Macbook Pro 13 Retina Display Late 2013 Display Assembly Replacement Repair Guide

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Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

Time Required

                          30 minutes - 1 hour

Sections

Lower Case
3 steps
Battery Connector
3 steps
Display Assembly
11 steps

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BackMacBook Pro 13" Retina Display Late 2013
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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 to remove it.

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

Gently pull the lower case away from the upper case to remove it.

Step 3

The lower case is connected to the upper case with two plastic clips near its center.
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 with two plastic clips near its center.

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

Step 4

              Battery Connector

If necessary, remove the plastic cover adhered to the battery contact board.

If necessary, remove the plastic cover adhered to the battery contact board.

Step 5

Use the flat end of a spudger to lift the battery connector straight up out of its socket on the logic board.
Be sure you lift up only on the connector itself, not the socket, or you risk permanent damage to the logic board.

Use the flat end of a spudger to lift the battery connector straight up out of its socket on the logic board.

Be sure you lift up only on the connector itself, not the socket, or you risk permanent damage to the logic board.

Step 6

Bend the battery connector up out of the way to prevent accidental contact with its socket during your repair.

Bend the battery connector up out of the way to prevent accidental contact with its socket during your repair.

Step 7

              Display Assembly

Carefully remove the rubber fan bumper from the edge of the heat sink.
The fan bumper wraps around the heat sink and fits into the fan duct slots. During reassembly, be sure to fit the tabs into the notches in the fan duct.

Carefully remove the rubber fan bumper from the edge of the heat sink.

The fan bumper wraps around the heat sink and fits into the fan duct slots. During reassembly, be sure to fit the tabs into the notches in the fan duct.

Step 8

Insert the tip of a spudger under each of the antenna cables near their connectors and pry up to disconnect them from the AirPort board.
The three cables are coded with black sleeves of different lengths. During reassembly:
Connect the long-sleeved cable to the center socket.
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.

Insert the tip of a spudger under each of the antenna cables near their connectors and pry up to disconnect them from the AirPort board.

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

Connect the long-sleeved cable to the center socket.

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 9

Use the tip of a spudger to push on either side of the the iSight camera cable connector to walk it out of its socket on the logic board.

Use the tip of a spudger to push on either side of the the iSight camera cable connector to walk it out of its socket on the logic board.

Step 10

Peel the iSight camera cable up off the fan housing.

Peel the iSight camera cable up off the fan housing.

Step 11

Grab the black plastic tab to flip the display cable connector open and pull it straight out of its socket on the logic board.
During reinstallation, be sure to fully reseat the display connector tab.

Grab the black plastic tab to flip the display cable connector open and pull it straight out of its socket on the logic board.

During reinstallation, be sure to fully reseat the display connector tab.

Step 12

Remove the rubber hinge covers from the right and left display hinges.

Remove the rubber hinge covers from the right and left display hinges.

Step 13

Remove the two 4.2 mm T5 Torx screws securing the aluminum hinge brackets (one on each side of the Macbook).

Remove the two 4.2 mm T5 Torx screws securing the aluminum hinge brackets (one on each side of the Macbook).

Step 14

Use a pair of tweezers to lift aluminum hinge brackets off the right and left display hinges.
During reassembly, the vertical portion of the bracket should be in line with the aluminum rail in the center of the Macbook.

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

During reassembly, the vertical portion of the bracket should be in line with the aluminum rail in the center of the Macbook.

Step 15

Remove the four outer 5.3 mm T8 Torx screws (two on each side) securing the display to the upper case.
Some models may use T9 Torx screws rather than T8.

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

Some models may use T9 Torx screws rather than T8.

Step 16

Open the MacBook Pro a little wider than 90 degrees, and place it on end on the table, as shown.
While holding the display with your left hand, remove the remaining T8 Torx screw from the upper display bracket.
Be sure the display and upper case are balanced and will not fall, potentially damaging each component.
Remove the last remaining T8 Torx screw securing the display to the upper case.

Open the MacBook Pro a little wider than 90 degrees, and place it on end on the table, as shown.

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

Be sure the display and upper case are balanced and will not fall, potentially damaging each component.

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

Step 17

Grab the upper case with your right hand and rotate it slightly clockwise, toward the top of the display, so the display brackets clear the edge of the upper case.
Rotate the display slightly away from the upper case.
Pull the display away from the upper case, minding any brackets or cables that may get caught.

Grab the upper case with your right hand and rotate it slightly clockwise, toward the top of the display, so the display brackets clear the edge of the upper case.

Rotate the display slightly away from the upper case.

Pull the display away from the upper case, minding any brackets or cables that may get caught.

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

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                                                                                      159 other people completed this guide.

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                    Sam Goldheart

Member since: 10/18/2012

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Marina Gorobevskaya - Sep 10, 2014

I’ve been browsing guides to this model and I don’t get how in this one on Youtube the laptop looks completely different, although it also claims to be A1502. Either one of them is a different model or I’m really missing something?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lL4gpfcb…

Sam Goldheart - Sep 12, 2014

Unfortunately the A1502 number isn’t an exclusive model number, several devices share it, the internal differences between them vary. The more telling number is the EMC number, which tends to me more exclusive to unique devices.

Marina Gorobevskaya - Sep 15, 2014

After a closer look they actually seem to be the same, I just got confused by the video being a lot less detailed than this walkthrough. I just replaced the screen of my macbook following this guide (yay!) without any previous experience of fixing macbooks, though I must admit I assembled a few desktops at the dawn of the millennium. The only slight problem I encountered was that the main display cable wouldn’t lie flat enough in that corner, it kept sticking out, and even after screwing the lid on the gap at that corner seems to be a tiny bit wider. But the laptop is working anyway.

Thank you Sam for posting this guide! It saved me a lot of time and money. Being in China I bought the display assembly on Taobao for $250US whereas the shop repair estimate that I got was around $400.

If anyone is still having doubts - you can do it!

henrycwc - May 25, 2015

The guide is very helpful. I managed to replace my screen within 1 hour. I bought my screen from ifixit too! the product is genuine and in good condition although it says that it has been used before! Highly recommended!

rickcostel - Jul 31, 2015

Can you replace just the LCD without the clamshell bezel and cables?

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