MacBook Air 13" Late 2020 Audio Board Replacement

Written By: Carsten Frauenheim
  • Comments: 11
MacBook Air 13" Late 2020 Audio Board Replacement

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

10

Time Required

10 - 30 minutes

Introduction

Use this guide to remove or replace the audio board in a Late 2020 MacBook Air (M1). The 3.5 mm audio jack is connected to this board.

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    • Before starting this procedure, you should disable your Mac's Auto Boot feature. Auto Boot powers on your Mac when you open the lid, and may be accidentally triggered during disassembly. Use this guide to disable Auto Boot.

    • If your MacBook is running Big Sur v11.1 or later, disabling Auto Boot may not work. You can proceed normally, but make sure to disconnect the battery as soon as you're inside.

    • Completely power off and unplug your MacBook before you start. Close the display and flip the entire laptop upside-down.

    • Use a P5 driver to remove the following screws:

    • Two 7.9 mm screws

    • Two 7.3 mm screws

    • Six 2.6 mm screws

    • Throughout this repair, keep track of each screw and make sure it goes back exactly where it came from to avoid damaging your MacBook.

    ESD safe mat, plugged into ground, with a wrist strap, also grounded, are the best best to protect the logic board.

    Robin Ray -

    Re-Assembly Tip: Before putting the screws back in, snap the lower case on and test to make sure the MacBook powers up. When I first re-assembled, I became very nervous I did something wrong because it would not power on. It turns out I just needed to plug the laptop into a power source for it to power up (despite having a good charge before disassembly). It was the perfect way to test the new USB-C ports!

    Austin -

    Big points to this one, especially for mentioning needing to plug the laptop in. The bottom case needs to be screwed in and laptop needs to be plugged in before it will boot.

    Bayden Yazalina -

    Wiha 4PL driver for these screws.

    Greg Worrel -

    Printing out all the images from this Ifixit guide prior to starting and using duct tape help me keep track of screws.

    raju midjdeya -

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

    • Remove the lower case.

    • To reinstall the lower case:

    • Set it in place and press firmly to engage the two hidden clips underneath. You should feel and hear them snap into place.

    Los tornillos se ruedan fácilmente :(

    Mishelle Cerón -

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    • Use the flat end of a spudger to pry up and unlatch the metal locking arm on the battery connector.

    • Make sure the metal arm is completely free of the locking tab before lifting the battery connector. The metal locking arm should easily unlatch.

    • Lift straight up on the metal locking arm to pull the battery connector out of its socket on the logic board.

    • During reassembly, press the battery connector straight down into its socket, making sure it sits flush within the socket.

    • If necessary, push the rear, wire side of the connector into place first, then rock the front of the connector into place.

    Reassembly: I had difficulty going straight down. The connector has some angled edges that made it difficult. Instead, I slotted the wire side in first, then rocked it forward towards the hinge into position.

    Sean K -

    If having difficulty in flipping the bar up, place the machine vertical and not that there is a small “locking nib” that the bar has to clear. You may have to give the bar honest persuasion to clear the nib.

    Harry Dulcamara -

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    • Use a T3 Torx driver to remove the three 1.4 mm screws securing the audio board connector cover.

    • If your T3 bit feels a bit too loose, you may need to use a T4.

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    • Remove the audio board connector cover.

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    • Slide the pointed end of a spudger underneath the speaker cable and pry straight up to disconnect it.

    Man, that's toit! Couldn't give us a little play in that cable Apple?

    maccentric -

    Traduccion a Español: ¡Tío, eso es! ¿No podían darnos un poco de juego en ese cable Apple?

    Carlos López (España - Spain) -

    Traducción a Español: ¡Tío, eso es! ¿No podían darnos un poco de juego en ese cable Apple?

    Carlos López (España - Spain) -

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    • Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the Touch ID cable straight up to disconnect it from the audio board.

    • Continue to slide the spudger underneath the Touch ID cable to release it from the audio board.

    • The Touch ID cable is secured to the audio board with some light adhesive.

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    • Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the audio board connector straight up to disconnect it from the board.

    • To re-attach press connectors like this one, carefully align and press down on one side until it clicks into place, then repeat on the other side. Do not press down on the middle. If the connector is misaligned, the pins can bend, causing permanent damage.

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    • Remove the three screws securing the audio board:

    • Two 4.8 mm T5 Torx screws

    • One 2.5 mm T3 Torx screw

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    • Use a spudger to pry the audio board out of the upper case until you can grip it with your fingers.

    • Remove the audio board.

Conclusion

Compare your new replacement part to the original part—you may need to transfer remaining components or remove adhesive backings from the new part before installing.

To reassemble your device, follow the above steps in reverse order.

Once you've completed your repair, your laptop may not power back on until connected to power.

Take your e-waste to an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler.

Repair didn’t go as planned? Check out our Answers community for troubleshooting help.

Author

Carsten Frauenheim

Member since: 10/03/20

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