Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

15

Time Required

                          30 minutes - 2 hours

Sections

4

  • Lower Case
  • 2 steps
  • Battery Connector
  • 2 steps
  • AirPort/Bluetooth Board Assembly
  • 6 steps
  • AirPort/Bluetooth Board
  • 5 steps

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0

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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:
  • Three 13.5 mm (14.1 mm) Phillips screws.
  • Seven 3 mm Phillips screws.
  • When removing these screws, note how they come out at a slight angle. They must be reinstalled the same way.

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

Three 13.5 mm (14.1 mm) Phillips screws.

Seven 3 mm Phillips screws.

When removing these screws, note how they come out at a slight angle. They must be reinstalled the same way.

1024

Step 2

  • Using both hands, lift the lower case near the vent to pop it off two clips securing it to the upper case.
  • Remove the lower case and set it aside.

Using both hands, lift the lower case near the vent to pop it off two clips securing it to the upper case.

Remove the lower case and set it aside.

Step 3

              Battery Connector
  • For certain repairs (e.g. hard drive), disconnecting the battery connector is not necessary but is recommended as it prevents any accidental shorting of electronics on the motherboard. If you do not disconnect the battery connector, please be careful as parts of the motherboard might be electrified.
  • Use the edge of a spudger to pry the battery connector upwards from its socket on the logic board.
  • It is useful to pry upward on both short sides of the connector to “walk” it out of its socket.

For certain repairs (e.g. hard drive), disconnecting the battery connector is not necessary but is recommended as it prevents any accidental shorting of electronics on the motherboard. If you do not disconnect the battery connector, please be careful as parts of the motherboard might be electrified.

Use the edge of a spudger to pry the battery connector upwards from its socket on the logic board.

It is useful to pry upward on both short sides of the connector to “walk” it out of its socket.

Step 4

  • Bend the battery cable slightly away from its socket on the logic board so it does not accidentally connect itself while you work.

Bend the battery cable slightly away from its socket on the logic board so it does not accidentally connect itself while you work.

Step 5

              AirPort/Bluetooth Board Assembly
  • Pull the camera cable connector straight out of its socket on the logic board.
  • Pull the cable parallel to the face of the logic board toward the optical drive opening.

Pull the camera cable connector straight out of its socket on the logic board.

Pull the cable parallel to the face of the logic board toward the optical drive opening.

Step 6

  • Use the flat end of a spudger to carefully pry the AirPort/Bluetooth ribbon cable up off its socket on the logic board.

Use the flat end of a spudger to carefully pry the AirPort/Bluetooth ribbon cable up off its socket on the logic board.

Step 7

  • Use the tip of a spudger to pry the four antenna connectors up from their sockets on the AirPort/Bluetooth board.

Use the tip of a spudger to pry the four antenna connectors up from their sockets on the AirPort/Bluetooth board.

Step 8

  • De-route all four antenna cables from their channels in the AirPort/Bluetooth housing.
  • De-route the camera cable from its channel in the AirPort/Bluetooth housing.

De-route all four antenna cables from their channels in the AirPort/Bluetooth housing.

De-route the camera cable from its channel in the AirPort/Bluetooth housing.

Step 9

  • Remove the following two screws securing the AirPort/Bluetooth assembly to the upper case:
  • One 8.6 mm Phillips screw
  • One 3.9 mm Phillips screw

Remove the following two screws securing the AirPort/Bluetooth assembly to the upper case:

One 8.6 mm Phillips screw

One 3.9 mm Phillips screw

Step 10

  • Remove the AirPort/Bluetooth assembly from the upper case, minding any cables that may get caught.

Remove the AirPort/Bluetooth assembly from the upper case, minding any cables that may get caught.

Step 11

              AirPort/Bluetooth Board
  • Peel and remove the piece of EMI tape wrapped around the AirPort/Bluetooth assembly.

Peel and remove the piece of EMI tape wrapped around the AirPort/Bluetooth assembly.

Step 12

  • Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the AirPort/Bluetooth cable away from its socket on the AirPort/Bluetooth board.
  • Remove the AirPort/Bluetooth cable from the AirPort/Bluetooth assembly.

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the AirPort/Bluetooth cable away from its socket on the AirPort/Bluetooth board.

Remove the AirPort/Bluetooth cable from the AirPort/Bluetooth assembly.

Step 13

  • Remove the three Phillips screws securing the AirPort/Bluetooth board to the AirPort/Bluetooth board housing.
  • Use the flat end of a spudger to dislodge the AirPort/Bluetooth board from its recess in the AirPort/Bluetooth board housing.

Remove the three Phillips screws securing the AirPort/Bluetooth board to the AirPort/Bluetooth board housing.

Use the flat end of a spudger to dislodge the AirPort/Bluetooth board from its recess in the AirPort/Bluetooth board housing.

Step 14

  • Remove the AirPort/Bluetooth board from its aluminum housing.

Remove the AirPort/Bluetooth board from its aluminum housing.

Step 15

  • Before securing the AirPort/Bluetooth bracket to the upper case, be sure the small tab on its left edge is inserted into the small void cut into the black plastic optical drive opening.

Before securing the AirPort/Bluetooth bracket to the upper case, be sure the small tab on its left edge is inserted into the small void cut into the black plastic optical drive opening.

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

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                    Walter Galan

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kaleido5 - Aug 30, 2011

Reply

does anybody knows if changing this boards changes too the MAC address of the wifi system??

Thanks.

Luis Vitorio Cargnini - Oct 7, 2016

Yes, MAC is associate dand it is unique with each Network interface: wireless or wired.

jkyriazidis - Jun 16, 2014

Reply

Hello to the community. I was wondering if i could change my MBP8.2’s bluetooth dongle with a one of the newer models (MBP mid 2012 for instance) that support Bluetooth 4.0. Is it possible?

Dan Miller - Nov 8, 2014

Reply

I have a 2011 MBP15. It won’t link Bluetooth for Keynote with my new iphone 6+. I understand the reason is I need this upgrade on the MBP.

I’m wondering if doing the upgrade will prevent BT linking between my iPad 2 and my MBP. They can connect now.

Vincenzo Paparella - Jan 8, 2015

Reply

Hi everybody! I’ve change my Airport/Bluetooth board on my MacBook Pro early 2011 cause I think my old board was broken. With the old board Bluetooth works correctly but about wifi board when you look on the icon at the up on right of your monitor it says " no wifi board installed" and inside the wifi icon it appear an ‘X’

I buy a new board and after installation the problem was not solved.

Yes, Bluetooth work perfectly and now is 4.0 but I still had the problem of wifi. I can’t connect in everyplace my MacBookPro. This is a serious problem for me. Anyone can help me?