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, gently pull the display data cable out of its socket.
Do not pull upward on the display data cable as you disconnect it, as its socket may break off the logic board.
Before removing the last display screw, be sure to hold the display and upper case steady with your other hand. Failure to do so may allow the components to fall onto the table, causing potentially expensive damage.
Remove the last 4.9 mm T8 Torx screw securing the display to the upper case.
Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the right speaker off the adhesive securing it to the upper case.
Only pry up on the speaker from the areas of bare aluminum on the upper case. Prying up from the keyboard area may damage the keyboard and the speaker itself.
Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the left speaker off the adhesive securing it to the upper case.
Only pry up on the speaker from the areas of bare aluminum on the upper case. Prying up from the keyboard area may damage the keyboard and the speaker itself.
Thanks to Sam Lionheart for this guide! Yes difficult but a great step by step guide!
A member of our family had a coffee spill on their MacBook Air 11". The Apple Store said the machine was "dead" forever and encouraged us to buy new. I used this guide to take the Air apart, clean it, and put it back together. The Air is now working, it has some minor glitches so we will have to watch it and keep the data backed-up. But it works.
The hardest parts, where I wished there was more hints - helps, were putting the Air back together at: #38 reattaching the larger ZIF connector and #15 reattaching the antenna cables.
Used this guide to replace the keyboard and backlight to my MacBook Air 11” early 2014 A1465! Had to accompany the repair with a few videos on YouTube for help with KB removal and reinstall. Apple charges 231 including labor and iFixit charges $220 for the top cover, but it’s not necessary. Ordered the KB, backlight, and extra set of screws (for the KB) on EBay for about $25 total Installing the 50+ KB screws was very tedious and routing the antenna was a pain, but worth saving $200!
My 5 year old spilled a glass of water on the keyboard and after opening and putting the computer upside down for a couple of days, it would not do anything. After sitting dead for a month I decided to crack it open. I found a bunch of corrosion (no surprise) on the logic board and some of the connectors and cleaned it all with alcohol. When I put everything back together, the computer actually began charging and was awakened from its sleeping state. However, the keyboard was not working properly, so I decided to order this upper case. While tedious, the replacement was not too difficult. When I finished and powered on, it started up no problem, but it would not connect to the internet (wifi connected, just no internet). A simple restart fixed this issue. Now, the only issue I’m dealing with is that the left “shift,” “opt/alt,” and '“ctrl” keys do not work. The standard advice is to reset the SMC, but this requires the use of the affected keys. Please help!