MacBook Pro 13" Retina Display Early 2015 Display Assembly Replacement

I never, ever, ever considered using anything but the correct tool on the Pentalobe screws. Too easy to strip and void your warranty (if still in effect), as well as make it almost impossible to get inside later for another upgrade or repair. The Wiha P5 Pentalobe screwdriver fits like a glove and costs only about $11 (a fraction of your drive's price)at Amazon.com. Get it!

is P5 supposed to be for all 10 screws? it works on the 2x 2.3mm at the top, but not for the 8x others for me. what size screwdriver for the 3mm? thanks

Yes, the p5 works for all 10 pentalobe screw heads for bottom cover. The the different size mm reference only refers to the difference in length of the screws, but again both heads are p5.

I followed this exactly and was able to replace my broken trackpad. I did not have to replace the ribbon OR the battery. However I would suggest getting the ribbon since it’s fairly cheap, as for the batteries I was able to do it with a card only. I didn’t use any heat or the liquid but it takes some time. You really have to work the card in there to release the glue. Also you must be very careful not to bend the batteries or damage them, if you do you must replace with new. This took me about 1.5hrs and my computer works like new. Apple cost for this job was around $450, I did it for $120. Big ups to ifixit for this awesome tutorial, tool set and parts!

On a side note, only use quality tools, the cheap ones will break or strip the screws.

A good technique for starting to thread the screws when replacing them is to position and align the screw, and with the driver, gently turn the screw in the REMOVAL direction until you feel and hear a slight click. This click happens when the leading thread of the screw drops off of the leading edge of the thread in the hole — this is the point at which the threads are properly positioned for engagement. You can now turn the driver and screw in the TIGHTENING direction. This technique will help prevent accidental “cross-threading” of the screw, which will damage the threads permanently.

Note that this is a useful technique when installing ANY threaded fastener.

Just finished replacing my battery (MacBook Pro 13” early 2015), glad I did, the old ones were noticeably swollen. I was surprised to find the battery at 57% upon completion and charging the new battery. No problems with replacement however, kit arrived without the Pentalobe driver. I got a nice complete kit from Amazon for 20 euro in 2 days. iFixit offered a coupon on any future purchase but right now, I have no plans on needing anything. Nice gesture but would have preferred the driver in the kit in the first place.

Suggest having a small can of compressed air on hand to clean out the interior, after 4 years, mine was quite dirty. Ear buds and alcohol were the best I could do. And a magnetized driver is mandatory I think.

REQUIRED PARTS (SCREWS) TO DO THIS JOB UNAVAILABLE HERE:

If your keyboard is riveted to the chassis as mine is, Late 2013 MBP 13” retina, you need about 100 screws to reattach the new keyboard.

ifixit does not have them. I did just now find them at Beetstech for $4.50 along with a back light $13 for the keyboard in case you want one. It looks like Beetstech is a big competitor of ifixit with an excellent reputation (like ifixit has) too. I just ordered these parts and will not happily be moving forward with my keyboard replacement.

Fun Fact: I got three of the 2,3 mm Pentalopes … ;-)

My PB had eight (8), 2.3 mm screws and two (2), 3.0 mm screws.

Hi peeps,

I have a wifi problem on this MBP 13” early 2015 and was pleasently surprised to find your guide to changing the airport card.

However upon closer inspection it seems that on my MBP (purchased new or so I thought) the 3 antennae seem so have been soldered together at the point where they are clamped to the chassis. I have photos but cannot post here. Can anyone conform that where the 3 antennae wires are held to the chssis by the 2 scew metal support (just before disappearing into the screen hinge), the support is not meant to short the 3 wires together. This makes no sense for 3 seperate antennae wires.

Any advice /close up photos is welcome here.

dom

Tip: Use post-it notes to keep track of screws

1. Pack of post it notes

2. Stick screws to the sticky part of the post it note

3. Write on the post it note which step and what kind of screw it is

Hi, in order to drain the battery I am running:

yes > /dev/null

in 4 terminals, so the CPU maxes out at almost 99%.

I hope this speeds up the battery draining process.

And the backlight is at maximum brightness :-)

You can see the cpu load in Activity Monitor.

Its draining at 20% per 15 minutes.

Any concerns about draining the battery in this way?

Something I’ve been curious about, is it possible to upgrade a late 2013 Retina model MacBook Pro, with the improved 16gb ram and i7 processor logic board from the 2015 retina model? I’d be interested to try but not ready to shell out the $500+ to be the first lol

The batteries of my MBP 13” (early 2015) were distended. due to outgassing. They are 3,5 years old but only had 340 cycles. I suppose that the batteries age faster when your computer is permanently plugged in.

