MacBook Pro 13" Retina Display Early 2015 Upper Case 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!

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.

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

Without rehashing what others have said, I would highly recommend reading through the steps *and* the comments for each before tackling your replacement for tips. Highlights for me were: only disconnecting what actually needed to be disconnected, rotating the spudger to release the track pad cable, a hair dryer worked perfectly fine, and the pencil outline of the battery before you remove. You got this!

Installation of replacement AirPort card was easier than I had expected thanks to this guide. Thank you.

I use replaced SSD and it was super easy and working great. I can finally upgrade Mac OS with plenty of room to spare and no more low memory alerts. Well worth investment and didn’t have to buy new laptop

It's interesting that this tutorial is rated Moderate even though you need to remove the battery. The battery removal tutorial which is basically the same but with fewer steps is rated Difficult.

when i pulled the screws out i arranged them in the same way they were in. the top 2 middle screws appeared to be shorter than the rest. in order to keep them in place i got a square of packing tape sticky side up, taped both sides down with 2 other pieces of tape. and then put the screws head down in the order i pulled them.

Excellent instructions although checking battery and speakers aligned before fixing batteries into place is essential. MacBook good as new!

I find it helpful to spread a soft, slightly fuzzy cloth (like flannel) over my workspace before doing something with small parts. It keeps screws and things from rolling or bouncing away. A towel might be too plush, though, as a screw might get lost in it.

I cannot get the two screws (that are different than the other ones) out and now they’re stripped. Any idea what to do without using a drill?

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.

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

If your old battery has swollen, the lower case may “pop” open. Don’t lose your screws!

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.

If you’re doing an iFixIt battery replacement, the replacement battery has two rubber nubs which are right where the clips are that receive these studs. Folks have been saying it’s hard to get the studs to clip back in after replacement, and I had the same issue. I trimmed the top of these rubber nubs, which are a bit bigger than those on the original battery, with some side cutters. That made the fit much better.

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.

I agree with Dave la Rose, provided you use heat rather than solvent to remove the old battery (or possibly floss, haven’t done that). Please see my comment further down this thread on how to use an iOpener for correctly heating the glue joint

After removing battery contact board plastic. My screwdriver accidentally fell and touched the battery board. And it short circuited. Now my battery doesn't charge. My laptop doesn't work without charger now. shuts after a few minutes of use. Can i fix it without sending it for repairs?

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!!!!

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!

The connector is no more than 1mm thick… the socket is 3-to-4mm deep so make sure you’re trying to remove the connector itself, and not pulling at the socket.

Thank you Richie I was trying to lift the socket.

be careful the little square block is actually made of 2 parts and you only have to lift the upper part as Richie said

You can do it from the side like the picture, but i would recommend twisting almost like a screw driver once you have leverage under the overhanging part of the left side like in the picture. Twist the tool so that it starts to put pressure on the top, until you’ll hear it click out. You can be somewhat forceful but it shouldn’t require a lot of strength. Guiding the tool with one hand and twisting with the other is a good way to attempt this.

After I put the battery back I found out at this step that the new battery connector was off by 2 mm (because I installed my battery slightly off). Since the connector is rigid, I removed it’s plastic cover (just like we all did in Step 4) to free the cable, which allowed me to bent it enough to properly plug the connector.

The connector wires from the battery to the connector are long

You'll have to bend them downward and into the small cove that exists so the connector can fit in place.
So use the a plastic card or flat end of the spudger to bend them downward and folded a bit back so the connector will fit in place.
Use your old battery as a guide for how they should be bent.

Hi All ,

I followed the instructions step by step and changed the board successfully and reconnected everything back. When I powered it back on I can see it is charging again however it just displays a black screen and no display. Keyboard light comes on as well and the apple logo light on the back lid also turns on. Not sure what is wrong ? It has been charging for more than 15 minutes and still no joy. Anyone able to help solve or identify the issue .

Thanks

The connector cover is slightly wider and longer than the socket (<1mm) so there is a small "lip" around the top that can be used to lift it.

If your are not familiar with those repairs, and as with most of those connections, I recommend to take the time to observe your computer and the pictures from the tutorial, reading instructions and comments before starting each step. This battery connector needs both a bit of force and of precision. For a battery repair the connection of the new battery is a bit more tricky, you need to have your battery in the right position and to force it a bit the connector

If you miss or let this step for later like I did, the power left in the battery even though the computer is completely shut down, will screw up the I/O board cable like I did. I noticed this after I put all the pieces back, turn the computer on and surprise, no wifi hardware is detected. -.-

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.

Do you know where I can purchase the i/o board cable bracket?

On my Mac they are p6 screws, not T5?!

Same for me. T6 screws, with a slighly narrow band (no central connector).

I don’t understand why the instructions would tell you to remove the speakers if it wasn’t necessary. Can the battery be replaced WITHOUT removing the speakers?

If you are only replacing an old battery with a new battery, then this step (Step 8) is not required, nor are any of the other steps that involve removing the left and right speakers. It is possible to remove the old battery and install a new battery without removing the speakers.

I couldn’t skip steps 12 & 15 because the speaker assemblies are holding down parts of the battery.

Removing the speakers is very important if you use solvent — solvent will damage the speakers and can lead to a horrible buzzing. I failed to understand this and skipped removing the speakers when dissolving the glue and paid the price: speakers that are essentially unusable.

(Whether to disconnect the speakers is a judgment call, but removing them from the battery cavity is important.)

I have performed battery swap without disconnecting the speakers!

Did that mean that you left the speakers attached to the case? If so, did that make removing the end sections of the battery very difficult? Thanks.

If you are only replacing an old battery with a new battery, then this step is not required. See my comments in Step 8.

On mine the cable connector pulls out to the left, not upwards

Once disconnected, you will see that the speaker socket pins are horizontal. You might think the connector needs to slide into the pins, but it does not. The connecter is reattached by pressing straight down. After the connector is in place, use the flat end of the spudger to make sure the connector is fully seated.

This step should be skipped.I pulled it all off, hard to pull one off alone.

