Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

20

Time Required

                          20 minutes - 1 hour

Sections

6

  • Lower Case
  • 3 steps
  • Battery Connector
  • 5 steps
  • Battery Contact Board
  • 1 step
  • iSight Camera Cable
  • 2 steps
  • AirPort Board Assembly
  • 2 steps
  • Display Assembly
  • 7 steps

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Introduction

What you need

Step 1

              Lower Case
  • Remove the following ten screws securing the lower case to the upper case:
  • Two 2.3 mm P5 Pentalobe screws
  • Eight 3.0 mm P5 Pentalobe screws
  • Throughout this repair, keep track of each screw and make sure it goes back exactly where it came from to avoid damaging your device.

Remove the following ten screws securing the lower case to the upper case:

Two 2.3 mm P5 Pentalobe screws

Eight 3.0 mm P5 Pentalobe screws

Throughout this repair, keep track of each screw and make sure it goes back exactly where it came from to avoid damaging your device.

1024

Step 2

  • Wedge your fingers between the upper case and the lower case.
  • Gently pull the lower case away from the upper case.
  • Remove the lower case and set it aside.

Wedge your fingers between the upper case and the lower case.

Gently pull the lower case away from the upper case.

Remove the lower case and set it aside.

Step 3

  • During reassembly, gently push down the center of the lower case to reattach the two plastic clips.
  • The lower case is connected to the upper case at the center, with two plastic clips.

During reassembly, gently push down the center of the lower case to reattach the two plastic clips.

The lower case is connected to the upper case at the center, with two plastic clips.

Step 4

              Battery Connector
  • Remove the plastic cover adhered to the battery contact board.

Remove the plastic cover adhered to the battery contact board.

Step 5

  • Remove the following screws securing the battery connector board to the logic board:
  • Two 2.8 mm T6 Torx screws
  • One 7.0 mm T6 Torx shouldered screw

Remove the following screws securing the battery connector board to the logic board:

Two 2.8 mm T6 Torx screws

One 7.0 mm T6 Torx shouldered screw

Step 6

  • Use tweezers to remove the small plastic cover located near the bottom right of the battery connector board.

Use tweezers to remove the small plastic cover located near the bottom right of the battery connector board.

Step 7

  • Remove the wide head 6.4 mm T6 Torx screw securing the battery connector to the logic board assembly.

Remove the wide head 6.4 mm T6 Torx screw securing the battery connector to the logic board assembly.

Step 8

  • Carefully lift the battery connector board up off the logic board.
  • It is recommended to bend the battery cables just slightly, to keep the board suspended up above the logic board and out of the way.
  • Do not fold the board completely over, or crease the cables, as this may damage the battery.

Carefully lift the battery connector board up off the logic board.

It is recommended to bend the battery cables just slightly, to keep the board suspended up above the logic board and out of the way.

Do not fold the board completely over, or crease the cables, as this may damage the battery.

Step 9

              Battery Contact Board
  • Grasp the Interposer with tweezers.
  • An interposer is the name for an interface that links one electrical connection to another. In this repair, it is the board connecting the battery to logic board.
  • Lift the Interposer off the logic board and remove it.
  • Removing this board will ensure that the battery remains disconnected throughout your repair, preventing your computer from accidentally powering on. It’s also a good idea to take it out so it doesn’t fall out unexpectedly.

Grasp the Interposer with tweezers.

An interposer is the name for an interface that links one electrical connection to another. In this repair, it is the board connecting the battery to logic board.

Lift the Interposer off the logic board and remove it.

Removing this board will ensure that the battery remains disconnected throughout your repair, preventing your computer from accidentally powering on. It’s also a good idea to take it out so it doesn’t fall out unexpectedly.

Step 10

              iSight Camera Cable
  • Use the tip of a spudger to push the iSight camera cable connector straight away from its socket on the logic board.
  • It is recommended to carefully push on both sides of the connector to “walk” it out of its socket.

Use the tip of a spudger to push the iSight camera cable connector straight away from its socket on the logic board.

It is recommended to carefully push on both sides of the connector to “walk” it out of its socket.

Step 11

  • Move the iSight camera cable aside.

Move the iSight camera cable aside.

