MacBook Air 11" Mid 2012 Microphone Replacement

Written By: Andrew Optimus Goldheart
  • Comments: 34
MacBook Air 11" Mid 2012 Microphone Replacement

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

12

Time Required

15 - 20 minutes

Introduction

Screaming at your MacBook Air might not hurt its feelings, but it could go deaf. Use this guide to replace a blown-out microphone. This is a relatively easy process. Take your time and don't force anything.

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    • Shut down and close your computer. Lay it on a soft surface top-side down.

    • Remove the following ten screws:

    • Two 8 mm 5-point Pentalobe screws

    • Eight 2.5 mm 5-point Pentalobe screws

    • The special screwdriver needed to remove the 5-point Pentalobe screws can be found here.

    When you say:

    Remove the following ten screws:

    Two 8 mm 5-point Pentalobe screws

    Eight 2.5 mm 5-point Pentalobe screws

    Do the 8mm & 2.5mm dimensions refer to the LENGTH of those screws, or the size of the pentalobe? That is, are there other sizes of pentalobe drivers like there are for hex, phillips and torx? When only one dimension is provided, it is usually the socket/driver size, not the screw length, maybe since the length cannot be seen when the screw is installed.

    Can I suggest that you clarify your instructions so folks are confident they are only in need of _one_ pentalobe driver?

    Nerdily yours,

    Larry (whose iPhone 4S can now get through a day without 6 recharges thanks to ifixit.com ;-)

    larryleveen -

    The 8mm and 2.5mm are the length of the screws. One pentalobe P5 screwdriver suffices for all the screws (P5 is implicitly the size of the pentalobe screw heads).

    Michael Welham -

    I sourced all the parts from ifixit, plus a magnetic project mat which I found to be very useful for organising the teardown and reassembly.

    Allen -

    The magnetic mat is

    GERARD SZAREK -

    Keep the 2.5mm tiny screws away from the MagSafe connector as they will be attracted and sucked in to the magnet.

    Frank O'Carroll -

    A tip an old bench tech taught me that has saved me many times: I put clear “Scotch” tape over the case screws as they became “free”. The tape kept them in place while I lifted the lid off, cleaned it etc.

    Michael Mee -

    Thank you for a really smart tip! I will be using that countless more times!

    Lilljedahl -

    I’m confused about internet recovery and installing MacOS. Is all of this done before placing in the new ssd card or after. I don’t have any files that I would like to safe/transfer, is all of this necessary, if I don’t do it before placing new ssd, will I still be able to instal/upgrade macOS afterwards.

    It’s an old Mac and now it won’t start or charge, I know I will have to replace battery and put new battery first and turn on Mac before doing the ssd stuff. Since it won’t effing start.

    I’m really clueless about backing up old ssd, since I don’t need any files, besides MacOS(software) ,and is that related to the ssd?

    AMG -

    The answer to your question: You need to insert your SSD into the computer before internet recovery. If you start the recovery before inserting SSD, it won’t affect the setup, you won’t damage anything. But your SSD will not be detected (as there isn’t one inserted.)

    Also, a little tip: If you bought a used SSD, go into Disk Utility and format the drive with the highest security level to permanently remove all of the previous files.

    Also a FYI: Internet Recovery will load up Mac OS X 10.9.5 Mavericks, so I would recommend making a recovery drive from a Big Sur (or desired version) through another Mac, and a USB. You can visit this support doc: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201372

    Hope this helps! -Dan

    danielwen -

    I got a macbook air with a damaged and swollen battery. I could remove all screws, except one 2,5 mm screw. I’m afraid it got damaged while attempting to remove it, I have no grip with the P5 pentalobe screwdriver. How can I proceed?

    Robert Hermans -

    Hi Robert!

    Try some techniques found in this stripped screw removal guide. Good luck!

    Arthur Shi -

    Hello I have a macbook air they are say they do not have parts for my laptop macbook air 11 inches 2013 mid need to replace battery which one to buy

    vensilver -

    Hello! This is the part you want—maybe we’re not able to ship it to you if you’re out of the United States. The battery in your MacBook Air should be the same for all 11” between mid-2011 to early-2015.

    Arthur Shi -

    The smaller screws went in more easily when I put back all the screws along the hinge edge first.

    Rachel Slatkin -

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    • Wedge your fingers between the display and the lower case and pull upward to pop the lower case off the Air.

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    • Use the flat end of a spudger to pry both short sides of the battery connector upward to disconnect it from its socket on the logic board.

    • Bend the battery cable slightly away from the logic board so the connector will not accidentally contact its socket.

    I performed this on my MacBook Air (11-inch, Mid 2011), model A1370. Rather than using the spudger to un-attach the batter connector, I gripped either side with my fingers as the second photographs indicated, and gently pry/wiggled it up and out by initially pinching into the side gap with my finger nails. The reason I did it this way is that the spudger works by leverage and I was afraid to rest it against the components surrounding the connector. The photos and instructions are excellent and illustrate the maneuver perfectly.

    Allen -

    Hello there... In my case by battery exploded.... Can I still try to change it using these instructions?

    Fabio Matos -

    The instruction to lift the edges of battery connector before disconnecting is certainly not clear. In my case, the cconnector pins came off the board with the battery, requiring further costly repairs. I would suggest that this instruction be more specific and include a caution.