You can skip step 10,11 go to 12, and fold it over. Same as left.

Then go to step 17.

I have successfully replaced battery without removing the speaker cables, as proposed by the comments in the next steps.

Furthermore, in the steps after 22, where the battery is removed from the upper case, I have easily performed with a credit card and a drop of rubbing alcohol on it and finished in several minutes. Try it!

Kem, please could you explain how you got the end battery sections out of the case with the speakers still attached. Still very puzzled by this!

See this video - https://youtu.be/Lue6lVWhh4o

Make sure you replace these screws exactly where they came from, same with the other speak.

When replacing with the new speaker, the new piece could have some blue strips on the cable. Remove them to let the adhesive do its job and attach the cable to the surroundings to avoid having it loose.

I was wondering where I can buy a good replacement. Some users comply about the bad quality of sound after replacing the speakers. Can you suggest a link where to buy good replacement parts (possibly Italy / EU ) ?!

Hi everyone.

I have a problem with the right speaker of my macbook pro early 2015.

The sound has a strange vibration and it is impossible to hear the audio properly except with headphones.

I disassembled the macbook and extracted the speakers to check their condition but they are both perfect.

I wanted to ask all of you who have replaced speakers what condition you found them in.

Could the vibration be due to the deformation of the case due to the swelling of the battery? Is there another way to tell if the speaker actually needs to be replaced?

Thank you all.

Same as my comment on Step 11: This step was not necessary for me to remove the battery. Perhaps it's a safety precaution? Regardless, I skipped the speaker cable removal (Steps 11, 12) and didn't have any problems replacing the battery. ( FYI - I used a heat path method, vs the solvent).

Yes, no need to unplug the speakers cable. I used the solent, just put speakers on the motherboard.

slight touch of glue secures speaker cable to MB. Use steady light presuure with spudger edge to unglue and then disconnect cable from MB

I picked up my steps back here when replacing both my L and R speakers on my MBP mid-2014 13”. I used the flat part of the spudger and gently, carefully applied a fulcrum upward pressure to the base of the speaker connector to help pop it off.

I, too, found it unnecessary to unplug this speaker. It was easy, and not stressful to the speaker cable, to fold the speaker upwards and rest it on the motherboard.

When removing the left speaker as shown in the image in the photo, the left-most fixing part (protrusion) is broken. Will there be any problems using it?

Removing the speakers is very important if you use solvent — solvent will damage the speakers and can lead to a horrible buzzing. I failed to understand this and skipped removing the speakers when dissolving the glue and paid the price: speakers that are essentially unusable.

That said, unplugged is not necessary, merely removing the speakers (Step 16).

For a battery repair with the heat method, as indicated in other comments on prior steps, you may skip this step, just unscrew the speaker and put it away when working on the battery. For this specific left speaker - on the right during the repair - you need to be careful with the protruding bit from the frame when moving the cable. Just guide the cable above or below as needed during the repair, to prevent to damage the cable with this protruding part.

Speakers aren't working now... perhaps because I connected and disconnected then while the battery was still on. Even headphones don't work... Hmm...

Same note as above: Important to keep track here of which screw is which, for reassembly. The longest screw belongs in the middle socket. The shortest goes in the socket at the bottom of the picture.

Once again.

NO NEED NO NEED NO NEED

Muchas gracias amigo, cambié las bocinas sin problema. :)

There’s a typo in this section.

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

If I have a case assembly with battery and trackpad, the above instructions say to skip steps 18 - 44. So, how do the battery and trackpad disconnect otherwise since I need everything else to reassemble. Am I missing something?

after step 9 what??? i cannot see the next steps….

Réparation faite en moins de 5 minutes chrono (j’avais lu et relu le tuto et l’avais répété autant de fois “dans ma tête” le temps de la réception du haut parleur endommagé). Réparation très facile, faite en moins de 10 minutes tout compris. Vraiment bravo et merci !

Why does this step exist?

Unneeded…

Removing the speakers is very important if you use solvent — it will damage the speakers and can lead to a horrible buzzing. I failed to understand this and skipped removing the speakers when dissolving the glue and paid the price: speakers that are essentially unusable. (See comment on Step 14).

For a battery repair with the heat method, I needed to remove the speakers, but not the connectors, just unscrew the speaker and put them away when working on the battery

I wish this then said, “skip steps X, Y, and Z” for us newbies.

The trackpad cable can also be of a different type where you pull the tape on it

If you are replacing an old battery with a new battery, and the trackpad cable goes “under” the battery from the trackpad connector to the other side of it (instead of the trackpad cable going “over” the battery from its trackpad connector as shown in the provided image), then you might instead see a trackpad connector that has a loose tape on it. If the trackpad cable goes “under” the battery then it is possible to skip this step. It is not necessary to pull the tape. Note that I had an A1502 MacBook Pro laptop and was replacing its A1493 battery, it had the trackpad cable going “under” the battery, so I skipped this step and was still able to successfully replace the battery.

On the picture above, it looks like, that the CIF cable for the keyboard, located right to the trackpad cable, should also be separated, but this is not necessary. You can leave it attached.

If you are replacing an old battery with a new battery, and the trackpad cable goes “under” the battery from the trackpad connector to the other side of it (instead of the trackpad cable going “over” the battery from its trackpad connector as shown in the provided image), then you then it is possible to skip this step. See my comments in Step 17.

For people having keyboard or trackpad issues:

If you followed the disassembly photos you may have lifted the the tap on the ZIF connector in Step 18 image. Note the lifted “tape” below the thumb. This may release the ZIF Connector and cause keyboard issues. Make sure the black retaining bar is in the down position on the ZIF Connector.

Also, check the ZIF connector in Step 19 and 20. The Black plastic retaining bar MUST be in the “up/open” position to remove and reinstall the ribbon cable.

Overall, I really enjoyed this project and it was a complete success but this step is the one spot I came up short. I forgot to flip the retaining tab back down when I reassembled and I got a totally unresponsive keyboard and trackpad before I opened it back up and realized I had forgotten this tiny but crucial step.

