Introduction

Use this guide to replace a damaged I/O board ribbon cable.

What you need

Tool used on this step:

P5 Pentalobe Screwdriver Retina MacBook Pro and Air

$5.99

Buy

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.

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

In this step you will disconnect the battery to help avoid shorting out any components during service.
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.

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the I/O board cable connector upward out of its socket on the I/O board.

The following connector has an especially deep socket. Use care when disconnecting it.
While gently pulling the I/O board cable upward near its connection to the logic board, use the tip of a spudger to pry upward on alternating sides of the connector to help "walk" it out of its socket.
Remove the I/O board cable.