Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

16

Time Required

                          30 minutes - 1 hour

Sections

5

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

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0

  • BackMacBook Air 13" Mid 2012

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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.

Step 11

              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 12

  • Pull the camera cable parallel to the face of the I/O board toward the hinge 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 hinge 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 13

  • 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 14

  • Use the tip of a spudger to flip up the retaining flap securing the microphone ribbon cable to the I/O board.
  • Use the tip of a spudger to remove the volume button ribbon cable from its ZIF connector on the I/O board.

Use the tip of a spudger to flip up the retaining flap securing the microphone ribbon cable to the I/O board.

Use the tip of a spudger to remove the volume button ribbon cable from its ZIF connector on the I/O board.

Step 15

  • Remove the single 4.0 mm T5 Torx screw securing the I/O board to the upper case.

Remove the single 4.0 mm T5 Torx screw securing the I/O board to the upper case.

Step 16

  • 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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                    Andrew Optimus Goldheart

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Andrew - Nov 13, 2012

Reply

Where can I buy the 2012 I/O board?

fornext - Sep 21, 2016

Reply

I bought a used I/O board on ebay for $30. Replacing the i/o board solved my problem with the “fan stack” heat sensor which had been unreadable and causing the computer to run very slowly and the fan to run full speed. It was listed like this:

2012 13" MacBook Air MagSafe II DC audio I/O Power Board A1466

Sasha Baba - Nov 6, 2017

Reply

HELP NEEDED PLEASE !

While removing the Board I torn apart the pièce at the end of the cable (linked to side) on the l’est of the lasr image. What is it and Howard Can I remplace it ?

Andy - Mar 29, 2020

Reply

The is a connection that is near the middle outside of the board (near the wifi card) and it looks similar to the I/O connection. Would anyone be able to identify what that connection is and what it is for. I have a 2012 MBA and I wondered if it is a PCIe connection that is unused???