I also forgot to flip the ZIF connector. Thankfully my trackpad worked after.

Make sure to flip the ZIF connector before putting the trackpad cable back, too.

I did not remove this retaining clip for fear of not getting it plugged in again then just carefully folded it back to clear battery instal

This was the most challenging part of the installation. Putting this tab back, it's so fragile and difficult to put back. I thought it was going to get damaged but it worked.

Like Peter, I just folded it back a bit and had care to keep it out of the way. I think it is much better than the risk involved with taking it out.

All in all it found it a bit less difficult than I expected - As with all the work I have done on different Apple products: Slow and careful work and following the instructions - including all the comments - seems to be the best advice.

Daniel- remove and put back again the cable on the ZIF connector, making sure it is pushed all the way in before closing the retainer clip. May have a partially reinserted cable.

If you are replacing an old battery with a new battery, and the trackpad cable goes “under” the battery from the trackpad connector to the other side of it (instead of the trackpad cable going “over” the battery from its trackpad connector as shown in the provided image), then you then it is possible to skip this step. See my comments in Step 17.

This was the most difficult part for me.In frustration, I thought I had a bad cable so I bought two new ones and still was not successful.So I skipped the whole thing and bought an external wireless keyboard which I have been using till now.Recently, my LCD screen cracked and I am about to replace it. So, I now have another opportunity to open my laptop and try fixing this step again.This time I will read users comments before attempting another go.Please if anyone have additional useful tips for this step, kindly post a comment.I should be fixing my laptop in 2 weeks.Thanks!

One thing to know about the tape that you have to remove is that it has "arms” that wrap around the cable just beyond the connector. If you bend the cable toward you you can see these. Remove/bend them so that they are pointing ‘north” and then pull the sticker.

The “flip up” tab was hard to see for me but once my 7yo confirmed it was up, I slowly moved the cable into the slot using my fingers (to avoid bending/breaking anything, thanks to comments I read), staying perpendicular. Once it was clearly in, I confirmed it was fully seated with a toothpick (a gentle tool for delicate parts). If worried, take zoomed in pictures straight from above, that way you will know what it should look like when reassembling.

After completing this repair and breaking the zif socket while trying to make sure this cable was re-attached properly. I believe the battery replacement can be done without doing this step. I would just carefully bend the cable out of the way when it came time to prying the portion of the battery out that sits below this cable.

I'm taking my Macbook into Apple to see if they'll replace the touchpad and cable now since I don't feel like messing with this anymore. My screwup may just push me into buying a new M2 Macbook Air... I'm thinking subconsciously my brain tricked me into sabotaging this repair attempt so that I'd just get a new computer, lol.

Same experience as many. I didn't read the comments or the instructions well enough here and forgot to flip up the ZIF connector. Ended up just pulling the ribbon cable out which must have damaged it. After the battery replacement when I reassemble and turned my computer back on, the trackpad and keyboard were unresponsive. I bought a replacement (used) trackpad cable from iFixit, it came a few days later, I popped it in (the correct way!) and my keyboard and trackpad were back to working. So, don't forget the ZIF connector tab!!!!

READ THE COMMENTS ON THIS ONE.

Broke the ZIF connector :-(

Should've seen this step properly and read the comments. I was on the right path but somehow thought needed to plug. out the casing of ZIF connector too and maybe just ripped out the cable wrongly. My bad and now will see what the Mac does without the ZIF connector flipper... or may just buy the new trackpad.

With all due respect, step # 19 and 20 pics shows the ZIF socket on the trackpad board, not the Mac logic board, I think...

See step #17 which seems to be correct. There is an inconsistency in the guide.

Just to be sure...

This was the most difficult step for me. It was hard to locate the retaining tab on the ZIF connector and the trackpad cable had some adhesive on the bottom of it and it was difficult to remove from the socket. Be patient….

I skipped this two steps (19&20) , just bent the flat fable when taking the battery out.

This does look the most frightening part of the process, that connector looks really flimsy. Is it ok to just bend it back and leave it connected as suggested?

This is the only step I skipped, as Gary Bain mentioned above there was adhesive which made it difficult to remove, and it’s probably the only step worth skipping.

Can you buy replacements for this trackpad control board? They dont seem to come with new trackpads.

The ZIF retaining tab is a tiny black plastic bar. Pull the trackpad cable HORIZONTALLY out of the socket.

If you are replacing an old battery with a new battery, and the trackpad cable goes “under” the battery from the trackpad connector to the other side of it (instead of the trackpad cable going “over” the battery from its trackpad connector as shown in the provided image), then you then it is possible to skip this step. See my comments in Step 17.

Unfortunately, i didn’t notice that there was a retaining tab, so i damaged my ZIF Connector. I ordered a new one from amazon. I followed the procedure and did it in the “correct” way. Anyway trackpad and keyboard won’t work. Can you help me?

"straight out" in this case is away from you and horizontal, not straight up! I tugged on the cable a bit harder than I'd like to admit before realizing my mistake, although no damage seems to have occurred.

Thank you for all the comments on the direction to pull this cable. Pull horizontally toward the battery. It slips out of the connector then you can pull it vertically to free. Mine had a little bit of sticky on the cable that held it to the battery.

So during re-assembly, my cable is not going in all the way. I think is causing the haptic feedback on the trackpad to stop working. Does anyone have any solution to this?

If lost where could I find a replacement for this screw?

Yes, where could I find a replacement for this screw?

Before continuing, draw around the outside of the existing battery with a pencil to make a template ready for when installing the new battery. It means when you get there, the new battery can be installed perfectly in place and you will not have space problems when trying to reinstall the speakers during reassembly.

when installing new battery it is better to start with this step and secure the battery control board first with the screw. This is needed to align the battery plug with the jack on the mother board, then glue the rest of the battery back.

