Step 1 — Lower Case
Remove the following 10 screws securing the lower case to the Air:
Six 2.8 mm Phillips screws.
Two 3.8 mm Phillips screws.
Two 5.4 mm Phillips screws.
Step 2
- Slightly lift the lower case near the vents and push it toward the rear of the computer to free the mounting tabs.
Step 3 — Battery
Disconnect the battery connector by pulling it straight out of its socket.
Step 4
Remove the following nine screws securing the battery to the Air:
Step 5 -Lift the battery out of the Air.
Step 6 — Hard Drive
Disconnect the port hatch ribbon cable from the logic board by pulling it straight up by its black pull tab.
Pull the audio out ribbon cable off the adhesive securing it to the upper case.
Use a spudger to pry the audio out ribbon cable connector board off the hard drive bracket.
Step 7
Disconnect the audio out cable from its socket on the port hatch ribbon cable.
Step 8
Use a spudger to pry the hard drive cable connector up off the logic board.
Step 9
Use the sharp end of a spudger to de-route the microphone cable from the hard drive bracket.
Remove the cosmetic screw cover from the adhesive securing it to the hard drive bracket.
Step 10
Remove the four Phillips screws securing the hard drive assembly to the upper case:
Step 11
Lift the hard drive assembly out of the upper case.
Step 12 — Heat Sink
Use the tip of a spudger to pull the fan cable connector straight away from its connector on the logic board.
Step 13
Use the tip of a spudger to move the cosmetic fan cover aside.
Step 14
If you have the original version of the MacBook Air (A1237), refer to picture 1. Remove the following screws securing the heat sink to the logic board:
One 5.9 mm Phillips screw.
Two 1.9 mm Phillips screws.
One 1.9 mm Phillips screw.
If you have the A1304 version of MacBook Air, refer to picture 2. Remove the following screws securing the heat sink to the logic board:
One 5.0 mm Phillips screw
Five 1.9 mm Philips screws.
One 2.5 mm Phillips screw.
Step 15
Lift the processor clamp off the heat sink.
Step 16
Deroute the microphone cable away from the channel in the fan.
Step 17
Lift the heat sink up off the logic board.
Be mindful of the microphone cable when lifting the heat sink, as it can get tangled on the top edge of the fan.
When you mount the heat sink back onto the logic board, be sure to apply a new layer of thermal paste. We have a guide that makes replacing the thermal paste easy.
Step 18 — Logic Board
Use a spudger to pry the audio cable connector up off the logic board.
Step 19
If present, remove the small piece of black tape covering the microphone cable connector.
Disconnect the microphone cable by pulling its connector straight away from the socket on the logic board.
Step 20
Remove the two small Phillips screws securing the logic board bracket to the upper case.
Lift the logic board bracket out of the upper case.
Step 21
Use a spudger to pry the AirPort/Bluetooth and trackpad control cable connectors up off the logic board.
Step 22
Disconnect the DC-In cable by pulling its connector straight away from the socket on the logic board.
Step 23
Remove the small Phillips screw securing the display data cable ground loop to the upper case.
Disconnect the display data cable by pulling its connector straight away from the socket on the logic board.
Step 24
Remove the three Phillips screws securing the logic board to the upper case.
The leftmost screw on the picture is shorter than the 2 other screws.
Step 25
Lift the logic board out of the upper case.
FINISH!
ONLY IN ANT COLONY!
Remove the following 10 screws securing the lower case to the Air:
Six 2.8 mm Phillips screws.
Two 3.8 mm Phillips screws.
Two 5.4 mm Phillips screws.
Step 2
- Slightly lift the lower case near the vents and push it toward the rear of the computer to free the mounting tabs.
Step 3 — Battery
Disconnect the battery connector by pulling it straight out of its socket.
Step 4
Remove the following nine screws securing the battery to the Air:
Step 5 -Lift the battery out of the Air.
Step 6 — Hard Drive
Disconnect the port hatch ribbon cable from the logic board by pulling it straight up by its black pull tab.
Pull the audio out ribbon cable off the adhesive securing it to the upper case.
Use a spudger to pry the audio out ribbon cable connector board off the hard drive bracket.
Step 7
Disconnect the audio out cable from its socket on the port hatch ribbon cable.
Step 8
Use a spudger to pry the hard drive cable connector up off the logic board.
Step 9
Use the sharp end of a spudger to de-route the microphone cable from the hard drive bracket.
Remove the cosmetic screw cover from the adhesive securing it to the hard drive bracket.
Step 10
Remove the four Phillips screws securing the hard drive assembly to the upper case:
Step 11
Lift the hard drive assembly out of the upper case.
Step 12 — Heat Sink
Use the tip of a spudger to pull the fan cable connector straight away from its connector on the logic board.
Step 13
Use the tip of a spudger to move the cosmetic fan cover aside.
Step 14
If you have the original version of the MacBook Air (A1237), refer to picture 1. Remove the following screws securing the heat sink to the logic board:
One 5.9 mm Phillips screw.
Two 1.9 mm Phillips screws.
One 1.9 mm Phillips screw.
If you have the A1304 version of MacBook Air, refer to picture 2. Remove the following screws securing the heat sink to the logic board:
One 5.0 mm Phillips screw
Five 1.9 mm Philips screws.
One 2.5 mm Phillips screw.
Step 15
Lift the processor clamp off the heat sink.
Step 16
Deroute the microphone cable away from the channel in the fan.
Step 17
Lift the heat sink up off the logic board.
Be mindful of the microphone cable when lifting the heat sink, as it can get tangled on the top edge of the fan.
When you mount the heat sink back onto the logic board, be sure to apply a new layer of thermal paste. We have a guide that makes replacing the thermal paste easy.
Step 18 — Logic Board
Use a spudger to pry the audio cable connector up off the logic board.
Step 19
If present, remove the small piece of black tape covering the microphone cable connector.
Disconnect the microphone cable by pulling its connector straight away from the socket on the logic board.
Step 20
Remove the two small Phillips screws securing the logic board bracket to the upper case.
Lift the logic board bracket out of the upper case.
Step 21
Use a spudger to pry the AirPort/Bluetooth and trackpad control cable connectors up off the logic board.
Step 22
Disconnect the DC-In cable by pulling its connector straight away from the socket on the logic board.
Step 23
Remove the small Phillips screw securing the display data cable ground loop to the upper case.
Disconnect the display data cable by pulling its connector straight away from the socket on the logic board.
Step 24
Remove the three Phillips screws securing the logic board to the upper case.
The leftmost screw on the picture is shorter than the 2 other screws.
Step 25
Lift the logic board out of the upper case.
FINISH!
ONLY IN ANT COLONY!