Apple MacBook
Air 13: CPU FAN AND HEAT SINK REPLACEMENT PROCEDURE
Before
proceeding, power down your machine. Close the display and lay it on a soft
surface top-side down. Remove the following ten screws:
Two 9 mm P5 Pentalobe screws
Two 9 mm P5 Pentalobe screws
Eight
2.6 mm P5 Pentalobe screws.
Wedge your fingers between the display and the lower case and pull upward to pop the lower case off the Air. Remove the lower case and set it aside.
Wedge your fingers between the display and the lower case and pull upward to pop the lower case off the Air. Remove the lower case and set it aside.
To
ensure that everything is de-energized and won't turn on while you're working,
it is recommended that you disconnect the battery. Grab the clear plastic pull
tab attached to the battery connector and pull it toward the front edge of the
Air to disconnect the battery from the logic board. Do not lift upward on the
connector as you disconnect it.
Use
the flat end of a spudger to pry the I/O board cable connector up out of its
socket on the I/O board.
Carefully
peel the I/O board cable from the adhesive securing it to the top of the fan.
The
following connector has an especially deep socket. Use care when disconnecting
it. While gently pulling the I/O board cable upward near its connection to the
logic board, use the flat end of a spudger to pry up on alternating sides of
the connector to help "walk" it out of its socket. Remove the I/O
board cable.
Use
the tip of a spudger to carefully flip up the retaining flap on the fan cable
ZIF socket. Be sure you are prying up on the hinged retaining flap, not the
socket itself. Peel the rubber gasket off the adhesive on the top of the fan.
Remove
the following three screws securing the fan to the upper case:
One
3.6 mm T5 Torx screw
One 2.7 mm T5 Torx screw One 3.6 mm T5 Torx screw with a short head,
One 2.7 mm T5 Torx screw One 3.6 mm T5 Torx screw with a short head,
Lift
the fan from the I/O board side and pull it free from the upper case. Removing
the fan will also disconnect the fan ribbon cable. Be careful not to snag it.
Disconnect
the I/O board by pulling its power cable away from its socket on the logic
board. Pull the cable parallel to the face of the logic board toward the right
edge of the Air.
Use
the flat end of a spudger to pry the left speaker cable connector up and out of
its socket on the I/O board. Pry up from beneath the wires.
Use
the tip of a spudger to carefully flip up the retaining flap on the microphone
ribbon cable ZIF socket. Make sure you are flipping up the retaining flap, not
the socket itself.
Remove
the single 3.6 mm T5 Torx screw securing the I/O board to the upper case.
Gently
de-route the camera cable from its notch on the I/O board and push it out of
the way with the tip of a spudger.
Lift
the I/O board from the logic board side and pull it free from the upper case.
Removing the I/O board will also disconnect the microphone ribbon cable. Be
careful not to snag it.
Remove
the two 4.9 mm T8 Torx screws securing the antenna cable retainer on the left
display hinge to the upper case.
Push
the antenna cable retainer out of the way and remove the single 3 mm T5 Torx
screw securing the end of the heat sink to the upper case.
Remove
the four 2.5 mm T5 Torx screws securing the heat sink to the logic board.
If
the heat sink seems to be stuck to the logic board after removing all five
screws, use a spudger to carefully separate the heat sink from the faces of the
CPU and GPU.
Remove
the heat sink from the logic board. When reinstalling the heat sink, be sure to
apply a new layer of thermal paste.
When
reassembling your device, attach the gasket to the heat sink as shown. The tail
of the gasket should fit into the notch in the heat sink, it should not end up
underneath the heat sink tab that will rest on the logic board. Be sure the
small post molded into the rubber gasket mates with the hole cut into the
upper right corner of the logic board.