FYI this was a T4 on my system

When aligning the placement of the battery, on my second attempt, I used a sim card removal pin (a paper clip would suffice) to align the battery board hole with the screw hole underneath. Unfortunately on my first attempt I inadvertently stripped the threads a little. Luckily there was just enough threads to hold

I didn't find this to be as hard as I had built it up in my mind to be; HOWEVER, saying that I need to say years ago I was the local Nokia service center in my town. But many years ago right after they got rid of analog times. Yeah. A classic installer/repairer mistake when starting something they haven't fixed or installed before is picking up the instructions, flipping through them; maybe even reading a section that is new-then tossing the instructions over the shoulder. "I got this." This usually comes right before something major gets broke. And I can tell you when you try to do it yourself and then mess it up horribly then take it to the repair shop. Well we called that "I can do it myself" syndrome and charged extra to put back together what they brought in in the box. Now knowing all this - I can't stress this enough because I am stupid, stupid, stupid. COVER YOUR SCREEN IN CLEAR BOXING TAPE AND READ ALL THE INSTRUCTION BELOW THROUGH TO THE END BEFORE EVEN ATTEMPTING THIS FIX. Take my advise.

I didn't have an iOpener, so I used a wheat type heat bag. If you do this though, make sure you put a layer of plastic between your Mac and the bag, or you'll get condensation in places you don't want it.

I started out using the iOpener but switched to my wife's hairdryer. A heat gun or hair dryer proved to be much more convenient and is a time saviour. You can heat more and the glue becomes more fluid make the next steps with the opening picks much easier

I know this is obvious, but backup your iPad with iTunes before you start. I'd also turn off your passcode if you have one.

Ther first time you heat up the iOpener for this repair when its room temperature I had to heat it up for more than 30 seconds. I remember I had to heat it up for around 45 seconds. However, after that when you need to reheat it again during the repair 30 seconds will be enough.

I used the wheat bag in a sensor microwave heating up to 65-70 deg C (155 def F).

Get yourself a cherry pit bean bag the size of your iPad. Heat it, put the iPad on it for 3 to 5 minutes or so, reheat the cherry pit bean bag, again put your iPad on it. Then heat the iOpener and start working. The cherry pit bean bag will have to be reheated several times, but it will soften the adhesive so you have less problems with the iOpener

The heating can be done very effectively (and quickly) with 3d printer heated bed. Make sure the bed is clean. Set the temperature to 60c, (130f ) and put the ipad face down for +/- 10 minutes. Repeat as needed throughout the “gentle prying” stages.

The iOpener did not work at all for me.

I had to use a heat gun and bring the edges of the case up to ~200 degrees (used an infrared thermometer to measure) before the glue would weaken. This obviously superheated the metal frame, so I also had to wear gloves to handle the phone while prying the back off with the included picks.

Repair instructions worked like a charm. Had to be patient with the iOpener and getting the screen off. I tried repeatedly without success until shifting the suction cup a bit to the left side where perhaps the glue had loosened up a bit more.

The iOpener, in my opinion, is of no help. Many warnings to say “don’t warm it too much”, but the glue doesn’t melt if not warm enough. As a result, a complete waste of time and energy. In addition, too much liquid in it, so it doesn’t lay on the device on a sufficient surface. I took a hairdryer and it worked much much better.

I used an immersion bath to heat this to 180F and applied it to the device until the outside temperature of the opener read 150F with an IR thermometer. Removing the screen took very little force with this method.

My experience. I was replacing the screen which had been cracked and a little shattered in some places. The iopener is pretty much useless, so was the suction cup. The suction cup would probably be more useful if I was doing something besides the screen. Also you probably want the clean the screen before using it so it can get good suction. I used a hair dryer on high for a couple of minutes at a time (someone on this tread suggested that). I used my exacto knife and a razor blade to get into the adhesive. First the exacto to get the initial cut, then the razor blade to go a little deeper. Could have probably just used the razor blade, but the exacto has a little more finesse. I got the razor blade in and a little under the glass then I used the picks to wedge in. I didn’t want to risk anything using the razor blade too much. Used tape to keep the shattered glass together.

My experience pt2

Fortunately the shattering was mostly on the edges and most of it had adhesive on the back so it stuck together. Just take your time and work your way around following the guide to get the screen off. Have some goof off or goo be gone to clean the frame when putting the new glass on or putting the existing one back. (someone suggested that also, very good idea). Be careful of the LCD (you should know that). The cable on my LCD was pretty tight, so I propped it up while taking the cable cover off and when I put it back on I did the same thing. I just put a bottle on the battery and leaned the back of the LCD on that while attaching the cables and putting the screws back on the cover. Also be careful with the home button and the bracket on the back of it. I had enough old adhesive on left on the bracket that it stuck back to the new glass fine. So far only 12 hours in, so we will see how that holds up when the kids get at it.

Another alternative if you do not have the iopener is to use a bed time hotwater bottle. Do not over fill it though. Just put enough hot water in to support the phone while you work around the adhesive.

I use both the hot water bottle and iopener together on Samsung's. It makes life easier

I followed the directions and heated my iOpener for 30 seconds in a 1000 watt microwave, and it came out at 160 degrees F, as verified by a infrared thermometer. This allowed me to separate the last bit of the back of my Samsung S8, which was already coming off due to a swollen battery (hence the reason for the repair).

Hallo,habe den Akku erfolgreich getauscht.Doch seitdem gibt es bei Telefonaten eine Rückkopplung für den anrufenden.Bei mir ist alles normal.Woran liegt das?Mfg

If you follow these instructions, you will crack your screen like I did. Heating the iOpener for 30 seconds, using it to melt glue, then waiting 10 minutes to reheat is useless. The iOpener can be used to maybe warm the glue on whatever side you aren’t working on. You need a hairdryer and/or a heat gun to melt the glue and separate the glass from the iPad.

Anyone want to buy an old iPad with broken glass and a dead battery?

Not everybody has a microwave. You should provide a target temperature for the iOpener and instructions for a conventional oven, or pot of warm water, or whatever. Although I will probably use a heat gun …

Three times heating opener and no luck. Tried pressing down gently on opener with a towel, and the opener broke. Wondering if I now replace table mats, fancy table cloth, etc. or will this stuff wash out.

