Macbook Air 11 Mid 2011 I O Board Replacement Repair Guide

Difficulty

Difficult

Steps

Time Required

                          30 minutes - 2 hours

Sections

Lower Case
2 steps
Battery
1 step
Solid-State Drive
2 steps
I/O Board Cable
3 steps
Fan
3 steps
Battery
2 steps
I/O Board
7 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.

1024

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.

Step 12

              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:

One 6 mm T5 Torx screw

Two 2.6 mm T5 Torx screws

Step 13

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 14

              I/O Board

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 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 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 17

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 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.

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

Step 20

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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                    Walter Galan

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John Swyers - Oct 17, 2017

Thanks. Great instructions!

Saravana K - Dec 1, 2017

Thank you so much. Just replaced my IO board and the whole process went without a hitch. I’m absolutely thrilled now that I can charge my Air without going through an extensive wriggling routine with the MagSafe connector every time.

Archy Goodwin - Dec 18, 2017

Good day! As I can see it’s all the same with Air 2012 logic board…

I’m looking the board to replace my 2GB mid 2011, can I take 4GB mid 2012 with 1.7Ghz ..?

Geoffrey Schnirman - Mar 3, 2018

This was exactly what I needed!!! I replaced the I/O board and I/O board cable on a macbook 11” A1465 that was not charging or playing sound. It now works. Great explanations and details.

Noury nbenm - Apr 11, 2018

Thanks. Good instructions.

Introduction#

What you need#

Introduction

What you need