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MacBook Pro 13" Retina Display Early 2015 Battery Replacement

Written By: Andrew Optimus Goldberg (and 5 other contributors)
  • Comments: 70
  • Favorites: 16
  • Completions: 133

Difficulty

Difficult

Steps

36

Time Required

45 minutes - 2 hours

Sections

6

Flags

0

Introduction

Use this guide to remove the glued-in battery from your MacBook Pro. This is best done with the help of an iFixit battery replacement kit; the liquid adhesive remover in your kit will dissolve the adhesive securing the battery, allowing you to remove it with ease. Alternatively, you can use an iOpener to apply a modest amount of heat in order to soften the adhesive before prying out the battery.

iFixit adhesive remover is highly flammable. Perform this procedure in a well-ventilated area. Do not smoke or work near an open flame during this procedure.

For your safety, drain your MacBook Pro's battery before you begin this procedure. A charged lithium-ion battery can create a dangerous and uncontrollable fire if accidentally punctured. If your battery is swollen, take extra precautions.

Note: The solvent used to dissolve the battery adhesive can damage certain plastics, such as the MacBook Pro's plastic speaker enclosures. Take care when applying the solvent.

If you're using the old-style iFixit adhesive remover with separate bottle and syringe (no longer sold), click here for a slightly modified set of instructions.

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  1. Step 1 Lower Case

    Remove the following ten screws securing the lower case to the upper case:
    Tools used on this step:
    Magnetic Project Mat $19.99

    • Remove the following ten screws securing the lower case to the upper case:

      • Two 2.3 mm Pentalobe screws

      • Eight 3.0 mm Pentalobe screws

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

    Edit

  2. Step 2

    Wedge your fingers between the upper case and the lower case.

    • Wedge your fingers between the upper case and the lower case.

    • Gently pull the lower case away from the upper case to remove it.

    Edit

  3. Step 3

    • The lower case is connected to the upper case with two plastic clips near its center.

    • During reassembly, gently push down the center of the lower case to reattach the two plastic clips.

    Edit

  4. Step 4 Battery Connector

    • If necessary, remove the plastic cover adhered to the battery contact board.

    Edit

  5. Step 5

    • Use the flat end of a spudger to lift the battery connector straight up out of its socket on the logic board.

    • Be sure you lift up only on the connector itself, not the socket, or you risk permanent damage to the logic board.

    Edit

  6. Step 6

    • Bend the battery connector up out of the way to prevent accidental contact with its socket during your repair.

    Edit

  7. Step 7 Right Speaker

    • Remove the two 2.1 mm T5 Torx screws securing the logic board end of the I/O board cable bracket.

    • Remove the I/O board cable bracket.

    Edit

  8. Step 8

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

    • Be careful to only pry up on the I/O board cable, not on the socket itself or you risk damaging your logic board.

    Edit

  9. Step 9

    • Lift the logic board end of the I/O board cable straight up to bend it out of the way.

    • To avoid damage to the cable, fold only at the bend in the I/O board end of the cable.

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  10. Step 10

    • Carefully tuck the tip of a spudger under the right speaker cable near the connector and lift it up out of its socket on the logic board.

    Edit

  11. Step 11

    • Carefully peel the right speaker cable off the upper case.

    Edit

  12. Step 12

    • Remove the following screws securing the right speaker to the upper case:

      • One 5.7 mm T5 Torx screw

      • One 6.5 mm T5 Torx screw

      • One 3.8 mm T5 Torx screw

    Edit

  14. Step 13

    • Lift the right speaker from the cable end and pull it free from the case.

    Edit

  15. Step 14 Left Speaker

    • Insert the tip of a spudger under the left speaker cable near the connector and lift it up out of its socket on the logic board.

    Edit

  16. Step 15

    • Remove the following screws securing the left speaker to the upper case:

      • One 5.7 mm T5 Torx screw

      • One 6.5 mm T5 Torx screw

      • One 3.8 mm T5 Torx screw

    Edit

  17. Step 16

    • Lift the corner of the left speaker up and slide it out the battery to remove it from the upper case.

    • Be careful not to snag the speaker cable on the screw hole post in the side of the case.

    Edit

  18. Step 17 Trackpad Cable

    • Use the flat end of a spudger to pop the trackpad connector straight up off its socket on the logic board.