Not impressed so far. Maybe the hair dryer next.

#### WARNUNG WENN MINIMALSTER SPRUNG IM DISPLAY IST FUNKTIONERT DAS NICHT!!! ######

Hatte einen winzigen, minimalen Sprung im Display. Ich dachte es könnte gehen, weil der Sprung “abgeschlossen” war. Er hat in einer Ecke ein winzige Glasteil rausgeschnitten. NEIN! Geht nicht. Habe alles mit viel Geduld dem iOpener und einem Föhn erhitzt. Es ist trotzdem sofort über das komplette Display zersprungen…

I’ve started with iOpener but changed very quickly to a heatgun. That was more efficient.

I could not get the iOpener hot enough to melt the glue on my ipad 6. I heated for 45 seconds once and it was boiling and it still never worked. Thank goodness contributors mentioned using a hair dryer. Using an 1700w hair dryer on high did the trick to get the screen off. Still took some time and the case got pretty hot but be patient. It took twice as long and a lot more patience to get the battery out.

I have an Ipad with touch screen issue, if i replace this part it should be Ok?

WARNING - DO NOT MICROWAVE ON A METAL MICROWAVE RACK

The metal microwave rack can heat up and melt through the iOpener cover letting the contents leak out.

Not a big issue for me as I have a heat gun and used that instead.

I opened my iPad with the iOpener. Be patient! It may take quite a bit longer to it the iOpener in the microwave than it says in the guide. My microwave can only do 800W and I had to put the iOpener in several times (maybe a total of 90-120 seconds). I recommend that you have the transparent side up an watch the bag carefully. As long a the bag doesn't bloat up and the liquid doesn't start bubbling you should be fine. But I recommend to take the iO out from time to time to check it. (More comments in Step 6.)

I gave upon the I opener and used a hairdryer. (Fixed an iPad 6)

iPad mini gen5. I used the iOpener. My microwave is 1200w with carousel. 30 sec got the iOpener to 155ºF. For the 2nd heating, after 10 minutes sitting, the temp was still around 125º so I only cooked it for 15 sec. Not enough increase so +5 sec more which me to 165-170ºF. This should be considered ballpark info because who knows the real output of the various microwaves and the quality of the IR tool used to determine temp.

To successfully open my iPad mini I applied the iOpener twice to the left edge and twice to bottom. & once to R edge. Using the suction cup was difficult for me (I'm in my 70's so my hands don't work too well anymore). I had trouble holding the guitar pick and slipping them in (at an downward angle). In the end, sliding my thumbnail along the edge opened it very slightly and allowed the pick to get into the gap. I marked the ends of all my picks with a sharpie pen for the recommended 2mm insertion to avoid going in too deep. To get the screen open it took me approx 1 hour.

Can’t you just use a hair curler instead?

A hairdryer or heat gun works, if heating is kept around 100 deg C (212 deg F - boiling point of water). But… heating this way is cumbersome. Using a hotplate, set to 100 deg C, measured carefully with a fairly inexpensive IR gun, is simpler and easier, if you can afford the hotplate (I used an old pancake griddle with a thermostat knob). It works great for phones, setting them face down for 2 minutes, then picking them up with insulated gloves - cheap, wool gloves work fine. This may require repeated reheating to continue the display removal, but its much simpler.

Because its almost impossible to repeatedly lay an iPad/tablet on the hot plate, I propose an alternative.

Initially lay the larger iPad/tablet, face down, for 2 min, to heat all of the adhesive surrounding the display. Lift and begin the picking process describe in your removal steps. Then lay an iOpener on the hotplate for 2 min (already set to the exact, desired temp) to bring it to working temp for the remaining operations.

For iPads in particular, it makes sense to construct a simple, aluminum window frame, laid on a hotplate (see my comment above) that only touches the edges of the display, heating only the adhesive underneath. This prevents general heating of the entire device. Four strips of aluminum, placed together as a frame, would be the simplest and allow variations for all devices - envision it as a pinwheel of strips, radiating outward. Use it for any size device.

BTW, always read all comments at each step. New, and possibly useful, suggestions appear on occasion that can be crucial.

I had to heat mine up for more than 30 seconds. After 30 seconds on high it was only warm. It had to keep trying different times and checking it until it got hot. I think the initial time that I put it in for was over a minute.

DO NOT USE IN NON ROTATING MICROWAVE! It will pop a hole. I had it in for 45 seconds the first time. It wasn't very hot inside and I saw it started to leak on the paper towel I put under it. Just a fair bit of advice. I think I will just stick with the heat gun. Loud but useful.

I heated mine up for 30 seconds, tested, then again for 30 seconds. It felt adequately hot. Leaving it on the left side, per the instruction, for a minute did not loosen the adhesive. I ended up pulling the suction cup hard enough to shadder the old screen. Moral of the story, I don't think it gets hot enough safely to have an affect.

I used a hot water bottle, works well as it covers the whole screen and stays hot for longer.

I ended up using a hair dryer. That iOpener thing took forever.

30 seconds sure isn’t cutting it… 45 didn’t get the screen of my iPad air 2 to budge either… even after resting on the ipad for 4 minutes.

60 seconds in the microwave, the iOpener burst.

I’ll get a new one and try once more with heating it 45 seconds and repeat that for 30 minutes like others have said here. If that doesn’t work it’ll have to be the heat gun.

K

Trust the directions! I forgot and left it in the Microwave too long and after 1 minute I had Mt Vesuvius - the iOpener burst and spewed the goodies out. The problem is, the Digitizer can be damaged by a hot air gun, so I had to tough out and remove the glue the hard way. I made it … with lots of patience! Tough lesson.

