Retina MacBook 2016 Left Speaker Replacement

Passo 1

Before proceeding, unplug and power down your MacBook. Close the display and lay it on a soft surface, top-side down.
Remove the following eight screws securing the lower case:
Two 1.8 mm P5 Pentalobe screws
Four 2.9 mm P5 Pentalobe screws
Two 6.1 mm P5 Pentalobe screws
Note the orientation of the screws as you remove them—they need to be reinstalled at a slight angle.
Throughout this repair, keep track of each screw and make sure it goes back exactly where it came from to avoid damaging your device.

IMPORTANT. You’re not removing the bottom, yet. This step is solely to separate the panel from its clips, permitting inside access.

Chris Leeds - 30/04/18

The screws go in tangent to the curve of the case. If you aren’t used to handling small hardware try turning the screw counterclockwise while you feel for the hole until you feel it drop, that means the threads have aligned. It takes only light finger torque when they are threaded correctly

abscate - 27/02/20

Can you please show a picture of all the screws, and where they go? My table got bumped and all the screws stuck to the lid magnet on the MacBook. Gaaaah! Thank you!

TwiddledUp -

A few comments before you start, from me just after I finished.

1. The "adhesive remover" is acetone. Handle it as you would acetone. I'm somewhat annoyed at iFixit that they treat us like kids. Tell us what things are and why they are dangerous.

2. There are two ways to do this removal. One where you remove the logic board, and one where you don't. The instructions here are for removing the board. If you don't remove it, I think the danger is that you damage it while removing the battery, either because of force involved, or that you platter some of the acetone on it. The danger if you do remove it is that it involves removing many very fragile cables. You will surely damage some, the question is only if you damage something important. So take a choice, neither is very good.

(i'll continue below)

Michael Lachmann Tamarlin -

3. When you get to the battery removal step, you are supposed to just put "a few drops of ACETONE", and let them act for 2-3 minutes. That did nothing in my case. I can't give you very good advice on how to do it well, since I didn't. But I drowned it in acetone, and let it act for much longer, and it still was very hard to remove. I think I damaged a battery. Lucky that it was totally empty. I would also prepare another pair of gloves -- they get covered in disolved glue, which the becomes sticky again.

4. When inserting the battery, take especially care to align the hole in the board of the battery with the round screw hole. If these don't align, you won't be able to close the computer.

5. I wish they did more explicit reverse instructions, especially on some of the steps, since some don't reverse very cleanly. Check this video for some of those: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKbb_el6....

6. You don't need to reverse the step of pressing the gold button! After installing the battery, it should work.

Michael Lachmann Tamarlin -

Is it necessary to REMOVE the battery if I’m just replacing the screen?

Jeff Rutkowski -

Passo 2

Wedge your fingers between the upper case and the lower case, starting from the rear of the MacBook between the hinges.
Lift the lower case only slightly to avoid damaging the cables that connect the lower case to the upper case.
Keeping a firm grip, lift steadily until the lower case separates slightly from the upper case.
You may experience a lot of resistance when lifting the lower case. If necessary, slide an opening pick or other ESD-safe pry tool down the side edges of the lower case to pop the two hidden retaining clips free.
During reassembly, to re-engage the clips, press firmly near both side edges of the lower case (near where the pick is inserted in the third image) until you hear the clips snap into place.

Passo 3

While holding the lower case in place, carefully flip the MacBook over so the Apple logo faces up.

Passo 4

Lift the upper case and display together from the front edge and raise it to about a 45˚ angle.
It may be helpful to prop the MacBook open in this position for the next step.

This displays two black pics to prop up the MacBook, but the kit only includes one black pic.