    Edit

  19. Step 18

    • Lift the trackpad cable up off the battery to separate it from the adhesive securing it.

    Edit

  20. Step 19

    • If necessary, peel back any tape covering the trackpad cable connector.

    • Use the end of a spudger to flip the retaining tab on the ZIF connector.

    Edit

  21. Step 20

    • Pull the trackpad cable straight out of its ZIF socket on the trackpad control board.

    Edit

  22. Step 21

    • Remove the single 3.7 mm T5 Torx screw securing the battery board to the upper case.

    Edit

  23. Step 22 Battery

    • The liquid adhesive remover provided in your iFixit battery replacement kit can affect the antireflective coating on your MacBook Pro's display.

    • To protect your display, place a sheet of aluminum foil between the display and keyboard and leave it there while you work.

    Edit

  24. Step 23

    • If you have an iFixit battery kit with liquid adhesive remover, it's time to get it prepped.

    • Alternatively, if you are using the hot iOpener method, skip the following three steps.

    • iFixit adhesive remover contains acetone, a mild skin and eye irritant.

      • Wear eye protection when handling and applying the adhesive remover. (Eye protection is included in your kit.)

      • Do not wear contact lenses without eye protection.

      • Protective gloves are also included in your kit. If you are concerned about skin irritation, put your gloves on now.

    Edit

  25. Step 24

    • Pull off the black rubber stopper from your bottle of adhesive remover.

    • Twist to loosen or remove the bottle cap before you cut the applicator tip.

      • This unseals the bottle and allows the pressure to equalize before you cut the applicator tip. If you skip this step, the adhesive remover may spray out unexpectedly when the tip is cut.

    • Use scissors to cut off the sealed tip of the applicator.

      • Cutting close to the narrow tip will give you better control so you can apply the adhesive remover in small amounts.

    • Twist and close the bottle cap securely before you proceed further.

    Edit

  26. Step 25

    • Apply a few drops of adhesive remover evenly under the edge of the rightmost battery cell.

      • You don't need to use very much. The small bottle contains more than twice the amount of solvent needed to remove all the battery cells.

    • Wait 2-3 minutes for the liquid adhesive remover to penetrate underneath the battery cell before you proceed to the next step.

    Edit

  27. Step 26

    • If you don't have a liquid adhesive remover, you'll be using a hot iOpener to warm and soften a section of the adhesive securing the battery to the upper case, and then carefully prying at that point.

    • Use the hot iOpener to cover half of the right-most battery cells.

    • After about a minute, reheat the iOpener and move it to cover the other half of the right-most battery cells.

    Edit

  28. Step 27

    • Push a plastic card between the right-most battery cell and the upper case, cutting the adhesive between the two.

    • Throughout this procedure, be careful not to damage any of the battery cells with your tools. A damaged lithium-ion battery may leak dangerous chemicals and/or catch fire. Use only plastic pry tools.

    • When using the hot iOpener method, if you encounter significant resistance to prying, stop and use the iOpener to reheat the section you're working on.

    Edit

  29. Step 28

    • Repeat this procedure with the adjacent battery cell:

      • Apply a small amount of liquid adhesive remover under the battery cell, and wait 2-3 minutes for it to penetrate and soften the adhesive.

      • Alternatively, re-heat this section with your iOpener if needed.

      • Push a plastic card about an inch between the battery cell and the upper case, and slowly pry the cell up to separate all of the adhesive.

    Edit

  30. Step 29

    • Temporarily leave your plastic card underneath the two rightmost battery cells to prevent them from re-adhering to the upper case.

    • If using an iOpener, reheat it and reapply it, this time to the left-most battery cells.

      • Again, leave the iOpener in each position for about a minute, reheating in between, to heat each half of the left-most battery cells.

    Edit

  31. Step 30

    • Repeat the above procedure to separate the two leftmost battery cells from the upper case.

      • Remember to apply a small amount of adhesive remover to each battery cell, and wait 2-3 minutes for it to penetrate and soften the adhesive.

      • Use a second plastic card to separate the two leftmost battery cells from the upper case.

    Edit

  32. Step 31

    • Continue to repeat the prying procedure.

    • Insert the plastic card between the second left-most battery cell and the upper case to cut the adhesive joining the two, and pry the cell up from the case.

