Installing MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Late 2011 Microphone

Replace the microphone in your Late 2011 MacBook Pro 13" Unibody.

  • Add Note x

Use this guide to replace a broken microphone.

Sections
Tools
Relevant parts
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Add Note Edit Step 1 — Lower Case  ¶ 

  • Remove the following ten screws:

    • Three 14.4 mm Phillips screws

    • Three 3.5 mm Phillips screws

    • Four 3.5 mm shouldered Phillips screws

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Add Note Edit Step 2  ¶ 

  • Use your fingers to pry the lower case away from the body of the MacBook near the vent.

  • Remove the lower case.

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Add Note Edit Step 3 — Battery  ¶ 

  • Use the edge of a spudger to pry the battery connector upwards from its socket on the logic board.

  • It is useful to pry upward on both short sides of the connector to "walk" it out of its socket.

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Add Note Edit Step 4  ¶ 

  • Bend the battery cable slightly away from its socket on the logic board so it does not accidentally connect itself while you work.

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Add Note Edit Step 5 — Fan  ¶ 

  • Use the edge of a spudger to gently pry the fan connector up and out of its socket on the logic board.

  • It is useful to twist the spudger axially from beneath the fan cable wires to release the connector.

  • The fan socket and the fan connector can be seen in the second and third pictures. Be careful not to break the plastic fan socket off the logic board as you use your spudger to lift the fan connector straight up and out of its socket. The layout of the logic board shown in the second picture may look slightly different than your machine but the fan socket is the same.

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Add Note Edit Step 6  ¶ 

  • Remove the following three screws securing the fan to the logic board:

    • One 7.2 mm T6 Torx screw

    • Two 5.3 mm T6 Torx screws

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Add Note Edit Step 7  ¶ 

  • Lift the fan out of its recess in the logic board, minding its cable that may get caught.

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Add Note Edit Step 8 — Logic Board  ¶ 

  • Use the tip of a spudger to pull the right speaker/subwoofer cable out from under the retaining finger molded into the upper case.

  • Pull the right speaker/subwoofer cable upward to lift the connector out of its socket on the logic board.

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Add Note Edit Step 9  ¶ 

  • Disconnect the camera cable from the logic board.

  • Pull the cable parallel to the face of the logic board. Pulling the cable upward may damage the logic board or the cable itself.

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Add Note Edit Step 10  ¶ 

  • Disconnect the following four cables:

    • AirPort/Bluetooth cable

    • Optical drive cable

    • Hard drive cable

    • Trackpad cable

  • To disconnect the cables, use the flat end of a spudger to pry their connectors up from the sockets on the logic board.

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Add Note Edit Step 11  ¶ 

  • Use your fingernail to flip up the retaining flap on the keyboard 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 keyboard ribbon cable out of its socket.

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Add Note Edit Step 12  ¶ 

  • Remove the small strip of black tape covering the keyboard backlight cable socket.

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Add Note Edit Step 13  ¶ 

  • Use the tip of a spudger or your fingernail to flip up the retaining flap on the keyboard backlight ribbon cable ZIF socket.

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

  • Pull the keyboard backlight ribbon cable out of its socket.

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Add Note Edit Step 14  ¶ 

  • Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the battery indicator connector up from its socket on the logic board.

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Add Note Edit Step 15  ¶ 

  • Grab the plastic pull tab secured to the display data cable lock and rotate it toward the DC-In side of the computer.

  • Pull the display data cable straight out of its socket on the logic board.

  • Do not lift up on the display data cable, as its socket is very fragile. Pull the cable parallel to the face of the logic board.

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Add Note Edit Step 16  ¶ 

  • Remove the following nine screws:

    • Seven 4 mm T6 Torx screws

    • Two 7.2 mm T6 Torx screws

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Add Note Edit Step 17  ¶ 

  • Remove the following two screws:

    • One 8.6 mm Phillips screw

    • One 5.5 mm Phillips screw

  • Remove the display data cable retainer from the upper case.

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Add Note Edit Step 18  ¶ 

  • Use the tip of a spudger to gently peel the microphone off the adhesive securing it to the upper case.

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Add Note Edit Step 19  ¶ 

  • Minding the many connectors near its edges, lift the logic board from the end nearest the optical drive.

  • Without flexing the board, maneuver it out of the upper case, minding the flexible connection to the DC-In board that may get caught in the upper case.

  • Remove the logic board.

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Add Note Edit Step 20 — Microphone  ¶ 

  • De-route the microphone cable from the channel molded into the left speaker housing.

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Add Note Edit Step 21  ¶ 

  • Remove the small piece of black tape covering the microphone connector.

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Add Note Edit Step 22  ¶ 

  • Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the microphone connector up from its socket on the logic board.

  • Pry up from beneath the wires.

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Add Note Edit Step 23  ¶ 

  • Remove the microphone from the logic board.

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

For more information, check out the MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Late 2011 device page.

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