Kyle Swafford -

Passo 5

Use the flat end of a spudger to press and hold the small gold 'battery disconnect' button.
If the power LED is lit up, continue holding the button until the LED goes dark, and then release. This may take up to 10 seconds.
If the LED does not light, release the button after 5-10 seconds. Press and hold it again for 5-10 seconds, and release. Finally, press and hold it a third time for 5-10 seconds, and release.
This step ensures the MacBook is fully powered down and safe to work on.

cannot turn on the led after replacing the new screen, even after following the turn on instructions upper…

Laurent Pierre - 07/10/18

on reassembly, I had to plug my laptop in to reactivate the LED light

aaron_vandyke2003 - 09/04/19

Does anyone know how to turn it back on..? I plugged the laptop in and saw the LED Light, but it won’t turn on

mmcsorley - 17/04/19

After reassembly I could not restart my MacBook using the power button or after SMC reset (shift-ctrl-option-pwr). I had to connect my MacBook to its charging cable to get the battery LED to re-illuminate. After that it was all normal.

Richard Lovatt - 18/09/19

It took a few minutes on the power adapter for my computer to turn on after it was reassembled.

Luk Chl - 09/02/20

mine doesnt turn on w anything, i forgot to click the buton to disconnect :_/

cristian.campuzano - 16/06/20

Same issue as above peeps. Followed ifixit directions verbatim and wasn't getting anything after screwing everything back in. Plugged in original 45W power block and waited, after few minutes battery LED came on and a min. or two after that, was able to get screen to turn on. Hope this helps somebody else.

Brandon Elliott - 21/07/20

May I ask how to get screen to turn on. I cannot get it work..

Xiubo Zhang - 19/12/20

For those whose Mac won't turn on.

See step 16

To reconnect this cable, first line up the metal bracket over the screw holes, then "PRESS DOWN" on the middle of the bracket.

There is a connector under the bracket, which you can't see if you don't see under.

Not having it in mind, you will not PRESS DOWN the middle of the bracket and there is no connect.

hls2005 -

Thank you @Xiubo Zhang - This solved my problem! Please everyone check this connector if you have trouble turning your Macbook on after replacing the battery.

Miksu -

There needs to be mention of procedure for getting the repaired MacBook to power up again after the repair is completed.

I also am running into the issue described by others. MB will not come on again, even after being plugged into power and performing an SMC reset.

Kinda stuck….

Carlos Perez - 05/04/21

Hi, I tried everything and my MacBook will not start up after replacing the bottom case with a battery installed. I decided to put back on the old case with the battery that needs servicing and it still will not power on. I am fairly experienced taking apart laptops I was an Apple service tech for 15 years. this has me baffalled. Any hints BTY the logic board does not show any power coming from the AC charger the power LED is not lit up

eestern -

I had trouble with this as well. What worked for me is to plug in power using the stock 29W USB C power brick that originally came with this Macbook. Trying other, lower powered, power adapters did not work. Use this advice with caution as there are multiple (i.e substantiated) comments that indicate that first power up should only be with a 5W adapter! So perhaps try this strict sequence: try with a 5W adapter, then and only then try with the 29W adapter. Or even slightly better, if everything else has completely failed, only then try full power 29W adapter.

LexxOne -

How long did you wait to get it power back on? I replaced my logic board and tried to connect the power charger but it doesnt still turn on.

Herb -

The easiest error to make when working on this motherboard if applying full voltage after re-assembly. According to the big A, the motherboard on these Macbooks need to be “woken up” with a 5 watt (phone size) charger. Applying the normal 29 watts may render your system unusable.

Noah - Feb 18, 2021

Hello Noah,

It seems your remark is only valid for the 2015 and not the 2016 edition.

David - Mar 3, 2021

While it’s true that the internal documentation specifies this for a 2015, after frying 2 motherboards with a normal charger, I spoke with the engineers and they told me that this also applies to 2016 and 2017 macbook main logic boards. I say- It can’t hurt to try to wake them up with a 5 watt charger first! Please take 5 minutes to save your motherboard.

Noah - Mar 4, 2021

Noah -

I plugged in my charger and the LED came on. The computer gets warm but the screen is not turning on. The keyboards doesn’t seem to respond to recovery options. Any suggestions?

J'Trel Sapp -

Hello in muy case the power LED does not go dark (off) . Holding more than 10 sec and nothing. Somebody?

