Difficulty
Moderate
Steps
20
Time Required
40 minutes - 2 hours
Sections
6
- Lower Case
- 2 steps
- Battery Connector
- 1 step
- I/O Board Cable
- 2 steps
- Fan
- 5 steps
- Battery
- 2 steps
- I/O Board
- 8 steps
Flags
0
BackMacBook Air 11" Early 2015
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Introduction
What you need
Step 1
Lower Case
- Shut down and close your computer. Lay it on a soft surface top-side down.
- Remove the following ten screws:
- Two 8 mm 5-point Pentalobe screws
- Eight 2.5 mm 5-point Pentalobe screws
- The special screwdriver needed to remove the 5-point Pentalobe screws can be found here.
Shut down and close your computer. Lay it on a soft surface top-side down.
Remove the following ten screws:
Two 8 mm 5-point Pentalobe screws
Eight 2.5 mm 5-point Pentalobe screws
The special screwdriver needed to remove the 5-point Pentalobe screws can be found here.
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Step 2
- Wedge your fingers between the display and the lower case and pull upward to pop the lower case off the Air.
Wedge your fingers between the display and the lower case and pull upward to pop the lower case off the Air.
Step 3
Battery Connector
- In this step you will disconnect the battery to help avoid shorting out any components during service.
- Use the flat end of a spudger to pry both short sides of the battery connector upward to disconnect it from its socket on the logic board.
- Bend the battery cable slightly away from the logic board so the connector will not accidentally bend back and make contact with its socket.
In this step you will disconnect the battery to help avoid shorting out any components during service.
Use the flat end of a spudger to pry both short sides of the battery connector upward to disconnect it from its socket on the logic board.
Bend the battery cable slightly away from the logic board so the connector will not accidentally bend back and make contact with its socket.
Step 4
I/O Board Cable
- Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the left and right I/O board cable connectors up off their respective sockets on the I/O board.
Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the left and right I/O board cable connectors up off their respective sockets on the I/O board.
Step 5
- Lift and remove the I/O board cable.
Lift and remove the I/O board cable.
Step 6
Fan
- Use the tip of a spudger to carefully push on each side of the iSight camera cable connector to loosen it out of its socket on the logic board.
- We recommend you gently “walk” the connector out of its socket.
Use the tip of a spudger to carefully push on each side of the iSight camera cable connector to loosen it out of its socket on the logic board.
We recommend you gently “walk” the connector out of its socket.
Step 7
- Peel the iSight camera cable up off the adhesive securing it to the fan.
Peel the iSight camera cable up off the adhesive securing it to the fan.
Step 8
- Use the tip of a spudger to carefully flip up the retaining flap on the fan cable ZIF socket.
- Be sure you are prying up on the hinged retaining flap, not the socket itself.
Use the tip of a spudger to carefully flip up the retaining flap on the fan cable ZIF socket.
Be sure you are prying up on the hinged retaining flap, not the socket itself.
Step 9
- Remove the following three screws securing the fan to the upper case:
- Two 5.5 mm T5 Torx screws
- One 4.6 mm T5 Torx screw
- In some models this is a 3.6 mm T5 Torx screw.
Remove the following three screws securing the fan to the upper case:
Two 5.5 mm T5 Torx screws
One 4.6 mm T5 Torx screw
In some models this is a 3.6 mm T5 Torx screw.
Step 10
- Lift, but do not remove the fan out of its recess in the upper case.
- Carefully pull the fan ribbon cable out of its socket as you remove the fan from the Air.
Lift, but do not remove the fan out of its recess in the upper case.
Carefully pull the fan ribbon cable out of its socket as you remove the fan from the Air.
Step 11
Battery
- Remove the following five screws securing the battery to the upper case:
- Two 5.2 mm T5 Torx screws
- One 6 mm T5 Torx screw
- Two 2.6 mm T5 Torx screws
Remove the following five screws securing the battery to the upper case:
Two 5.2 mm T5 Torx screws
One 6 mm T5 Torx screw
Two 2.6 mm T5 Torx screws
Step 12
- When handling the battery, avoid squeezing or touching the six exposed lithium polymer cells.
- Lift the battery from its edge nearest the logic board and remove it from the upper case.
When handling the battery, avoid squeezing or touching the six exposed lithium polymer cells.
Lift the battery from its edge nearest the logic board and remove it from the upper case.
Step 13
I/O Board
- Disconnect the I/O board power cable from the logic board by pulling the cable out of its socket on the logic board.
- Pull the cable parallel to the face of the logic board toward the front edge of the Air.
Disconnect the I/O board power cable from the logic board by pulling the cable out of its socket on the logic board.
Pull the cable parallel to the face of the logic board toward the front edge of the Air.
Step 14
- If necessary, use tweezers to remove any tape covering the microphone cable ZIF connector.
If necessary, use tweezers to remove any tape covering the microphone cable ZIF connector.
Step 15
- Use the tip of a spudger to carefully flip up the retaining flap on the microphone cable ZIF socket.
- Be sure you are prying up on the retaining flap, not the socket itself.
- Pull the microphone ribbon cable straight out of its socket.
Use the tip of a spudger to carefully flip up the retaining flap on the microphone cable ZIF socket.
Be sure you are prying up on the retaining flap, not the socket itself.
Pull the microphone ribbon cable straight out of its socket.
Step 16
- Use the tip of a spudger to pry under the speaker cable near the connector to lift the connector straight up out of its socket.
Use the tip of a spudger to pry under the speaker cable near the connector to lift the connector straight up out of its socket.
Step 17
- De-route the cable from its notch in the I/O board.
De-route the cable from its notch in the I/O board.
Step 18
- Remove the small rubber gasket from the corner of the upper case nearest the I/O board.
Remove the small rubber gasket from the corner of the upper case nearest the I/O board.
Step 19
- Remove the single 3.6 mm T5 Torx screw securing the I/O board to the upper case.
- In some models this is a 3.1 mm T5 Torx screw.
Remove the single 3.6 mm T5 Torx screw securing the I/O board to the upper case.
In some models this is a 3.1 mm T5 Torx screw.
Step 20
- Carefully lift the I/O board by its power cable and pull it away from the edge of the case.
Carefully lift the I/O board by its power cable and pull it away from the edge of the case.
To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.
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Sam Goldheart
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