Apple MacBook Air – Disassembling procedure – How to remove the rear cover – How to disassemble the display unit

Apple MacBook Air: DISASSEMBLING PROCEDURE 

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.

Slightly lift the lower case near the vents and push it toward the rear of the computer to free the mounting tabs.

Disconnect the battery connector by pulling it straight out of its socket. Remove the following nine screws securing the battery to the Air:

Four 2.9 mm Phillips.
Four 3.8 mm Phillips.
One 7.2 mm Phillips.

Lift the battery out of the Air.

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.

Disconnect the audio out cable from its socket on the port hatch ribbon cable. Use a spudger to pry the hard drive cable connector up off the logic board.

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.

Remove the four Phillips screws securing the hard drive assembly to he upper case:

Two 4.7 mm screws.
Two 3.9 mm screws.

Lift the hard drive assembly out of the upper case.

Use the tip of a spudger to pull the fan cable connector straight away from its connector on the logic board.

Use the tip of a spudger to move the cosmetic fan cover aside.

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.

Lift the processor clamp off the heat sink. Deroute the microphone cable away from the channel in the fan.

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. Use a spudger to pry the audio cable connector up off the logic board.

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.

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.

Use a spudger to pry the AirPort/Bluetooth and trackpad control cable connectors up off the logic board.

Disconnect the DC-In cable by pulling its connector straight away from the socket on the logic board.

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.

Remove the three Phillips screws securing the logic board to the upper case.

Lift the logic board out of the upper case.

Remove the two following screws securing the AirPort/Bluetooth board bracket to the upper case:

One 4.7 mm Phillips.
One 3.9 mm Phillips.

Lift the AirPort/Bluetooth bracket out of the upper case.

Use a spudger to pry the three antenna cables up off the AirPort/Bluetooth board.

Peel the antenna cables up off the adhesive securing them to the upper case.

Remove the single Phillips screw securing the microphone cable ground loop to the upper case.

Remove the following 15 screws:
Thirteen 2.3 mm Phillips.
Two T6 Torx. Leave one T6 Torx screw in each side of the display bracket.

Open the Air so the display is perpendicular to the upper case and place it on a table as shown. While holding the top of the Air with one hand, remove the T6 Torx screw from the lower display bracket.

Be sure to hold the Air together while you remove the last Torx screw. Failure to do so may cause the display/upper case to fall, potentially damaging both components. Remove the T6 Torx screw from the upper display bracket.

Pull the upper case straight away from the display, minding any cables that may get caught.