Flavio - 17/03/23

The led light doesn’t turn off on mine either. Held for 10 sec 3 times and still on. How do I turn it off now? And will it damage the computer if I work on it with the light on?

sfalba -

Also, which way should the track pad flex cable face when reinstalling it?

sfalba -

When I try to restart, I see the battery symbol flash on the screen. It shows 100% (hooray?) but then never boots up.

paul0 -

After reassembly I could not restart my MacBook using the power button or after SMC reset (shift-ctrl-option-pwr). I had to connect my MacBook to its charging cable to get the battery LED to re-illuminate. After that it was all normal.

I had basically this when doing a screen replacement (and the ZIF connector ribbon which basically crumbled to dust as I touched it). Including no sound, no light, no boot, no logos, I had a USB connected sound once when plugging it into my windows PC which i guess confirmed it wasnt totally fried, but I had left it plugged in to a few different chargers (not the 20w or whatever one since I read it could damage it if it was not powering normally. could be total BS) and had it sit from 15-30 minutes on each. all nearly no sign of life, though one re-disassembly showed the previously unlit power LED was on again. I went to let it sit on the officical charger overnight thinking it was dead, but it just randomly booted and is working fine now. TLDR be patient with apples BS.

MrRooter forthewin - 28/03/24

Mine wouldn’t switch on at all, completely dead. I tried all tricks in the comments here, nothing worked. I expected the battery was completely gone because it had been sitting on a shelf for months. Upon checking the voltage directly on the battery pads, zero volts measured. So I assumed the battery management was preventing the laptop from switching on.

To overcome this I tried carefully heating the battery with a heat gun, which raised the voltage to 2.2 Volts. Then I decided as a last resort to put the whole laptop in the oven at 70 degrees C. It worked! Plugging in the charger a few times after the laptop had cooled somewhat, it switched on and started charging as normal, to 100%.

Toon van Duin -

Passo 6

Close the MacBook and carefully flip it upside-down.

Passo 7

Lifting from the front edge, open the lower case to an angle of about 45°.
Take care not to damage the ribbon cables that still attach the lower case to the MacBook.

Passo 8

Use tweezers to peel back the tape covering the trackpad cable ZIF connector.

Where can I find a replacement cable?

John Comix - 10/03/20

Just worked on one that was missing the tape from the factory, so yours may not have it either.

maccentric -

that cable got damaged, and now my macbook won't turn on anymore. Does this cable prevent the macbook from working?

ITZ CRONOMO -

I have the same issue. Th trackpad cable snapped while I was replacing the LCD screen. I have ordered a new cable from Amazon but I am not sure if that would cause the laptop to not power up (it's not power related)

Raj Venkat -

My trackpad doesn’t really click (almost no sound/movement) after I replaced the battery.

Any pointers on what I need to do to get it clicking again. Like tighten screws inside or something? Cheers!

TwiddledUp -

Passo 9

Use a spudger to carefully flip up the retaining flap on the trackpad cable ZIF connector.

The small retainer flips up about 90 degrees from locked position

abscate - 27/02/20

The keyboard and trackpad don't work after the repair, what can I do? They don't even show up in System Report.

bredelet -

I found that the connector was not pushed enough in. Works now.

bredelet -

I flipped up the small retainer -- but when I tried to flip it down, it flew off. The tabs that mount the retainer are very small, and I couldn't get it back on. Left it out, taped down the cable.... and so far the computer, battery, and trackpad are working.

Bessel Sphere -

Passo 10

Disconnect the trackpad ribbon cable from the trackpad by pulling it gently through its slot in the frame.

Passo 11

Carefully close the MacBook and flip it over once again, so that the Apple logo faces up.
Lifting from the front edge, raise the upper case/display assembly to about a 90° angle, and prop it up against something sturdy so you don't have to hold it.
Add a piece of tape near the track pad to secure the upper case and prevent accidental movement.
It's possible to open the MacBook all the way and lay both sides down flat, but this may damage the flex cables and is not recommended.

Passo 12

Remove the single 2.9 mm T5 Torx screw securing the battery connector to the logic board.

From my experience it’s important to carefully press and hold the small button above left of the Battery Discharge label. Use a plastic spudger or finger tip. The illuminated yellow LED to the right will go off. I believe this discharges remaining electricity from logic board protecting it during repair.

* I cannot find any documentation to support this, but I have damaged boards by not including this step.