I also used a hairdryer. I used it on the low setting and I cut a piece of carboard to protect the rest of the screen. The iFixit tool and method is vert tedious and very time consuming in comparison. With the hairdryer method you can literally have the display apart in a few minutes. Using your other hand nearby the area you are heating it should be very hot but not enough to burn your hand. You only have to heat metal part of case near glass edge. If you have a cellular model then you need to be very careful because the black antenna area is plastic. So less heat and work your way up in adding heat just enough to separate around the area but not so much you melt the plastic!

iOpener was the worst part of the kit. Followed directions for :30 in microwave and took 4 trips to the microwave to loosen adhesive on left side of home button. I thought I was figuring it out and it was working well… even set a timer to wait 10 minutes between heating it up. Was on the right side and was on my 12th heat up when it exploded in the microwave. My only tip is that if you set it clear side up, as soon as you see any bubbles or boiling in the liquid, STOP! If you put a pot holder over the iOpener and press slightly to make good surface contact, that seemed to help. I finished heating with a “Corn Sack” that held heat better than the provided iOpener.

Get a heat gun.

I followed the directions and heated my iOpener for 30 seconds in a 1000 watt microwave, and it came out at 160 degrees F, as verified by a infrared thermometer. A second heating about 15 minutes later in the micro and it came out at 190 degrees F. Plenty hot enough to soften the adhesive for removing the back on my S8. Based on the comments above I think people just need to use more patience.

I used various time settings. It got very hot. It would soften the glue but not a whole lot. If my screen had been intact and I was replacing something that was not a digitizer, it may have worked. A broken screen makes the process significantly more difficult. I ended up breaking the home button cable. Good bye TouchID…

After reading previous comments I didn't even use the i-opener. Used the heatgun ( hairdryer ) which works great for me. Maybe I was lucky as this is my first attempt at replacing a cellphone battery. Motoz 3

It appeared 30 seconds were not enough, so I heated it more, by 5 seconds at a time until I got the right temperature about 70 degrees Celsius (measured with infrared pistol) to get the screen heated up to 60 C, the best for softening the glue. But the heat was quickly dissipating by the big aluminum back cover, so the best I got in 2 minutes of applying iOpener was around 45 C, which made the procedure difficult and having risk of breaking the screen. So I eventually abandoned iOpener and user a hot air gun with precise temperature setup. I set it to 90 C, which allowed me to open my iPad quickly and safely.

I, too, ended up using a hot air gun. I’ve done earlier versions of iPad before but the adhesive used on this IPad 5 A1822 was particularly difficult to remove.

Also, while the suction cup worked great when the glass is in tact, any cracks in the glass make the suction cup useless.

You need to remember here are different sizes of microwaves. I had the same issue.

Heating on a smaller unit I used 45-60 seconds. That worked but was time comsuming

Readers looking for temperature advice might check the comments of the previous instruction, as there are more there. I used an immersion bath to heat this to 180F and applied it to the device until the outside temperature of the opener read 150F with an IR thermometer. Removing the screen took very little force with this method. I don’t know how much microwaves vary in heating consistency with these pads, but knowing how inconsistent the temperature of a bowl of plain rice gets in my microwave, I wasn’t interested in even trying to use it for this.

I used an electric griddle set to the lowest setting. It seemed to work very well.

I vote for the hair dryer. The other methods work too but if you aren’t having any luck, switch to the hair dryer. While holding the iPad in my hand, I found that I am aiming the dryer at my finger at the same time and it gauges how hot it is. I stop when my finger can’t take it - maybe five seconds up close. Repeat as needed like I did.

This thing melts when placed up side down in the microwave…

If the maximum temperature for this iOpener is lower than the gadget glue minimum temperature, this device does not make sense.
I think the maximum temperature for this iOpener is below 100⁰C and most gadget glue minimum temperature is higher than 100⁰C. So the iOpener is useless for many opening steps in repair guides. But who knows because temperature range is not specified for this iOpener.

What do I do if I don’t have a iopener?

Use a hair dryer

2 or 3 cups Rice in a sock, heat for about 2 minutes. But, I recommend the iopener.

When boiling in water you can put the iopener in a ziplock to keep it dry.

Even if you don't put in a ziplock bag, I found that the surface is mostly hydrophobic so drying it is very easy. I also didn't have tongs, but the bag is denser than water, so it sank and I attached clothes pins to the ends and was able to remove it with those.

2-3 minutes in near boiling water, then 2-3 minutes on my s10+ and it was super easy to cut the glue off.

I was able to remove the batteries using the plastic ifixit card only, it requires you to work it back and forth but it can be done. However, for a few bucks I would suggest the heating pad. I was able to reuse my batteries (although not suggested).

This should have been Step 1.

I too managed with just heat (iOpener that had come with parts for another repair) and the plastic card. I decided to try with just heat because of concern about putting any fluid into the computer case. (There was a comment by someone about damaging a trackpad). Using the card and heat, I found it helped to start by inserting and advancing a pointed end of the card rather than an entire long-edge of the card. Then advancing the card, while also moving it in a back-and-forth motion, to essentially “cut through” the glue strips. One other point, that helped for later positioning the new battery so the the speakers fit without issue, was that with a sharp pencil I traced the outer edge of the old battery on the inside of the case. This left a nice aid for worry-free placement of the new battery.

I used heat from a hair dryer to detach the adhesive. The bottom of the touch pad seems to be made from plastic so I didn’t want to use any hard solvents (acetone) to risk permanent damage to the track pad.

I also used the hair drier and the cheap plastic spackling 2” knife and old credit card. No solvents. Once you detach the section of the battery you can use piece of the blue plastic that covers adhesive strips of on the new battery to prevent detached sections from sticking back .

I used “isopropyl alcohol” instead of “acetone” and it dissolved the glue under the battery.

I already had some “isopropyl alcohol” that I bought to make my own hand sanitizer.

FYI, the adhesive remover is definitely acetone which will dissolve the gloves

just acetone (manicure remover) is ok.

New kits come with different bottle than picutred. all clear with clear notch to cut on tip.

The kit that I got had a clear bottle with a black top - the cover just unscrews, and the tip underneath already has a hole in it.

The bottle you have to cut spills easily. Used the card to apply. Still a bit messy.