    Deirdre Rogan -

    It worked fine for me, but as others mentioned, you need to be careful to remove the battery connector from the motherboard connector and not accidentally remove the motherboard connector from the motherboard itself.

    Additionally, on reassembly, I found that quit a bit of pressure was needed to get the new battery's connector to snap in place. More than I was comfortable applying, but it was necessary and it worked without a problem.

    shamino -

    I just used my finger(nails), came off easily (even though i have a full iFixIt set).

    Dennis van der Pool -

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    • Remove the following five screws securing the battery to the upper case:

    • Two 5.2 mm T5 Torx screws

    • One 6 mm T5 Torx screw

    • Two 2.6 mm T5 Torx screws

    In my case the screw points connecting the old battery the case had fractured or broken. The broken bits needed to be cleaned out of the case before installing the replacement battery. Didn't want any loose fragments rattling about inside.

    Allen -

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    • When handling the battery, avoid squeezing or touching the six exposed lithium polymer cells.

    • Lift the battery from its edge nearest the logic board and remove it from the upper case.

    • If you're installing a new battery, you should calibrate it after installation:

    • Charge it to 100%, and then keep charging it for at least 2 more hours. Next, unplug and use it normally to drain the battery. When you see the low battery warning, save your work, and keep your laptop on until it goes to sleep due to low battery. Wait at least 5 hours, then charge your laptop uninterrupted to 100%.

    • If you notice any unusual behavior or problems after installing your new battery, you may need to reset your MacBook's SMC.

    What if new battery comes with what looks like plastic around the 6 cells?

    Allison -

    I'm having trouble reconnecting the pins to the new battery cable. Any suggestions?

    Deirdre Rogan -

    The cable on my new battery needed to be massaged to reconnect with the pins. Use your old battery as an example for how the cable should sit in the empty space.

    Joe Ponce -

    In my case, the replacement battery cable was quite stiff. In order to properly connect it to the logic board, BEFORE screwing the battery into the board, I carefully bent the cable and I connected it to the board. AFTER connecting the cable, carefully move the part of the batter closest to the logic board into place, and take care of those screws first.

    Chris 1000 -

    Followed the instructions and everything went smoothly. Less than 20 minutes later everything assembled and my MacBook Air working very well.

    Thanks

    Luis Lopes -

    Two of the battery cells were “blown up” in my laptop. We simply removed it with these instructions and now it’s working again, when plugged in only, of course.

    bob -

    As with Chris 1000, the replacement battery cable is stiff. First position the battery loosely into it's slot, then align the cable connector over the pins & press gently but firmly to seat the connector. Secondly, seat the battery to line up with all of it's screw fasteners for the reassembly.

    Steve G -

    Instructions did not mention the plastic film on top of the battery. Similar to a peel away film on a new phone. But it had screws holes in it and does not peel away as easily as a phone Peels away from edge easily enough but had a little "pull" to it over the cells. For now I left it. Quick google searches did not clarify the issue. If anyone can confirm I should pull it off I'll open it up again and remove. The install is easy.

    Eric Strausser -

    I think I saw a note that said to leave it. But side-note, i'm glad to see someone replacing the battery more recently, as I just purchased myself a new macbook but my son asked if we can replace the battery and I honestly didn't even realize that it was possible for some reason. I think for the minimal cost involved and the fact that my 2011 still works flawlessly he'll enjoy it for a few more years to come as well. I hope the new ones are made as well quality wise!!

    Teresa Powell -

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    • Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the I/O board cable connector up off its socket on the I/O board.

    • Bend the cable away from the I/O board.

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    • Use the tip of a spudger to de-route the left speaker cable from the notch cut into the edge of the I/O board.

    in my case, the non-original speaker replacement cable was not long enough to go into the notch cut, so I had to leave it loose but was kept in place by the I/O board cable connector, so all good in the end

    Francesco -

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    • Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the left speaker connector up and out of its socket on the I/O board.

    • Make sure to pry upward from beneath the wires.

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    • 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.

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    • Remove the left speaker from the upper case.

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    • Use the tip of a spudger to flip up the retaining flap on the microphone ribbon cable ZIF socket.

    • Be sure you are prying up on the hinged retaining flap, not the socket itself.

    • Use the tip of a spudger to pull the microphone ribbon cable out of its socket.

    Omg.. the socket itself came off when trying to prying up the flap.. How can I reattach this?

    Hiroki Usui -

    That’s a bummer. Unfortunately you need to have it replaced by someone who can micro solder a new one on. These plastic connectors are not the easiest things to replace and it takes quite a bit of practise to become proficient at them. You could also replace that DCIN / audio board which is a relatively easy replacement. See here MacBook Air 11" Early 2015 Logic Board Replacement Good luck

    Peter Newman -

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    • Use the tip of a spudger to pry the microphone away from the side of the upper case.

    • Remove the microphone from the upper case.

Conclusion

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order. Take note of microphone position before removal so you can position the replacement accurately in place.

Author

Andrew Optimus Goldheart

Member since: 17/10/09

502341 Reputation

2 comments

Very straightforward replacement.

Take special care when removing the microphone and speaker connectors from their respective sockets. Just be gentle and methodical.

Ensure you press down firmly, but not hard, after microphone replacement when reconnecting the battery connector to the motherboard.

pohutukawa -

When re-attaching the speaker connector, also pay special attention to pushing down firmly on this to ensure a connection is made. Again, not too hard, but it is easy to push down enough to think it is connected but it can easily not be.

pohutukawa -