Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

9

Time Required

                          10 - 30 minutes

Sections

4

  • Lower Case
  • 2 steps
  • Battery
  • 1 step
  • I/O Board Cable
  • 2 steps
  • Fan
  • 4 steps

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  • BackMacBook Air 13" Late 2010

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Introduction

What you need

Video Overview

Step 1

              Lower Case
  • Before proceeding, power off the device, close the lid and lay it on a soft surface top-side down.
  • Remove the following ten screws:
  • Two 9 mm 5-point Pentalobe screws
  • Eight 2.6 mm 5-point Pentalobe screws
  • The special screwdriver needed to remove the eight 5-point Pentalobe screws can be found here.

Before proceeding, power off the device, close the lid and lay it on a soft surface top-side down.

Remove the following ten screws:

Two 9 mm 5-point Pentalobe screws

Eight 2.6 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
  • For precautionary purposes, we advise that you disconnect the battery connector from the logic board to avoid any electrical discharge. This step is optional and is not required.
  • Grab the clear plastic pull tab attached to the battery connector and pull it toward the front edge of the Air to disconnect the battery from the logic board.
  • Do not lift upward on the connector as you disconnect it.

For precautionary purposes, we advise that you disconnect the battery connector from the logic board to avoid any electrical discharge. This step is optional and is not required.

Grab the clear plastic pull tab attached to the battery connector and pull it toward the front edge of the Air to disconnect the battery from the logic board.

Do not lift upward on the connector as you disconnect it.

Step 4

              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 5

  • The following connector has an especially deep socket. Use care when disconnecting it.
  • Carefully peel the I/O board cable from the top of the fan.
  • 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.

Carefully peel the I/O board cable from the top of the fan.

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 6

              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 7

  • Peel the rubber gasket off the adhesive on the top of the fan.

Peel the rubber gasket off the adhesive on the top of the fan.

Step 8

  • Remove the following three screws securing the fan to the upper case:
  • One 3.6 mm T5 Torx screw
  • One 2.7 mm T5 Torx screw
  • One 3.6 mm T5 Torx screw with a short head

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

One 3.6 mm T5 Torx screw

One 2.7 mm T5 Torx screw

One 3.6 mm T5 Torx screw with a short head

Step 9

  • 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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                                      with 6 other contributors 


                    Andrew Bookholt

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Robert Westman - Dec 21, 2015

Reply

Plugging the fan back in is a huge pain in the ass, do you have a tip for that?

Janine Maddock - Jan 17, 2016

Reply

I screwed up and my fan cable ZIF socket lifted out. I destroyed it trying to solder it back on. Can I buy a replacement?

Jerry Garcia - Apr 3, 2016

Reply

This is actually an interesting question. I was looking into this issue and watched most of your video and the fan did not spin up and everything was quiet and perfect. If I watch a youtube video, it spins up like crazy. Any suggestions?

Charles Carpenter - Apr 10, 2019

Reply

I broke the latch on the ZIF connector. Brittle plastic. :-( What can I do to get the new fan to receive power?