Chris Leeds - 30/04/18

I don't know what guide your on, but step 6 of the guide to replacing the USB-C cable has you press this button (3 times even).

maccentric -

What is with the all plastic end of this cable that appears to just be glued right on top of its connector?

Does the new one just stick back right on top?

(In this photo it is the bottom side of the cable below the white water indicator sticker)

Elizabeth Erkelens - 18/04/19

Passo 13

As an added precaution, you may physically disconnect the battery by inserting a battery isolation pick between the logic board and the battery connector.

What happen if you don’t disconnect the battery? I didn’t and I saw smoke coming out when I connected the pad flex cable and the computer still started up

DSANTIAGOSOY - 31/03/19

If you don’t disconnect the battery you might accidentally short something on the logic board since power is still running through everything while you’re working on it. You can complete the repair without disconnecting the battery, but you risk accidentally breaking your logic board. It’s much safer to keep the battery disconnected while you’re working.

Adam O'Camb - 03/04/19

Passo 14

Remove the two screws securing the USB-C port cable bracket:
1.1 mm Phillips #00 screw
Some variations of this model may use a Tri-point Y00 screw.
3.5 mm T5 Torx screw

I’m at this point and the 1.1 mm Phillips #00 screw won’t budge and now I fear it could be stripped? Now what???

Y'vonne Feeney - 15/04/20

You could try to cover the tip of your screwdriver with a thin rubber glove to improve the grip on the screw while applying a little more downward force for the initial jolt. That might loosen the screw.

Tobias Isakeit - 28/04/20

The USB-C ribbon cable breaks very easily when being attached. Any particular tricks for ensuring that it won’t snap somewhere while being installed?

bfg737 - 12/08/20

With my iFixit screwdriver kit, these were Philips #000, not #00.

Paul Nishikawa - 11/10/20

This was #000 for me as well

Adam Hupp - 21/11/20

I was at the 1.1 mm and couldn't get it open with the 00. I ordered the 000 but it still won't budge. I tried the glove idea and as much pressure as I'm comfortable giving. I'm pretty sure the screw is stripped. Any ideas or advice or am I in trouble?

johnny gutierrez -

Got stuck here too. Bought a Chinese laptop/phone servicing kit and guess what? No 1.1mm philips. The 1.2mm it does include doesn’t sit tightly enough. Had to order separately….

David Miller -

Mine got stuck too, I decided to just skip this step and continue with the replacement. This did mean I was never able to remove the logic board and display though, which probably made everything a lot more difficult. That said, I did manage to replace the battery without any other issues though, but maybe I got lucky.

Removing the battery adhesive and cleaning was an absolute pain, but that's always the case to be honest. Not sure if the still attached display at a 90 degree angle really made things that much more annoying.

Jesper the End -

Passo 15

Use the flat end of a spudger to disconnect the USB-C port cable bracket by prying it straight up from the logic board.
To reconnect this cable, first line up the metal bracket over the screw holes, then press down on the middle of the bracket. Make sure it's aligned correctly, or you may damage the connector.

At re-assembling, when you reconnect this cable, pressing centre of metal plat is extremely important. You should feel tiny click when it connected properly. I encountered unrecognised external HDD and external monitor through USB-C even though charging in/out was OK, i.e failure of data transmission. I needed to re-open the back cover and pressed the metal plate again, then USB-C connection worked properly.

Aki Mochi - 13/12/20

After this step, I flipped the Macbook over once more and opened it up 90 degrees, supported on the back. Proceeded directly to step 25. Seems safer, those fragile connectors and flimsy cables give me heebie jeebies.

maccentric -

I endorse maccentric's comment above. I think it's better to remove the battery (carefully) with the logic board in place. I did that and the computer works fine after reassembly.

In fact, I removed a couple more cables than this step, but got creeped out by the many delicate cables being moved, and user comments about failed disconnect and reconnect, so I skipped to step 25 lower down.

Bessel Sphere -

I'd also love to skip to step 25. But When you do that, the display cable removed in steps 22-24 stays attached. How do you then remove the logic board?
In this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKbb_el6... they skip all the cable disconnects altogether. I wonder why we can't do that? What is the danger?

