Macbook Air 13 Mid 2012 Trackpad Replacement Repair Guide

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

Time Required

                          50 minutes - 2 hours

Sections

Lower Case
2 steps
Battery
3 steps
Trackpad
6 steps

Flags

BackMacBook Air 13" Mid 2012
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

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.

Step 6

              Trackpad

Use the tip of a spudger or your fingernail to flip up the retaining flap on the trackpad ribbon cable ZIF socket.
Be sure you are prying up on the hinged retaining flap (on the side opposite the cable), not the socket itself.
Pull the trackpad ribbon cable straight out of its socket toward the rear edge of the Air.

Use the tip of a spudger or your fingernail to flip up the retaining flap on the trackpad ribbon cable ZIF socket.

Be sure you are prying up on the hinged retaining flap (on the side opposite the cable), not the socket itself.

Pull the trackpad ribbon cable straight out of its socket toward the rear edge of the Air.

Step 7

While carefully lifting the keyboard ribbon cable with one hand, use the tip of a spudger or your fingernail to flip up the retaining flap on the keyboard ribbon cable ZIF socket.
Be sure you are prying up on the hinged retaining flap, not the socket itself.
Pull the keyboard ribbon cable straight out of its socket toward the front edge of the Air.

While carefully lifting the keyboard ribbon cable with one hand, use the tip of a spudger or your fingernail to flip up the retaining flap on the keyboard ribbon cable ZIF socket.

Be sure you are prying up on the hinged retaining flap, not the socket itself.

Pull the keyboard ribbon cable straight out of its socket toward the front edge of the Air.

Step 8

Remove the following twelve screws:
Six 1.6 mm Phillips screws securing the trackpad to the upper case.
Six 1.6 mm Phillips screws securing the trackpad brackets to the trackpad.
A Phillips #000 should be sufficient, but a JIS #000 may also work as well.

Remove the following twelve screws:

Six 1.6 mm Phillips screws securing the trackpad to the upper case.

Six 1.6 mm Phillips screws securing the trackpad brackets to the trackpad.

A Phillips #000 should be sufficient, but a JIS #000 may also work as well.

Step 9

Remove the right and left trackpad brackets from the upper case.

Remove the right and left trackpad brackets from the upper case.

Step 10

Remove the 1.4 mm T5 Torx set screw from its tapped hole near the front edge of the upper case.
During reassembly, do not over-tighten the set screw, as the button will cease to click at a certain point. Adjust the set screw until the movable side of the trackpad has minimal play.

Remove the 1.4 mm T5 Torx set screw from its tapped hole near the front edge of the upper case.

During reassembly, do not over-tighten the set screw, as the button will cease to click at a certain point. Adjust the set screw until the movable side of the trackpad has minimal play.

Step 11

Use the flat edge of a spudger to carefully lift the edge of the trackpad closest to the keyboard from its recess in the upper case by lifting it away from the brackets attached to the upper case.
Remove the trackpad from the upper case.

Use the flat edge of a spudger to carefully lift the edge of the trackpad closest to the keyboard from its recess in the upper case by lifting it away from the brackets attached to the upper case.

Remove the trackpad from the upper case.

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

Cancel: I did not complete this guide.

                                                                                      44 other people completed this guide.

Author

                                      with 8 other contributors

                    Andrew Optimus Goldheart

Member since: 10/17/2009

491,689 Reputation

                                      411 Guides authored                  



                       Badges:
                       44







                                                        +41 more badges

Team

                       iFixit                        

                                                  Member of iFixit 



                    Community                     


                                            141 Members                     


                                            15,767 Guides authored

Peter - May 8, 2016

i have problems with reassembly. how do i manage it to get the keyboard connector in the socket again? i can’t make enough pressure to get it in

Patrick Maier - Jul 28, 2017

Hey guys,

just repaired my “old” 2012 Air’s touchpad and thanks to your great instruction it took me exactly 30 Mins and was super easy…

Thanks for your great work!

@peter: yes, it needs a bit fiddling with the cables - just keep an eye on the flaps (they are closed on the new TP). Then it helped me to press the cable slightly in place with one hand and carefully pushing it in (moving it slightly left and right) with the other.

Miguel Cartagenova - Aug 15, 2017

Great guide!! recently repaired two mb air of my office, great parts!!! great guide

Miguel Cartagenova - Aug 18, 2017

step 10 is not needed, in my second repair of this model I didn’t remove it, this screw is only for calibration

Marc Malkwitz - Oct 14, 2017

Right. Step 10 is not only not needed but should definitely not be done! This is a pure adjustment screw for the clickpoint. Only readjust there, in case clicking does not feel okay after a change of the trackpad. Usually no adjusment is necessary.

Introduction#

What you need#

Team#

Introduction

What you need

Team