Introduction
Use this guide to replace your AirPort/Bluetooth card.
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Starting on the left of the display, near the power button, insert the iMac Opening Tool into the gap between the glass panel and the rear enclosure.
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Use the tool like a pizza cutter—roll it along through the gap, and it will cut the foam adhesive through the center.
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Run the tool up along the left side of the display.
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Continue running the tool up around the top left corner.
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Cut the adhesive along the top left of the display.
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Continue along the top of the display.
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You may want to run the tool back and forth through what you've already cut a few times, to ensure you get as much of the adhesive separated as possible.
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Push the tool around the top right corner of the display.
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Wheel the tool down along the right side of the display.
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Finish pushing the opening tool to the bottom of the right side of the display.
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Starting from the top right corner of the iMac, wedge a plastic card between the display and frame.
So sorry. Thanks for that caution.
John. May I contact outside of this posting for a question please? Thank you. Ted.
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Gently twist the plastic card sideways to create a gap between the display and frame.
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Move slowly and be careful not to stress the display glass too much—you only need to make a gap of about 1/4".
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Slide the card toward the center of the display to cut any of the remaining adhesive along the top right corner of the iMac.
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Wedge the plastic card into the top right corner once again and let it stay there to keep the adhesive from resettling.
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Insert a second plastic card into the gap between the display and frame located at the top left corner of the iMac.
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Gently twist the card upward, slightly increasing the space between the display and frame.
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Slide the plastic card toward the center, again stopping just before the iSight camera.
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Wedge the plastic card back into the top left corner.
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With both plastic cards inserted as shown near the corners, gently twist the cards sideways to increase the gap between display and case.
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Begin to lift the top of the display up from the frame.
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While holding the display up with one hand, use the other hand to unplug the display power cable. Make sure that you pull the cable out from the plastic tab, and not by pulling on the color wires.
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Use the tip of a spudger to flip up the metal retaining bracket on the display data cable.
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Carefully pull the display data cable from its socket on the logic board.
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Lift the display up to a near-vertical position.
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Lift the display up from the frame and remove it from the iMac.
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It may be necessary to slowly lift from one side, to peel against the remaining adhesive.
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Upon reassembly, now is the time to go to the Adhesive Strips Guide after cleaning off all the old adhesive. iMac Intel 21.5" EMC 2544 Adhesive Strips Replacement
After removing the display, I also removed the 3 screws for the processor fan, disconnected the power connector for it and set the fan shroud aside. Disconnecting the remaining cable (similar style to 1 of the cables for the display) that is in the way of the RAM chips is all that's left to do. I was then able to access and quickly remove the two Apple-provided RAM chips, and replace them with 3rd party RAM. Turning the iMac on its side, so that it's in a position where you're physically putting the RAM chips DOWNWARD into their respective slots is the best way to go about uninstalling and reinstalling the chips. Using a narrow but long'ish plastic spudger tool is the best way to defeat the spring-tabs which hold the RAM chips in place. After removing the LCD display, changing the RAM is about a 10 minute process!! And I'd SURE prefer not to remove all the parts and risk damage to the iMac via the standard procedure listed. As per usual, take your time and work gently :-)
Teardown the whole machine just to change RAM? While preparing to comment on this procedure I just noticed the comment made by Mitch K above. I ran pretty much the same procedure that he describes this afternoon (steps 1-23, 43-45, and step 55). Then I swapped out the original 2x4GB RAM chips for 2x8GB chips by reaching behind the logic board, releasing the spring retaining clips one chip at a time (starting with the chip further away from the logic board), pivoting the RAM towards the back of the machine, and then carefully sliding it out of the slot. I easily slid in the new chips and then pivoted them to lock them down. No hassle, no time lost. As Mitch K states above, not only is this “shortcut” method much quicker and easier, but it provides less risk of damaging cables, sockets and other delicate components during a total teardown. Why mess with the power supply board just to change RAM? I do not advise to follow the current iFixit.com procedure written by Sam Lionheart, regardless of user skill-level.
THAT sounds one !&&* of a lot easier than the full tear down. I wonder if there’s a video of the process described by Mitch K? Adding that to these verbal instructions would really help relieve the apprehension and anxiety around the process! I do sometimes find the additional warnings, though appreciated from a “safety first” perspective, are somewhat overstated. It’s been a very long time since I shorted out RAM, or fried a PCB, or broke a connector, regardless of how finicky, fragile or awkwardly designed and positioned. I may have WANTED to break something, and the air might be blue for a few seconds, but inevitably, things go back together, the start button gets pressed, the startup chime sounds, and we’re in business. Practice DOES make as close to perfect we are likely to get.
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Use a spudger to loosen the right speaker cable's connector from its socket on the logic board.
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Pull the connector downwards to remove it from its socket.
I highly recommend doing steps 27 and 28 first and then pull out the cable. It will give you more room on the right side of the cable to work with making this step that much easier.
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Remove the two 10.0 mm T10 screws securing the right speaker to the rear enclosure.
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Pull the top of the right speaker away from the rear enclosure, about half an inch, to expose the antenna cable running down its right side.
