Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

5

Time Required

                          20 minutes

Sections

2

  • Lower Case
  • 2 steps
  • Left Fan
  • 3 steps

Flags

0

  • BackMacBook Pro 15" Unibody Mid 2010

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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

              Left Fan
  • Remove the three 3.4 mm T6 Torx screws securing the left fan to the logic board.
  • In some models, these T6 Torx screws may be 3.1 mm long.

Remove the three 3.4 mm T6 Torx screws securing the left fan to the logic board.

In some models, these T6 Torx screws may be 3.1 mm long.

Step 4

  • Use the flat end of a spudger to disconnect the left fan connector from the logic board.
  • It is useful to twist the spudger axially from beneath the fan cable wires to release the connector.
  • The fan socket and the fan connector can be seen in the second and third pictures. Be careful not to break the plastic fan socket off the logic board as you use your spudger to lift the fan connector straight up and out of its socket. The layout of the logic board shown in the second picture may look slightly different than your machine but the fan socket is the same.

Use the flat end of a spudger to disconnect the left fan connector from the logic board.

It is useful to twist the spudger axially from beneath the fan cable wires to release the connector.

The fan socket and the fan connector can be seen in the second and third pictures. Be careful not to break the plastic fan socket off the logic board as you use your spudger to lift the fan connector straight up and out of its socket. The layout of the logic board shown in the second picture may look slightly different than your machine but the fan socket is the same.

Step 5

  • Lift the left fan out of the upper case.

Lift the left fan out of the upper case.

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

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                                                                                      94 other people completed this guide.

Author

                                      with 6 other contributors 


                    Walter Galan

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heuristic77 - Jul 24, 2013

Reply

The left fan was making hideous growling and screeching noises and the unit was overheating. Replacement was pretty easy with the right tools, which I had already purchased from iFixit. New fan works great and the unit now runs VERY much cooler…!

cmay123 - Jan 5, 2015

Reply

After I had finished installing a new left fan, my mac (for whatever reason) refused to boot up. After turning on, the screen would just show the white background with the grey apple logo, and the pinwheel cursor spinning. After resetting the SMC and NVRAM, however, I booted up right away. Thanks, iFixIt! This was my first time for a DIY Mac repair and you couldn’t have made it any easier.

maxornstein - Dec 4, 2015

Reply

Just did this replacement. My left fan was totally shot, making the grinding noise etc even after cleaning it with compressed air. My computer is running almost 50 degrees celsius cooler. Its AWESOME

the only tricky bit is the sprudger / re attaching the fan’s connector. So worth it. Thanks!

astrosdharma - Feb 27, 2021

Consulta.. cambie la pasta termina del disipador estaba re seca fue fácil, peroooo cuando desconecté el cable del cooler se salió entero el conector la ficha de la placa madre, se ve q con tanto calor q tiraba la compu estaban ambas partes plásticas soldadas y se salió todo de una, a otros les paso lo mismo por eso apenas hice fuerza se desoldo de la placa

En una MacBook Pro 2010 eso se puede soldar si compro esa punta finita estación de soldado? Cómo se arregla tengo un único cooler..

Te agradezco mucho

Saludos

René Beaudry - Mar 9, 2018

Reply

Just cleaned the dust from my Macbook and fans. Made a sprudger with some bamboo from an old kitchen utensil in my shop. I did precisely as you directed removed the fans, blew them clean as well as the heat sinks and voila it’s all good again. Thank you so much.