Step 12

              AirPort Board Assembly
  • Use the flat end of a spudger to pry and disconnect the three antenna cable connectors from the AirPort board.
  • The three cables are coded with black sleeves of different lengths. During reassembly:
  • Connect the long-sleeved cable to the socket closest to the ports.
  • The short-sleeved cable connects next to the screw.
  • The remaining cable has no sleeve, and connects in the last empty socket, next to the fan.

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry and disconnect the three antenna cable connectors from the AirPort board.

The three cables are coded with black sleeves of different lengths. During reassembly:

Connect the long-sleeved cable to the socket closest to the ports.

The short-sleeved cable connects next to the screw.

The remaining cable has no sleeve, and connects in the last empty socket, next to the fan.

Step 13

  • Move the antenna cables aside, clear of the AirPort board.

Move the antenna cables aside, clear of the AirPort board.

Step 14

              Display Assembly
  • Grab the black pull tab secured to the display data cable lock and rotate it toward the DC-In side of the computer.
  • Pull the display data cable straight out of its socket on the logic board.
  • Do not lift up on the display data cable, as its socket is very fragile. Pull the cable parallel to the face of the logic board.

Grab the black pull tab secured to the display data cable lock and rotate it toward the DC-In side of the computer.

Pull the display data cable straight out of its socket on the logic board.

Do not lift up on the display data cable, as its socket is very fragile. Pull the cable parallel to the face of the logic board.

Step 15

  • Use a pair of tweezers to lift the rubber hinge covers up off the right and left display hinges.

Use a pair of tweezers to lift the rubber hinge covers up off the right and left display hinges.

Step 16

  • Remove the two 3.1 mm T5 Torx screws securing the aluminum hinge brackets.

Remove the two 3.1 mm T5 Torx screws securing the aluminum hinge brackets.

Step 17

  • Use a pair of tweezers to lift aluminum hinge brackets off the right and left display hinges.

Use a pair of tweezers to lift aluminum hinge brackets off the right and left display hinges.

Step 18

  • Remove the four inner 5.3 mm T8 Torx screws (two on each side) securing the display to the upper case.

Remove the four inner 5.3 mm T8 Torx screws (two on each side) securing the display to the upper case.

Step 19

  • Open the MacBook Pro approximately 110 degrees, and place it sideways on the table, as shown.
  • While holding the display and upper case together with your left hand, remove the remaining T8 Torx screw from the upper display bracket.
  • Be sure to hold the display and upper case together with your left hand. Failure to do so may cause the freed display/upper case to fall, potentially damaging each component.
  • Remove the last remaining T8 Torx screw securing the display to the upper case.

Open the MacBook Pro approximately 110 degrees, and place it sideways on the table, as shown.

While holding the display and upper case together with your left hand, remove the remaining T8 Torx screw from the upper display bracket.

Be sure to hold the display and upper case together with your left hand. Failure to do so may cause the freed display/upper case to fall, potentially damaging each component.

Remove the last remaining T8 Torx screw securing the display to the upper case.

Step 20

  • Grip both halves of the device, one in each hand.
  • Gently push forward on the bottom half of the device to detach it from the display assembly.
  • Carefully set each component aside, making sure to set down the lower half keyboard-side down.

Grip both halves of the device, one in each hand.

Gently push forward on the bottom half of the device to detach it from the display assembly.

Carefully set each component aside, making sure to set down the lower half keyboard-side down.

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

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                    Walter Galan

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Edmundo Costa - Mar 30, 2016

Reply

The screen arrived 1 day ahead of schedule. The “A” level screen was in perfect condition. I replaced the display in about 1 hour using the above instructions, powered up and everything worked perfectly.

Felix Waller - Sep 9, 2016

Reply

My screen was wobbling, after removing the display, and tightening the screws on the display (after removing the black case at the bottom of the display, if you slide it to the right you can pull the black case of the display) the issue was fixed.

Sunny - Dec 31, 2016

Reply

Worked like a charm, except for re-connecting the 3 antenna cables to the Airport card - that took some time, they’re so tiny…

christan.offkey - Feb 10, 2017

Reply

Excellent guide, walked through the steps and in reverse without any problems except removal of the bottom case. The P5 pentalobe has been such a headache. I ended up using a drill to grind down the heads (which was scary and probably incorrect) after stripping them. Now I’m looking for a way to extract the shafts. However, rest of the process once in was a dream.

Jose Carlos Franco - Mar 17, 2017

Reply

Excellent guide, helped me to fix my wobbling screen.