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Insert the tip of a spudger between the right speaker and the antenna cable that is routed into the speaker's right side.
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Run the spudger down along the right side of the speaker to pry the antenna cable from its channel in the right speaker.
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Pull the right speaker straight up about an inch, toward the top of the iMac.
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Lift the right speaker straight up and remove it from the iMac. This may take some force, both hands and rocking the speaker right and left to get it out.
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Remove the following screws securing the hard drive bracket to the rear enclosure:
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Two 21 mm T10 Torx screws from the left-hand hard drive bracket.
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One 9 mm T10 Torx screw.
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One 27 mm T10 Torx screw.
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Remove the left and right hard drive brackets from the iMac.
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Use the tip of a spudger to push each side of the power button cable connector and gently "walk" it out of its socket.
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Gently push upward on each side of the power supply control cable connector with the tip of a spudger to gently "walk" it out of its socket.
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Remove the two 7.2 mm T10 screws securing the power supply to the rear enclosure.
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Tilt the power supply forward.
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Pull the power supply slightly up and out from the rear enclosure.
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Rotate the power supply counterclockwise, lifting the right side up about an inch higher than the left.
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Slide the power supply to the right to clear the screw posts on the rear enclosure.
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Rock the power supply forward and remove it from its recess in the rear enclosure.
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Squeeze the DC power cable connector tab and pull it straight out of its socket on the back of the logic board.
what happens if you damage the power socket on the logic board?
The tab is on the bottom of the connector. You can’t see it. Squeeze the bottom of the connector close to the cables to properly release tab. Pulling straight out is important.
This step might be easier if you do the next step first (step 41) and then come back to this step.
I loosened the logic board attached to the power supply board. I then could easily remove the 2 power cables.
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Use the flat end of a spudger to push the clip on the side of the AC inlet cable connector inward.
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While holding on the release clip with the spudger, grasp the AC inlet cable, and pull the connector straight out of its socket.
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Remove the power supply from the iMac.
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Gently pull the fan cable connector straight away from its socket on the logic board.
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Remove the three 12.3 mm T10 shoulder screws securing the fan to the rear enclosure.
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Remove the fan from the iMac.
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Lift the hard drive from the edge nearest the logic board and pull it slightly out of its recess.
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Disconnect the SATA power cable.
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Unplug the SATA data cable from the hard drive.
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Remove the hard drive from the iMac.
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Remove the single 7.2 mm T10 screw securing the hard drive tray to the rear enclosure.
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Remove the hard drive tray from the rear enclosure.
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Push on each side of the left speaker cable connector with the tip of a spudger and gently "walk" it out of its socket.
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De-route the left speaker cable by pulling it straight up out of the retaining clip in the back of the rear enclosure.
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In a similar fashion as the previous step, de-route the SATA data and power cables up out of the retaining clip.
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Use the flat edge of a spudger to flip up the metal retaining bracket on the iSight camera cable connector.
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Pull the iSight camera cable straight out of its socket on the logic board.
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Use the flat edge of a spudger to disconnect each of the four antenna connectors from the AirPort/Bluetooth card.
I broke off one of the antenna connectors when I took off the antenna wires, but the new 802.11ac card is working:) I seems the way to take off the wires is lifting it up from the wire side. In hindsight I just wasn´t careful enough.
how do I check a working logic board
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Use the flat edge of a spudger to pry the headphone jack cable connector from its socket on the logic board.
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Remove the following screws securing the exhaust duct to the rear enclosure:
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Two 6.3 mm T8 screws
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Two 4.7 mm T8 screws
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Weirdly, these screws didn’t work with my T8 driver. Not with T6 or T10.
Every other screw (to this point) has been fine. Hmm.
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Remove the four 7.2 mm T10 screws securing the logic board to the rear enclosure.
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Tilt the top of the logic board away from the rear enclosure.
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Lift the logic board straight up and out of the iMac.
When inserting the logic board back, pay attention of the position of the I/O connectors. When it is back in place, put a USB / Thunderbolt cable into the connectors to ensure the perfect alignment.
This is fantastic advice. I used a combination of USB and display port plugs to ensure proper alignment and help keep the logic board steady while i screwed it back in. Thank you!!
kazoodac -
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Remove the two 3.2 mm T5 screws securing the AirPort/Bluetooth card to the logic board.
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Slightly lift the AirPort/Bluetooth card and pull it straight out its socket.
I addition to the two Torx5 screws, My Wi Fi bluetooth card was glued to the main board with a grey porous glue that was easy to peel off once I got the card loose.
To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse and use our Adhesive Strips Guide to reattach the display glass.
To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse and use our Adhesive Strips Guide to reattach the display glass.
Annulation : je n'ai pas terminé ce guide.
2 autre(s) ont terminé cette réparation.
2 commentaires
I successfully upgraded the Wi-Fi Bluetooth card in my late 2012 iMac to 802.11ac following this guide! The new card is now the same as what´s in the new 2013 iMacs, I used the 2013 iMac teardown to find the right part:)