When unscrewing the bottom lid, I didn’t have to exert any force to remove the lid as it already popped loose due to the expanded batteries.

By the way, on my pentalobe bit it reads 1.2 instead of P5.

This takes a bit more effort than you might expect. Put your fingers where shown and lift about 3inches. With enough upwards pressure the plastic holders will “pop free” and the bottom will come off easily.

Agreed. A decent amount of force is required here.

To reattach bottom case I found it helpful to line fingers up with clips under case should snap easily

Easy snapped off for me

Popped off of the bottom case for me. My batteries were dangerously inflated

What is the black vinyl-y sticker on the inside of the case (some sort of shield?). I was forced to slightly puncture it in order to replace the feet on my laptop. Thanks in advance.

When I got the back off, I found this piece loose, any idea what it is? about 9mm long frosted plastic

https://imgur.com/a/tYaxGdG

This wording I found quite confusing. They just mean when putting the lid back on that you just removed in the previous step, push here.

I took my pointer and thumb (which are luckily long enough) to feel where the studs are on the back panel, and then as I put the back panel back on, I pushed in the spot I had marked with my fingers to ensure I was applying pressure only on this part.

Can you make a youtube video showing the steps? I am not sure how to proceed with this step. I want to see it done.

Thanks.

Do you know where I can purchase this plastic cover? Mine is missing and no one will work on my computer without it.

My new battery kit included a replacement for this part, so, no need to save the old one.

The aux in my mac works 1 out of 10 times , Is this relevant to me in order to solve the proplem ? I cant see aux input on the io board ?

A plastic foam cover also covers plug and socket and the whole battery. It is easy to remove it from the right side to the trackpad wire that the battery plug is free like shown in the picture. I kept it to use it again later.

Removing the battery connector took a bit of finagling. It wasn’t as easy as one would think. Be very careful when doing this as they warn to not damage it. Otherwise great instructions!!!!

I have verified I have this battery, and I have a mid-2014 macbook retina. And I swear i do not see this battery connector. I didn’t take the cover off, per other comments that said it was an unnecessary risk. What the heck? will I not see the battery cable without taking of that cover?

How can i post a photo of what I am seeing …I don’t see the battery connector! not like in photo above. maybe I have to remove that plastic cover although others recommended not doing that (see above).

ooops nevermind..I see it now! tks . But..there is SO much gunk/dust under there (old, hand me down, used by my teen daughter while eating in bed no doubt!) . Should I attempt to clean? Beyond just blowing on it? Is compressed air safe? Or should I just leave it be? Assuming I don’t break it while replacing this battery I’d like not to break it otherwise! tks

Lift from the long, flat side, not the shorter side. In this picture, you should lift from the NORTH part of the connector, not the WEST side like they are doing. This is because you can spread the pressure from lifting the connector across more area, as compared to the side. I accidentally broke off part of my battery connector lifting it up the way shown, but was able to do it the way I described without problem. Make sure to lift from the wide part so you don’t have my same trouble!

I put a small piece of blue painters tape on the battery connector contacts to prevent it from accidentally making a connection and shorting. This helped keep things a bit more protected.

That’s a great idea!

I used a small piece of paper to prevent the connector from connecting, no need to wrestle with even low-stick adhesive.

I replaced both my L and R speakers on my MBP mid-2014 13” withOUT doing this step.

I agree that inserting a small paper above between the socket and the connector was useful. I used post-it-note, but kept the adhesive away from the socket.

I forget to put the fan bumper back . Now I am unable to open the two screw . Can I leave it as it is or I have to take it to professionals

I struggled with reconnecting these, and in the process accidentally ripped the connector away from the wire. Is there anything I can do to reattached it?

This is most difficult and time consuming portion of this entire procedure. Make sure to lift the connectors straight up - not to damage them. The reconnection of the contacts may take several tries. USE CARE AND BE PATIENT! You will eventually get them to connect.

does anyone have advice on what is the best tool to use for reconnecting? this is definitely the hardest step to reassembly

everything else was easy... I still haven't managed to figure this step out... good luck in your repair

I got it! line the wire up; push the top part of the metal and give it firm pressure; they should snap in and connect

You'll get 'em in. Work gently. Make sure they're exactly over top the bottom pins. Press down with a flat smudger. It took me a lot of gentle work to get them in.

I saw the sleeves on these.. and when looking at the replacement display saw they matched exactly and took the chance it was intentional. The only thing that got me.. was the bottom panel screws.. didn't know there were 3 types.. (should have known though, I mean right?! LOL Apple (rolls eyes) They could do like Samsung and use one screw for everything.. but oh no.. there is some OCD engineer that just likes SCREWING with people!

