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MacBook Air 13" Mid 2011 Logic Board Replacement

Prerequisite Only
This guide is only intended to be used as a prerequisite for other guides. It's incomplete by itself.

Introduction

Internal Prerequisite.

What you need

  1. MacBook Air 13" Mid 2011 Logic Board Replacement, Logic Board: step 1, image 1 of 2 MacBook Air 13" Mid 2011 Logic Board Replacement, Logic Board: step 1, image 2 of 2

    • 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, not the socket itself.

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

    Edit

  2. MacBook Air 13" Mid 2011 Logic Board Replacement: step 2, image 1 of 2 MacBook Air 13" Mid 2011 Logic Board Replacement: step 2, image 2 of 2

    • Use the tip of a spudger to flip up the retaining flap on the keyboard backlight ribbon cable ZIF socket.

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

    • Use your spudger to help pull the cable out of its socket.

    Edit

  3. MacBook Air 13" Mid 2011 Logic Board Replacement: step 3, image 1 of 1

    • Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the right speaker cable connector up and out of its socket on the logic board.

    • Pry up from beneath the cables.

    Edit

  4. MacBook Air 13" Mid 2011 Logic Board Replacement: step 4, image 1 of 3 MacBook Air 13" Mid 2011 Logic Board Replacement: step 4, image 2 of 3 MacBook Air 13" Mid 2011 Logic Board Replacement: step 4, image 3 of 3

    • Gently push the tip of a spudger under the black plastic flap stuck to the display data cable lock to make the lock pop upward and away from the socket.

    • While holding the lock away from the socket, use the tip of a spudger and your fingers to gently remove the display data cable from its socket.

    • Do not pull upward on the display data cable as you disconnect it, as its socket may break off the logic board.

    Edit

  6. MacBook Air 13" Mid 2011 Logic Board Replacement: step 5, image 1 of 2 MacBook Air 13" Mid 2011 Logic Board Replacement: step 5, image 2 of 2

    • Use the flat end of a spudger to pry both antenna cable connectors up and off their sockets on the AirPort/Bluetooth card.

    Edit

  7. MacBook Air 13" Mid 2011 Logic Board Replacement: step 6, image 1 of 1

    • Gently de-route the antenna cables from the slot cut into the logic board.

    Edit

  8. MacBook Air 13" Mid 2011 Logic Board Replacement: step 7, image 1 of 1

    • Remove the single 2.85 mm T5 Torx screw securing the SSD to the logic board.

    Edit

  9. MacBook Air 13" Mid 2011 Logic Board Replacement: step 8, image 1 of 2 MacBook Air 13" Mid 2011 Logic Board Replacement: step 8, image 2 of 2

    • To avoid damaging its socket, do not lift the end of the SSD excessively.

    • Pull the drive straight out of its socket and remove it from the logic board.

    • When reinstalling the SSD, be sure it is properly seated before reinstalling its retaining screw.

    Edit

  10. MacBook Air 13" Mid 2011 Logic Board Replacement: step 9, image 1 of 1

    • Remove the six 6.3 mm T5 Torx screws securing the logic board to the upper case.

    Edit

  11. MacBook Air 13" Mid 2011 Logic Board Replacement: step 10, image 1 of 1

    • Remove the inner two 4.9 mm T8 Torx screws securing the antenna cable retainer and left clutch hinge to the upper case.

    Edit

  12. MacBook Air 13" Mid 2011 Logic Board Replacement: step 11, image 1 of 1

    • Push the antenna cable retainer away slightly and remove the 3 mm T5 Torx screw securing the end of the heat sink to the upper case.

    Edit

  13. MacBook Air 13" Mid 2011 Logic Board Replacement: step 12, image 1 of 1

    • Carefully remove the logic board assembly from the upper case, minding any cables that may get caught.

    • Hold the antenna cables out of the way as you lift the heat sink end of the logic board out of the upper case.

    Edit
Finish Line

4 other people completed this guide.

One Comment

Excellent guide, thank you very much.

Logic board removed from my daughter’s Air, cooked for 8m at 200C, cooled, reinstalled, and now works again.

I was able to remove and replace the 5th heatsink retaining screw without moving the antenna retainer.

Cheers, Aidan

Aidan Killian - Reply

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