Michael Lachmann Tamarlin -

Passo 16

Use a spudger to flip open the retaining flap on the audio jack board cable ZIF connector.

Passo 17

Disconnect the audio jack board ribbon cable by pulling it straight back out of the ZIF connector.
During reassembly, orient the ribbon cable so the white stripe faces you. Insert the cable until the white line disappears under the socket.
At this point it is possible to open the macbook all the way and to lay it flat on a table without causing any damage to the flex cables.

Make sure at reassembly that you insert the ribbon cable in to the jack board fully. It seems to take an extra push. The white line should disappear when it is seated properly. I didn’t get it in all the way by a fraction of a mm and had no sound (internal speakers weren’t even recognized). Went back and seated the cable fully and sound was back.

Timothy Dinkelman - 10/12/19

I had that same problem, too.

lyonmissions -

Had the same problem, (no audio after reassembly) it did have the startup chime though.
after re-seating the ribbon cable, it worked for a few days, but then nothing after waking up.
not even the startup chime.
Any body got pointers on how to check if i broke the cable or the board? (looks fine...)

Christian Stanner -

Passo 18

Use tweezers to peel back the tape covering the display cable connector.

I won’t have my daughter’s MacBook with its banana encrusted USB-C port until she returns home during spring break — just doing some homework before then. But if the case can lie flat after the audio board ZIF cable is detached, why do you need to detach the display cable connector (Steps 19-24)? It seems that you could jump straight to Step 25 to replace the USB-C port and avoid those steps.

John Conklin - 24/02/20

Hi John, disconnecting the display cable is not necessary, but is recommended to avoid accidental damage to the cable during the rest of the procedure. If you feel confident in the safety of the cable then you can skip ahead. Good luck with the repair!

Adam O'Camb - 26/02/20

I skipped ahead to step 25 successfully by making a secure stand for the display and being careful to not strain cables. If you are decently motor skilled this saves you 15 minutes or so. Not recommended if you live with cats who love little screws to chase

abscate - 27/02/20

From here I only did step 34 and then 37 onwards, skipped all the other steps.

I did use tape to mate top&bottom to make sure the cables couldn't be torn. Saved me a lot of fiddly flat cable work.

Great howto. Glad I found it.

I thought replacing this battery would be like in my 2013 13" air. Remove the bottom, replace battery, done. No tape, no nothing. This macbook (my daughters) is a real pain. But this description made it possible to do anyway.

Janis -

Passo 19

It's possible the metal retaining flap on the display cable connector may flip open, remaining stuck to the tape.
If so, use the flat end of a spudger to hold down the retaining flap while peeling the tape away with the tweezers.

Passo 20

Use the flat end of a spudger to flip open the retaining flap on the display cable connector.
Try to keep it clear of the tape, or it may re-adhere and make cable removal difficult.

I found it helpful to stick one of the triangular picks in between the table and the retaining flap to keep them separated.

Kofi Kantanka -

Passo 21

Carefully slide the flat end of a spudger underneath the display cable to separate the adhesive holding it to the lower case.
Take care not to damage the cable. If the adhesive is very strong, heat the case directly beneath the cable with an iOpener to soften the adhesive, and then try again.

Great, another new fragile display cable to deal with. Thanks Apple.

maccentric - 13/05/20

I didn't manage to get the display cable unstuck just using a spudger. I didn't have an iOpener. So I successfully just skipped ahead to step 24, working on the top half while still attached.

andrew987 -

Some of the black covering on the display cable came away. How much of an issue is that going to be?

Jim Stafford -

Passo 22

Hold the retaining flap open.
Disconnect the display cable by gently pulling it straight out of its connector.
Immediately close the retaining flap. Keep it closed throughout your repair.
During reassembly, keep the flap closed while you insert the display cable. Remember to orient the cable so its gold contacts face down, making sure not to crimp or fold it—it'll click into place when it's connected.

