tip and unscrew with a standard driver.
Michael Wilkens -
We have a guide for that!
Comment enlever une vis cassée
Sam Omiotek -
My top tip - make sure you buy good quality Phillips screwdrivers and a magnetic holder. Cheap screwdrivers won’t get the screws undone safely. Without a magnetic holder you have no chance of getting the tiny crews in and out safely.
jeremyyoung - Réponse
A good Phillips 00 is your friend here. Also, when reinserting the screws, gently start anticlockwise and you wil feel a click at the start of the thread. This tells you you’re in the right place and less likely to cross-thread through force in the wrong place.
Iain Boyd - Réponse
I feel like these are 000 screws. Amazon sales describe them as such and my 000 screwdriver fits better
cam2000deluxe -
Before ordering a new Trackpad remove the existing battery and try clicking the Trackpad. If it clicks OK with the battery out the source of problem is likely a swollen battery, which should to be replaced even if it still works to some degree. From the side of the battery you will likely see the soft part of the battery bulging beyond the hard case.
Patrick Langvardt - Réponse
That’s absolutely correct as I can testify. With the battery removed I also adjusted the T6 set screw that adjusts the sensitivity of the trackpad click, evidently someone had cranked mine down tighter than the factory setting.
Gary Register -
Le quatrième paragraphe dans les instructions en français n’est pas correct : ce ne sont pas les 2 petites vis, mais les 7 petites vis qui sont inclinées. Et les 3 grandes sont bien verticales.
Degeorges - Réponse
Bonjour ! Merci de votre observation. J’ai corrigé la traduction. iFixit étant un wiki, n’hésitez pas à modifiez si vous remarquez une erreur :) Encore merci de votre attention et à bientôt !
Claire Miesch -
Tip: if you have a magnetic screw mat or similar, lay the macbook over the mat to make sure it catches any screws that may decide to fall of and hide under your table
Moritz - Réponse