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Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

5

Time Required

                          15 minutes

Sections

2

  • Lower Case
  • 2 steps
  • Battery
  • 3 steps

Flags

1

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  • BackMacBook Air 13" Mid 2012

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Introduction

Note: If there is a thin plastic film on your replacement battery, do not attempt to remove it. It is glued on and protects the battery pack while it is inside the MacBook.

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
  • 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.

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

  • Remove the following five screws securing the battery to the upper case:
  • Three 6.3 mm T5 Torx screws
  • Two 2.4 mm T5 Torx screws

Remove the following five screws securing the battery to the upper case:

Three 6.3 mm T5 Torx screws

Two 2.4 mm T5 Torx screws

Step 5

  • When handling the battery, avoid squeezing or touching the four exposed lithium polymer cells.
  • Lift the battery from its edge nearest the logic board and remove it from the upper case.
  • When installing the new battery, if there is a thin plastic film on your replacement battery, do not attempt to remove it. It is glued on and protects the battery pack while it is inside the MacBook.
  • If you’re installing a new battery, you should calibrate it after installation:
  • Charge it to 100%, and then keep charging it for at least 2 more hours. Then, unplug and use it normally to drain the battery. When you see the low battery warning, save your work, and keep your laptop on until it goes to sleep due to low battery. Wait at least 5 hours, then charge your laptop uninterrupted to 100%.
  • If you notice any unusual behavior or problems after installing your new battery, you may need to reset your MacBook’s SMC.

When handling the battery, avoid squeezing or touching the four exposed lithium polymer cells.

Lift the battery from its edge nearest the logic board and remove it from the upper case.

When installing the new battery, if there is a thin plastic film on your replacement battery, do not attempt to remove it. It is glued on and protects the battery pack while it is inside the MacBook.

If you’re installing a new battery, you should calibrate it after installation:

Charge it to 100%, and then keep charging it for at least 2 more hours. Then, unplug and use it normally to drain the battery. When you see the low battery warning, save your work, and keep your laptop on until it goes to sleep due to low battery. Wait at least 5 hours, then charge your laptop uninterrupted to 100%.

If you notice any unusual behavior or problems after installing your new battery, you may need to reset your MacBook’s SMC.

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

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                    Andrew Optimus Goldheart

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marcus - Dec 2, 2013

Reply

My Mid 2012 doesn’t have any plastic on the battery connector. Near to impossible to remove it.

Arlen Abraham - Aug 6, 2016

Mine did. ¯_(ツ)_/¯

ldm - Dec 9, 2013

Reply

Worked flawlessly on my MBA. Installed in 5 minutes. Coconut Battery now reports 6801 mAh on a design capacity of 6700 mah. That’s an improvement as my old battery was clocking a meager 61% of design capacity (i.e., 4087) after 371 cycles.

Easy. Perfect replacement.

etiennelafrance7 - Jun 12, 2014

Reply

I tried to opened it and I failed. The screw doesn’t work well. Worst idea ever!

gvr4 - Aug 11, 2014

Reply

Very easy. I bought the “A-Stock” battery. It came at a max charge of 6300mAh (max of 6700) – decent. But within 2 weeks dropped down to a max of around 4,000 mAh. I’m thinking that I should have spent the extra $10 and bought the new battery. (I am using the Coconut Battery App.)