I’m pretty sure I understand the instructions here, but I had to think about it a little longer because “… must remain closed when the cable is reinserted during reassembly …” was not clear to me right away. The retaining flap I discovered, is super delicate, and hence my paranoia, so I wanted to point this out in case anyone else felt like me: ''''Is it correct to assume that your instructions could be interpreted as:

“After disconnecting the cable, close the retaining flap for now to avoid damaging it. When reinstalling the cable, flip up the retaining flap once again, realign and slide the cable with gold contacts facing down.”

I bent the USB-C corner of the lower case from a short drop onto laminate flooring, so in I went to shape it so the edge wouldn’t snag or scratch things. I am typing on my MacBook that received the body work.

Thank you for your guidance!

John Torquido - 30/07/18

For @seriouslyjohn and anyone else who might be wondering: “the flap must remain closed when the cable is reinserted” means keep it closed. Do not reopen the flap to insert the cable; just insert it carefully while leaving the flap closed. I know it probably runs counter to the procedure you’re used to, but Apple’s documentation is very clear on this, and I have to think it’s for a reason. My advice is to follow the instructions as written and don’t try to reinterpret them ;) Congrats on a successful repair!

Jeff Suovanen - 31/07/18

thank youuuuu

Vinsirrr -

Oops! I most definitely did NOT reinsert the cable into a closed connector. We can only wonder why Apple instructed this step to be counter-intuitive. I’ll pay closer attention to any weirdness that may arise, but the MacBook has been traveling and performing as it should; I’m going to avoid reopening the case, as easy as it is, until I have a good reason to do so. Thank you for replying and updating the guide!

John Torquido - 31/07/18

I would argue that you should NOT close the retaining flap. I followed the directions to the letter, and when I started up the MacBook, the display did not register since the I wasn’t able to reseed the cable fully without worrying about tearing the cable. I did hear the computer charging and saw that the keyboard lit up, so I knew the MacBook was working besides the display. I looked up another video on Youtube that left the retaining flap open when reinstalling, so I took apart the Macbook again and tried it that way, and IT WORKED! The cable wasn’t fully reseated with the retainer open and I’m not sure if that was my fault or not, but with the retainer flap open, it was easier to see that. My 2 cents. Good luck everyone!

Sulmo Kim - 11/09/20

I initially tried inserting the cable with the retaining flap closed (as described), however after completing reassembly the MacBook could be heard to start but without any display action (no backlight, no graphics - also tried resetting the SMC). Being suspicious of this step based on the comments above, I tried re-inserting the cable with the retaining flap open before subsequently closing the flap. It may have just been my perception but insertion with the retaining flap open certainly appeared to result in a more robust mating of cable and connector. After reassembly and reset of the SMC I at least saw backlight action although no graphics still. A subsequent boot into to diagnostics mode resulted in the graphics coming to life.

Maybe my re-insertion while the retaining flap was closed was not quite correct (although I was certainly trying to be careful), but my experience was that success was achieved making the cable insertion while the retaining flap was open.

Paul Richards -

It is kind of nice that I don't have to worry about that. The screen cable is literally plug & play. Super easy.

lyonmissions -

In my case that metallic part with the flap came loose ... Is it a problem if the metal part is removed and the cable simply kept in place with tape ?

What is the purpose of this metallic part aside for holding the display cable down ?

iridium -

Passo 23

Separate the upper case assembly from the lower case assembly.

Passo 24

Use tweezers to peel up the tape covering the two ZIF connectors—one for the right speaker cable, and one for the audio jack board cable.

Removing the logicboard must be safer way, but battery replacement can be accomplished if you skip here to step 32, and omit 36.

Aki Mochi - 12/12/20

I'm not sure removing the logic board is safer, you have many more opportunities to break something. I left it connected but removed the screws so I could maneuver the battery underneath. Faster and safer imo.

maccentric -

I would strongly advise anyone tempted to follow this advice and skip to 36 to NOT DO THAT. The hardest part of this whole project is removing the old batteries and adhesive. You’re going to want to use the adhesive remover liberally. Getting that on your board, or accidentally gashing at it when you’re trying to wedge out the old battery, is going to ruin it. Trust me, you would hate to go through all this just to find out you fried your board because of this (admittedly tempting) comment. There are seemingly a lot of steps from here to 36, but they’re all pretty easy and fast. KEEP GOING! KEEP FOLLOWING THE INSTRUCTIONS. YOU WILL MAKE IT!