    Edit

  33. Step 32

    • Leave the second card in the corner between the two left cells.

    • If using an iOpener, reheat it and apply it to the central battery cells.

      • As before, leave the iOpener in each position for about a minute, reheating in between, to heat each half of the center cells.

    • In the following steps, you can either use a third card, or the card from the right corner. The right corner adhesive should be dry/cool enough that the cells can easily be pulled up again when needed.

    Edit

  34. Step 33

    • If using liquid adhesive remover, apply a few more drops under each of the final two, middle cells.

      • It may help to elevate one side of your MacBook Pro a few inches so that the adhesive remover flows in the correct direction, underneath the battery cells. You can use a sturdy book or foam block to prop up one side of your MacBook Pro while you work.

      • Allow 2-3 minutes for the adhesive remover to penetrate before you continue.

    • Gently folding the right-most battery cells out of the way, insert a plastic card under the right center cell.

    • Push the card in about half of its length to cut the adhesive holding the battery cell to the case.

    • Be sure to avoid the trackpad control board. Aim the card up toward the logic board, where the adhesive is.

    • Leave the card in place to keep the adhesive from re-sealing.

    Edit

  35. Step 34

    • Repeat the same procedure for the last remaining battery cell.

    • Holding the outer cells out of the way, insert the plastic card about halfway under the left center battery cell, avoiding the trackpad board.

    Edit

  36. Step 35

    • Return to the card beneath the right-center cell, and twist it to separate the entire battery from the upper case.

    • By now you should have cut all of the adhesive securing the battery to the upper case, and it should come out freely.

      • If it does not come out easily, you may need to reheat the iOpener and apply it to the stuck areas, and then continue gently cutting the adhesive with the plastic cards.

    Edit

  37. Step 36

    • Remove the battery.

    • Before installing your new battery, remove all the old adhesive from the MacBook Pro's case.

      • With a little luck, you can slowly pull out each strip of adhesive with your fingers.

      • Otherwise, soak each section of adhesive with a bit of adhesive remover for 2-3 minutes, and then scrape it out with an opening pick or one of the other tools in your kit. This can take quite a bit of work, so be patient.

      • Mop up any remaining adhesive remover and give your MacBook Pro a few minutes to air dry.

    • The replacement battery included in your iFixit kit comes with adhesive pre-installed. Test the battery's fit and alignment carefully before peeling off the film covering the adhesive, and then press each cell firmly into place. If any additional films/liners are present that weren't on your original battery, remove them now.

    • Calibrate your newly installed battery: charge it to 100%, and keep charging it for at least 2 more hours. 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 Pro's SMC.

    Edit
Conclusion

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

133 other people completed this guide.

Author

with 5 other contributors

Andrew Optimus Goldberg

Member since: 10/17/2009

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23 Comments

Add a comment

is it possible to use MBP early 2015's battery on a late 2013 model?

gianluca pertosa - Reply

No, they're different parts.

fastasleep -

Thanks to this guide I saved my broken MacBook Pro from a coffee spill that killed the battery. It cost me about 30% compared to what it would have cost to have the battery changed at an Apple authorized repair center. It wasn't easy to do, but that just made it all the more satisfying.

One comment: the new battery pack I bought came attached to a thin film which had to be removed. I unfortunately tore off some of the strips of glue attached to the back of the battery cells, before getting the hang of it. No big deal. But if you have to do the same thing: peel slowly.

Fredrik - Reply

After i replace the battery, the new battery is outofsync with osx battery indicator. When the indicator hit the 30% mark the macbook just shutdown completly. How do i syncroniz the new battery with osx?

The tutorial i saw only, tell you to fully charged the battery and let it depleet until the warning message pop up that your battery is low and your mac go into sleep mod. Problem my mac cant go into sleep mod because it thinks that it has 30% left of juice.

Is there any method to change the sleep setting or to force a recalibration?

enis alijagic - Reply

I would download an application called coconut battery from here: http://www.coconut-flavour.com/coconutba...

This will indicate your battery's current health (I am not sure how accurate it is or how it measures the milliamps/hour) which might help you determine when you need to recharge it. I don't know what else you could do but I'd check the battery's health before anything since it might be causing the problem if it is faulty.

Alex Someone -

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