Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

19

Time Required

Suggest a time??

Sections

6

  • Lower Case
  • 2 steps
  • Battery
  • 1 step
  • Solid-State Drive
  • 2 steps
  • I/O Board Cable
  • 2 steps
  • Fan
  • 3 steps
  • I/O Board
  • 9 steps

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  • BackMacBook Air 11" Late 2010

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Introduction

What you need

Step 1

              Lower Case
  • Before proceeding, close your computer and 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 eight 5-point Pentalobe screws can be found here.

Before proceeding, close your computer and 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 eight 5-point Pentalobe screws can be found here.

1024

Step 2

  • Wedge your fingers between the display and the lower case and pull upward to pop the lower case off the Air.
  • Remove the lower case and set it aside.

Wedge your fingers between the display and the lower case and pull upward to pop the lower case off the Air.

Remove the lower case and set it aside.

Step 3

              Battery
  • 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 contact 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 contact its socket.

Step 4

              Solid-State Drive
  • Remove the single 2.9 mm T5 Torx screw securing the SSD to the logic board.

Remove the single 2.9 mm T5 Torx screw securing the SSD to the logic board.

Step 5

  • Use a spudger to help lift the free end of the SSD just enough to grab it with your other hand.
  • Do not lift the end of the SSD excessively.
  • Pull the drive straight out of its socket and remove it from the logic board.
  • When reinstalling the SSD, be sure it is properly seated before reinstalling its retaining screw.

Use a spudger to help lift the free end of the SSD just enough to grab it with your other hand.

Do not lift the end of the SSD excessively.

Pull the drive straight out of its socket and remove it from the logic board.

When reinstalling the SSD, be sure it is properly seated before reinstalling its retaining screw.

Step 6

              I/O Board Cable
  • 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.

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.

Step 7

  • The following connector has an especially deep socket. Use care when disconnecting it.
  • 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.
  • Remove the I/O board cable.

The following connector has an especially deep socket. Use care when disconnecting it.

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.

Remove the I/O board cable.

Step 8

              Fan
  • 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 5.2 mm T5 Torx screws
  • One 3.6 mm T5 Torx screw

Remove the following three screws securing the fan to the upper case:

Two 5.2 mm T5 Torx screws

One 3.6 mm T5 Torx screw

Step 10

  • 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.

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.

Step 11

              I/O Board
  • 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:

One 6 mm T5 Torx screw

Two 2.6 mm T5 Torx screws

Step 12

  • Do not touch or squeeze the six lithium polymer cells when handling the battery.
  • Lift the battery from its edge nearest the logic board and remove it from the upper case.

Do not touch or squeeze the six lithium polymer cells when handling the battery.

Lift the battery from its edge nearest the logic board and remove it from the upper case.

Step 13

  • Disconnect the I/O board by pulling the power cable away from 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 by pulling the power cable away from 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

  • 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 15

  • 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.
  • Pry up from beneath the wires.

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.

Pry up from beneath the wires.

Step 16

  • Pull the camera cable parallel to the face of the I/O board toward the rear edge of the Air to disconnect it from its socket.
  • Do not lift upward on this cable as you disconnect it, as its socket may break off the logic board.

Pull the camera cable parallel to the face of the I/O board toward the rear edge of the Air to disconnect it from its socket.

Do not lift upward on this cable as you disconnect it, as its socket may break off the logic board.

Step 17

  • 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 18

  • Remove the single 3.6 mm T5 Torx screw securing the I/O board to the upper case.

Remove the single 3.6 mm T5 Torx screw securing the I/O board to the upper case.

Step 19

  • Carefully lift the I/O board from its edge nearest the logic board and remove it from the upper case.

Carefully lift the I/O board from its edge nearest the logic board and remove it from the upper case.

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

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                    Andrew Bookholt

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Tristan cusi - Nov 17, 2017

Reply

Question. Im looking a replacing the I/O board on my MacBook air and am wondering if it matters whether I get the board for the 13” or the 11”? Are the two boards different? It seems that the 11” I/O board is cheaper so I just trying to figure out if it matters which one I get?