RDG -

Passo 25

Use the point of a spudger to flip up both ZIF connector retaining flaps.

Passo 26

Carefully pull straight back on the two pieces of tape you just peeled up to disconnect the two ribbon cables.

Passo 27

Use the point of a spudger to peel up the foam pad covering the two antenna connectors.

Passo 28

Insert one arm of your angled tweezers under the metal neck of the first antenna connector and pry up to disconnect it.
The antenna connectors and sockets are extremely fragile. Be very careful to lift only on the connector, and not on the socket itself. Do not lift under the cable, or put any unnecessary strain on it.

The supplied tweezer is no good. You need one with grooves as shown in the picture. When re-inserting the antenna connectors, make sure that they are seated properly before pushing down. If you have magnifying equipment, use that to get visual confirmation. I used tactile feedback from my fingers to discern proper alignment. Try not to force it.

Ki Park - 31/12/20

I used the tweezers provided by iFixit. I struggled with both connectors and finally managed to disconnect both, but when I came back to reconnect them, I realized that both connectors on the logic board were loose. Long story short, it turns out that my little exciting adventure changing the battery cost me $530 to send it for repair at Apple Care. I am quite good at troubleshooting Mac and used to work for Apple for many years. This one step is more dangerous than it seems, because you can end up like me, without wifi on your mac. Honestly, for those who think they can do it, think twice. You can thank me later…

Arthur Liegeois - 28/01/21

For me this step was the only point where I had a bit of trouble. The supplied tweezers were not the best for disconnecting the antenna connectors as Ki Park points out already. In my case the outer ring of one of the connectors on the logic board bended slightly. It bended back in place during assembly and the wifi works as normal again after the repair. It is very tricky though, really be careful in this step and use other tools as necessary.

Arie Machgeels van Ziel -

BY FAR THE MOST DANGEROUS PART OF THE JOB!. I broked one connector and spent an hour with high powered magnifiers to try a repair. Wasted an hour on this. Id suggest leaving the logic board in place if possible

Crisis Guy -

I had no problem with this. The key is to come toward the connectors from the opposite direction from that shown in the photo. Easier to grip the connector.

david -

I broke one. Looking back, it may have been safer to detach the motherboard from the case before disconnecting the antenna, as it allows more angles to access them. 😢

bredelet -

F. I broke one

Ried Cartwright -

I actually put one of the tweezer tines under the connector and used it as a lever gently to pop the antenna connector off the housing. Worked well, but I had to be super careful not to break anything.

Woodward Price -

These connectors are incredibly finicky to reinstall. Precise alignment is critical. You can sort of get a sense of when the connectors are properly aligned by trying to slide them side to side with your finger, but mostly it's a case of trial and error. Don't apply excessive force because you risk damaging the edges of the connectors. When properly aligned they don't exactly click, but you do feel them go in.

nigel -

DO NOT REMOVE THESE. As others have stated these are fragile and finicky to remove and reinstall. Instead, leave them intact and lift up the logic board at a 70 to 80% angle. Use a piece of tape secured to the bottom edge of the computer and the top edge of the logic board to hold it up and out of the way. If you are diligent, you can remove the batteries without touching or messing with the logic board. Use caution, don't get too overzealous, take your time.

Steven Gibson -

tough one - you guys scared me... SOLUTION: HOLD A SECOND TWEEZERS WITH STRAIGHTEDGE ON THE INSIDE EDGE WHILE GENTLY USING PROVIDED POINTY TWEEZER ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE TO PRY UP THE CONNECTOR. FLAT TWEEZER PROVIDES JUST A HINT OF BACK PRESSURE, KEEPS THINGS STRAIGHT WHILE YOU INSERT THE POINTED TIP AND PRY UP GENTLY. INSERT AND LEVER IT UP - I.E. AFTER INSERTION, TWIST THE POINTED END SO PRESSURE IS STRAIGHT UP, FROM UNDER THE MIDDLE OF THE CONNECTOR - DON'T INSERT AND PUSH AWAY FROM YOU. MINE POPPED RIGHT UP THIS WAY (after exploring all other options). IMPORTANT - THE POINTED TIP (PRY SIDE) COMES FROM OUTSIDE OF CASE , OPPOSITE SHOWN IN PICTURE (AS MENTIONED BY PRIOR COMMENTER.). I ACTUALLY NEED RELATIVELY LITTLE PRESSURE USING THIS METHOD TO GET THE CONNECTORS TO POP. INSERT POINTY TIP UNDER THE NARROW SPOT JUST AHEAD OF THE WIRE, BUT BEFORE THE SOCKET