I just poured some “isopropyl alcohol” into a bowl, then cut a piece of plastic (since it bends easily) from some packaging, and then dipped the end of it in the bowl to coat it in the alcohol, then repeated the following process progressively every minute or so: I’d push it under each corner of the battery to apply the alcohol, then wait a while for it to penetrate the glue, and then used a combination of a “plastic card” (i.e. old credit card) the “spludger” tool to slowly lift the battery from the glue.

Important note: I was removing an old battery that wouldn’t hold charge anymore, so I didn’t care about squishing it a bit with the '“spludger” (as long as I didn’t puncture it and cause battery fluid to leak!)

Before continuing, draw around the outside of the existing battery with a pencil to make a template ready for when installing the new battery. It means when you get there, the new battery can be installed perfectly in place and you will not have space problems when trying to reinstall the speakers during reassembly. Things get snug and this tip helped me a lot.

My battery was so swollen that it only required a bit of heat and card action to take it out.

I just aimed a hairdryer at the relevant part of the battery for a short while and felt it getting warmer (not the other circuitry), and made sure it was an appropriate distance so it wouldn’t exceed 100 degrees celsius (which is dangerous).

DO NOT OVERHEAT the iOpener. Note that the replacement instructions here seem to imply just reheat and repeat every ~2 minutes. The iOpener packaging ALSO asserts just heat for 30 and go, every time. HOWEVER, on the BACK of the iOpener (never pictured), it explicitly says 30 seconds, then another 30 if and only if necessary and if the iOpener isn't hot to the touch, and then NO FURTHER warming for 10 mins. I'm guessing this is where a lot of the "2 hour" quote comes from, if you're expected to let the iOpener cool for 10 minutes for each of the 6 cells. That said, once I had mine going for 30 + 30 + (didn't read the fine print) 20 + 15, it was plenty hot to do the remainder of the cells in one go.

I suggest taping the batteries together on the top, this will keep them intact while you work the card back and forth. If you are very careful during these steps you can reuse your batter but make sure to inspect it Very well. If there is any damage whatsoever do not run the risk of leaking fluid to the rest of your computer.

Could I suggest that the plastic card be filed at the business edge like a chisel to make it easier to slide under the battery breaking the glue seal. I did it to mine and made it just that bit easier to break that glue seal. I use the heat method. Otherwise it worked well.

With the help of some acetone a little syringe and a credit card, I found the whole battery removal part to be easier than I expected.

I did not have a iFixIt kit (they were sold out). I used a hot/cold therapy pack instead of an iOpener, but found I didn’t need it. What worked really well for me was to gently work an old credit card in underneath, then slide a long wedge-shaped spudger between the credit card and battery cell and pry gently up. Not to much to avoid bending the cell, but working back and forth between wedging up with the spudger and shifting the credit card further in worked really well.

when using the iOpener, note that a full 60+ seconds of heating (divided over multiple 30 or less second nukes) will get it hot enough to melt the provided cards themselves if left in direct contact. Account for this in where you leave your cards between cells.

The adhesive for my old battery was only in strips around the underneath so if you can get the outer edge loose you can GENTLY but firmly pull slowly upwards and prob get it off ok without too much digging. Use a hair dryer for 30 seconds or so and it’ll be just enough to break it loose. (If you don’t have a heat gun).

Again, The adhesive for my old battery was only in strips around the underneath so if you can get the outer edge loose you can GENTLY but firmly pull slowly upwards and prob get it off ok without too much digging. Use a hair dryer for 30 seconds or so and it’ll be just enough to break it loose. (If you don’t have a heat gun).

I grabbed a roll of scotch tape for these steps; once a cell was separated and cool, I could shimmy a good long strip of tape, sticky-side up, under the cell to cover as much of the old adhesive as I could feel and better prevent readhesion.

I think this part killed my trackpad…. I think it should be mentioned that adhesive remover can get into the trackpad cover plate.

I did not bend my batteries nearly this much, it allowed me to reuse them but it takes patiences to get them free.

Take a look at the trackpad replacement guide to get a sense of where the adhesive is:

MacBook Pro 13" Retina Display Early 2015 Trackpad Replacement

To prevent re-adhering, I placed a bit of Scotch tape over the original adhesive locations.

You can see it in the photos, but they don't call it out: while the side cells are in their own smooth wells, the center cells are on a raised section to accommodate the trackpad. If you shimmy your cards in and they absolutely hard-stop, be aware you probably need to get the outer cells free enough to lift so your card can clear the bezel.

I found this to be more difficult than the edge sections. I had to reapply a few times the adhesive removal from both sides of the center sections before I was able to pry the battery. Take time and use the adhesive removal several times.

Thanks to Adam’s suggestion about sharpening the plastic card and using alcohol plus the heat gun I easily got to this point. Then I re attached the speakers before dry fitting the new battery.

While you have the battery off, consider removing the T3 screws that hold the metal plate over the trackpad. That makes it much easier (and less dangerous for the trackpad) to clean the adhesive off. And while you have that off, consider removing the twelve T5 screws holding in the trackpad and cleaning it up a bit around the edges, and the edges of the case. Because that’s a slot, stuff gets in there. I was surprised how dirty mine was. Trackpad instructions here: MacBook Pro 13" Retina Display Early 2015 Trackpad Replacement

At the last step reassembly there was a 1-2 mm gap between the cover and the body. Upon inspection I found that one of the new battery’s plastic bar had to be gently nudged under the aluminum « post ». At the ends of the plastic U shape, look for tiny flat protrusions, right next to the rubber bumpers, those should go under a recess near the screw posts (one can be seen on the left of the thumb on the image above).

Merci beaucoup ! Très bien expliqué parfait !

I found mineral turpentine on a piece of cloth removed the remaining glue without making too much of a mess.

Friendly warning: Make sure the adhesive remover evaporates before connecting the new battery!

I successfully changed the battery in my 2015 MacBook Pro, everything powered on just fine, then I put it in my neoprene sleeve. The next morning I noticed some of the adhesive remover on my keyboard. I wiped it off, powered it on and then it suddenly shut down. After a couple more tries I could no longer get it to power on. It was dead. Took it to a repair shop and they concluded it was most likely liquid damage to the logic board. Total bummer. I have sense learned that the adhesive remover itself is not conductive, but it can dissolve something like glue, and then become conductive. The adhesive remover also cools as it evaporates which attracts moisture. So please make sure your adhesive remover evaporates completely before connecting your new battery.

