Macbook Air 11 Mid 2011 Fan Replacement Repair Guide

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

Time Required

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Sections

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

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BackMacBook Air 11" Mid 2011
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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

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 up from its socket on the I/O board.

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the I/O board cable up from its socket on the I/O board.

Step 7

Peel the I/O board cable up from the adhesive securing it to the fan.

Peel the I/O board cable up from the adhesive securing it to the fan.

Step 8

Use the flat end of a spudger to lift the I/O board connector up and out of its socket on the logic board
Be sure to lift straight up on the connector as you disconnect it from its socket. The socket is very deep on the logic board and prying it from side to side may damage the logic board
Remove the I/O board cable.

Use the flat end of a spudger to lift the I/O board connector up and out of its socket on the logic board

Be sure to lift straight up on the connector as you disconnect it from its socket. The socket is very deep on the logic board and prying it from side to side may damage the logic board

Remove the I/O board cable.

Step 9

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 10

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 11

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.

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

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                    Walter Galan

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Mike G - Jan 21, 2016

Step 9- I prying up on the retaining flap and accidentally broke this right off… so basically the socket came right off. Helpppp….!!

Erik Wahlström - Apr 26, 2018

I did the same. What to do?

Paul Camp - Sep 24, 2020

I too broke the socket of trying to pry open the retaining flap. Yes there is a warning “Be sure you are prying up on the hinged retaining flap, not the socket itself.” But there needs to be a much better picture/description of how to DO this on step 9. Without a reference on what/where the retaining flap is, there is a big danger of breaking it. Now my computer is toast.

Introduction#

What you need#

Introduction

What you need