David Nagle - 19/01/24

For reassembly I found it helped to temporarily put the torx screw from Step 14 in so that the logic board is fixed firm and you are not aiming for a moving target with the tiny connectors.

Tim -

Passo 29

Pry up the second antenna connector to disconnect it.
The antenna connectors and sockets are extremely fragile. Be very careful to lift only on the connector, and not on the socket itself. Do not lift under the cable, or put any unnecessary strain on it.

Broke a connector. Now what?

chrisadams - 03/05/20

BEWARE - there are no instructions on how to reassemble this. It goes to step 52 - battery installed and that is it. Easy to pull out, almost impossible to put back in afterwards. So STUDY this to get an idea of how to reattach.

Kyle Swafford -

Passo 30

Use a spudger to disconnect the left speaker cable connector by prying it straight up from the logic board.

Reassembling NOTE. The left speaker cable needs to be below the logic board when screwing in the right screw. Otherwise you will have to backtrack.

Kyle Swafford -

Passo 31

Use a spudger to flip up the retaining flap on the trackpad cable ZIF connector.

Passo 32

Disconnect the trackpad cable from the logic board by gently pulling it straight out of its connector.
During reassembly, check that your ZIF connector flaps are flipped up before reinserting their cables.

Once the logic board has been replaced, when following these instructions in the reverse order it should be pointed out that the all the flaps are flipped down. A distracted person might try to force in the flat connector before realising that he has to flip up the flap of the new logic board.

Davide Dante - 23/09/19

Ok, went decent but on reconnecting the trackpad cable which I had to replace, it isn't clear which side goes up and which side goes down. From the photos, it appears the copper coated side is down at least on the logic board. Is this the same on the trackpad connector?

I can't quite find a clear photo of the copper surface position on either end of the ZIF trackpad insertion.

HELP!

Marc -

Passo 33

Remove the single 3.5 mm T5 Torx screw securing the logic board to the lower case.

Passo 34

Flip up the front edge of the logic board.
Handle the logic board only by its edges.
Lift and detach the EMI tape securing the logic board to the lower case.
If the tape feels stuck, heat it with a hair dryer or iOpener to soften the adhesive.
Reattach the tape securely during reassembly.

“Reattach the tape securely during reassembly.”

In my case the tape did not stick properly to the lower case anymore and also came a bit loose from the logic board. Nonetheless my macbook works fine after the repair, so I'm not sure how important the EMI tape is. If I experience problems in the future I might open the macbook up again and check the tape and perhaps reattach it better with some new glue. There is probably special glue needed, so I'll look into that when it becomes an issue.

Arie Machgeels van Ziel -

Passo 35

Remove the logic board.

If you are replacing the logic board once the machine has been rebuild the 2015 model has to have a 5W power adapter plugged into the machine first before the full 29W power supply otherwise there is a risk of damaging the logic board. Once the power is supplied the battery disconnect LED will switch on and once this has occurred you can remove the 5W and supply the machine with the full 29W power adapter.

Aaron Dalziel - 12/04/18

While it’s true that the internal documentation specifies this for a 2015, after frying 2 motherboards with a normal charger, I spoke with the engineers and they told me that this also applies to 2016 and 2017 macbook main logic boards. I say- It can’t hurt to try to wake them up with a 5 watt charger first! Please take 5 minutes to save your motherboard.

Noah - 04/03/21

Passo 36

Using tweezers, remove the foam pad covering the screw on the right side of the left speaker.
If you pull on the foam portion, it will tear. Try to get your tweezers under the adhesive pad holding the foam to the top of the screw.