Difficulty
Moderate
Steps
10
Time Required
50 minutes
Sections
4
- Lower Case
- 2 steps
- Battery Connector
- 1 step
- I/O Board Cable
- 3 steps
- Fan
- 4 steps
Flags
0
BackMacBook Air 13" Mid 2011
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Introduction
What you need
Step 1
Lower Case
- Before proceeding, power down your MacBook. Close the display and lay it on a soft surface, top-side down.
- Use a P5 Pentalobe driver to remove ten screws securing the lower case, of the following lengths:
- Two 9 mm screws
- Eight 2.6 mm screws
Before proceeding, power down your MacBook. Close the display and lay it on a soft surface, top-side down.
Use a P5 Pentalobe driver to remove ten screws securing the lower case, of the following lengths:
Two 9 mm screws
Eight 2.6 mm screws
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 Connector
- As a precaution against accidental discharge or shock, disconnect the battery connector from the logic board.
- 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.
- Be sure to pull the connector horizontally toward the battery, and not straight up from the Air, or you may damage the socket on the logic board.
As a precaution against accidental discharge or shock, disconnect the battery connector from the logic board.
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.
Be sure to pull the connector horizontally toward the battery, and not straight up from the Air, or you may damage the socket on the logic board.
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
- Carefully peel the I/O board cable from the top of the fan.
Carefully peel the I/O board cable from the top of the fan.
Step 6
- 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 7
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 8
- 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 9
- 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 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.
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Andrew Bookholt
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dani96an - Oct 1, 2016
Reply
i accidentaly ripped of the socket of the fan cabel,
can i just glue it back ate the contacts where it was ?
asini1 - Nov 2, 2016
Reply
I did the same thing I broke the retaining flap. I posted for assistance at this site a while back but I have had no answer. Is the retaining flap a replaceable item? I ordered a new fan thinking with would come included but nada
bee.chelsie - Feb 7, 2017
Reply
I also broke the retaining flap. For now, I just reinserted the ribbon. Is the function of the retaining flap just to hold the ribbon in place? Since then my computer has been entering sleep mode/shutting down during use, but I also did a battery replacement recently.
Don Swanner - Sep 7, 2017
Reply
Good stuff! Thanks.
VFRDon
Juan Cuevas - Feb 10, 2018
Reply
Got it flawlessly! Thanks!