Pro Tip: When reassembling, do not screw on the metal tab attached to these connectors (part of step 15) until after you have all 3 connected. This gives you uninhibited range of motion for the 3 wires. Go slow as other commenters have said. Start with the shortest wire first. Once all 3 are connected, screw on the metal tab with those 2 screws. Finally double check that all 3 are still connected.

I found an alternative method. That is NOT to disconnect these three tiny wires but instead, leave them attached to the AirPort board and remove the AirPort board itself and let it dangle safely to one side with all three antennae cables attached.

First, lift the flat cable just off the board as it is normally “stuck” to the board. This will help the connector to release from the socket.

Ripped cable from logic board? Step 9.5

iSight Camera broken off logic board

This is pulled straight out to the side of the Macbook, not up.

Thanks for adding this comment !

Please use a nylon black stick to lift the lock bar up and push the connection apart reason being is the lock bar should not be pulled on and by pulling on it like shown may cause damage to the MLB/DISPLAY connection and then you’re into not just a display repair but a MLB on top of it!!!

I found these to be very tight and wasnt able to move them with the ifixt screwdriver kit, i had to get a t-handle torx 9 bit to move them

Yes they were tight but I managed to shift them with the iFixit screwdriver set

This is 1 screw on each side (not 2 on each side). They are circled in red.

The T5 in the set I bought from LaptopScreen.com was too big and started to strip these screws. Got an Ace Hardware brand one instead and it worked great.

Be careful at reassembling. This screw tends to brake if you tighten it too much.

These were T4 not T5 size for me

Vorsicht beim Wiederzusammenbau! Diese Schraube ist bei mir am Kopf abgebrochen, als ich sie etwas zu fest hineingedreht habe. Musste das Teil dann notdürftig mit Klebeband fixieren.

——-

Be careful at reassembling. This screw tends to brake if you tighten it too much.

Does these three screws are the same size? Can i mix use these screws during the installing process?

When replacing the display assembly with a new one, the new hinges may be very hard to move into the 90 degree position. We found it helpful to loop a paperclip into the screw hole of the hinge to facilitate pulling open the hinge.

Yes also found the hinges to be extremely tight, could not move them with from their initial position with fingers, ended up using a pair of pliers to rotate them enough to get fingers under them

Are there any cheaper replacement screens? If so I need to know. My parents still haven't found out and I don't make a ton of money...

The paper clip is a great tip. I also used the spudger flat end under the hinge and the metal side of the case as leverage to push it up.

Excellent guide, Andrew! I am an ACMT and when disconnecting the eDP cable, I like to use the pointed ends of two spudgers (Apple calls them ‘black sticks’) to push the connector straight back out of the socket by pushing on its edges. This prevents any stress to the locking bar and also helps to ensure that the connector is disconnected evenly. For reassembly, I line up the connector carefully and once the pins are all lined up and the cable connector partially inserted, I push on the back edges on either side of the connector with the pointed ends of two spudgers, ‘walking’ the connector back into place so that it is even on both sides.

Also, when disconnecting the camera cable connector from the logic board, I use the same method as above, situating the points of the sticks into the notches on each side of the connector and pushing straight back vs walking it back. I do the same thing when reconnecting the cable, but I ‘walk’ it back as mentioned above with the eDP cable connector.

Also, once I have removed the clutch covers, I remove the two screws holding the metal antenna grounding loop in place (first picture in Step 15 of your guide). I move the loop out of the way and reinstall the two screws just until the heads of the screws make contact with the metal surface of the hinge. I loosen all of the rest of the screws and then tighten them back down just until the screws stop turning (without torquing them). I thoroughly brush off the surface area of the ESD mat where I am going to situate the MacBook for the next step, and then flip it over and open the display 90 degrees. I flip the machine back over and rotate it 90 degrees so that the ‘Apple’ logo on the back of the display lid is facing me, inverted, and the display hinges are much closer to me. After carefully scooting the machine back just until the display makes contact with the edge of the table, I pull the display up toward me to open it fully. I then carefully remove the hinge screws.

For removal, you simply need to lift up slightly on the top edge of the display (possible once the 6 hinge screws have been fully removed) until it has cleared the recesses of the top case. It can then be lifted out without any hassle and you should not need to use any paper clips as mentioned in previous comments. I hope this helps someone; it is knowledge I have gained from following Apple’s Service Guides and experience from having replaced hundreds of displays in a short amount of time. We are an AASP on a university campus, so display repairs are VERY common (from mostly student customers).

Excellent guide. My IT guys were scared to touch my mac but I did it myself. Thanks to ifixit