Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

15

Time Required

Suggest a time??

Sections

5

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

Flags

0

  • BackMacBook Air 13" Late 2010

  • Full Screen

  • Options

  • History

  • Save to Favorites

  • Download PDF

  • Edit

  • Translate

  • Get Shareable Link

  • Embed This Guide

  • Notify Me of Changes

  • Stop Notifications

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.

Step 10

              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 right 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 right edge of the Air.

Step 11

  • Pull the camera cable parallel to the face of the I/O board toward the corner of the Air to disconnect it from its socket, using the tip of a spudger to help push the connector out of 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 corner of the Air to disconnect it from its socket, using the tip of a spudger to help push the connector out of its socket.

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

Step 12

  • 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.
  • De-route the left speaker cable from its retainer on the I/O board.

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.

De-route the left speaker cable from its retainer on the I/O board.

Step 13

  • Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the microphone 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 microphone cable connector up and out of its socket on the I/O board.

Step 14

  • 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 15

  • 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.

Cancel: I did not complete this guide.

                                                                                      20 other people completed this guide.

Author

                                      with 4 other contributors 


                    Andrew Bookholt

575,478 Reputation

                                      618 Guides authored                  



                       Badges:
                       47







                                                        +44 more badges

Kyoshi - Apr 11, 2015

Reply

The Microphone (3pin) and Audio cables (2pin) should be lift upwards, not backwards like the camera part. If you break the holder in the socket that connects the pins to connector, then you can still connect them manually like I did.

Andrew Wilkinson - May 28, 2017

Reply

Superb instructions - made it easy!

Al Baker - Jan 5, 2021

Reply

Thanks! It saved me $250 dollars doing this. One thing I want to mention to anyone doing this, be careful with the dis-attachment of some smaller cables. They are very sensitive and have tiny parts sometimes that can come off. Fortunately for me, it didn’t prevent it from working, but just a warning. Notice how you are detaching those little cables very carefully before putting them back. I’m thinking about the microphone cable connector up and out of its socket on the I/O boar specifically.