I did the SMC reset but still nothing. Is not charging at all.

Tips for alignment:

1. Do not remove the plastic covering the adhesive and then try to align the battery. Leave the plastic on and remove one at a time after the battery is aligned.

2. Use masking tape to hold the battery cells together while aligning, otherwise they flop around a lot.

3. Put your speakers next to the battery cells (before removing plastic on adhesive) to ensure you’re leaving enough room.

4. Make sure your battery connector is well aligned too.

one more thing, if you install the speakers first (totally do-able) you’ll take off the adhesive on the outer most cell on each side first and you’ll approach it from the top and tuck it under the very edge of speaker…after that’s done press down when happy with alignment.

In conjuction with the owner of the MacBook, we decided not to stick the new battery down, specially because it is used 99% of the time on a stand and connected to a monitor. Will repost if this seems to give any issue.

Thanks for this excellent kit and the detailed instruction guide!

Once the battery is removed and you want to glue the new one, make sure that you leave enough room for the speakers. Honestly the battery change was far easier that what I thought, I think everyone is capable of doing it. Great tutorial by the way, thank you for the work !

Hi. After a couple of months installed the new battery is loose, seems like is “unglued”… Does anybody have an idea what could I use to replace the glue?

Thanks!

Hi there, I was so surprised at how delicate everything seemed, never attempted anything like it before! My old battery would hold any charge at all and had swollen so much it warped the casing a little. After replacing the battery my mac turns on but still doesn’t hold any charge. I reset the SMC but it hasn’t worked, not sure what to do next, any advise?

To make it clear: Really check if battery plug and socket fit before you feel comfortable to press down the cells on the glue. I had to tear the connector pretty much on one side.

I would recommend doing the next step where you take the cover off of the trackpad before you install the battery. I did and found a bunch of the adhesive remover (there is nearly zero space between the cover plate and touchpad, meaning the remover/acetone easily seeps in there, but air does not get in so the acetone remains. Soft compressed air also works well to dry the remover. Ok, to be cautious, probably steps 37-40. Being able to inspect/get some air in there may save you.

I just finished the battery replacement. I did not have to remove either of the speakers. I tried using the iOpener (and a hair dryer) but it just wasn’t hot enough. It’s like the glue was super-cured from the heat of the computer. I put a layer of foil and a layer of paper towel before I tried using the acetone. I found that just a tiny amount did the trick after a couple of minutes to soak in. As i pried up the edge I added a couple more drops and was able to free the old battery. The replacement fit perfectly. The battery is calibrating now.

Replaced the battery but now every time I power her on, she immediately shuts off again. What would be the cause of this?

Eine super Anleitung. Damit war der Akkutausch problemlos möglich und hat 70 Minuten gedauert (bei langsamer/sorgfältiger Arbeit).

Um Beschädigungen durch den Klebstoffentferner zu vermeiden, habe ich 3 alte Plastik- Scheckkarten langsam und vorsichtig unter die alten Akkus geschoben und so die Klebeverbindung gelöst (1 x von links, 1 x von rechts und 1 x mittig). Dann ließ sich das gesamte Paket herausziehen. Das alte Akkupaket habe ich wie ein rohes Ei behandelt, da es sehr prall aufgebläht und somit absolut brandgefährlich war. Es bereitet mir noch immer ein mulmiges Gefühl, eine solche Brandbombe auf meinem Schreibtisch gehabt zu haben.

Der Ersatzakku passte perfekt ins Gehäuse, nachdem ich alle Klebestreifen-Reste entfernt hatte.

Mit dieser Anleitung kann nahezu jeder den Austausch vornehmen - allerdings: genügend Zeit und Ruhe einplanen! Alle entfernten Schrauben unbedingt genau positioniert lagern. Dann geht’s im Zusammenbau wirklich flott.

Mein MacBook Pro läuft nun wieder problemlos.

MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015)

Keyboard and trackpad were unresponsive after new batter install. As instructed in step 19 I reset both connections. Still no battery or keyboard. Ordered new trackpad cable. Still no working keyboard /trackpad. In an attempt to unseat reseat everything I then did the keyboard cable but no go. Second time I did keyboard the ZIF socket retainer popped loose. Tried to seat cable as carefully as possible and then covered with electrical tape.

I should mention that keyboard backlight, power button function properly. Will re-run tests, resets, etc.

Is there any way to fix the keyboard ZIF socket and/or remediate this?

I replaced the battery and it seemed to run good. Now every time I restart it shows the apple logo and then goes black again. If I push the power button for the whole boot up process it starts to work but powers down soon after. The same is the case when I reinstall the old battery and when I start up only with the charger and no battery. Any thoughts?

In the few battery replacements I’ve done, in addition to making sure the battery connector is aligned properly the single screw needs to be aligned to start with. I’ve found that the rubber feet tend to be too high (the 2 in the middle of the computer). I believe it’s more the long tail on the underside of the rubber foot that prevents the bottom case from seating properly. As well the plastic around the other 2 feet (near the front of the computer) need to be flexed somewhat to help with bottom case alignment and seating…

I skipped the steps using the liquid glue solver, and therefore also left out the removal of additional parts, so made it quite “simple” at the end. I was going through steps 1-7, 17&18, 21, and then from 26 onwards to the end. For 26, I used the sun to heat up the old batteries, after it it was quite easy to remove them with a creditcard. Thanks for all the details!

Hat 3 Tage funktioniert 🙄 Nun Startet er nicht mehr

habe gemäß der Anleitung den Akku gewechselt, hat alles super easy geklappt.

Werkzeug und Akku bei ifixit bestellt.

Das MacBook hat danach 3 Tage funktioniert, hat geladen, entladen alles Prima.

Dann lief er bis der Akku Leer war und seit dem startet das Gerät nicht mehr.

Auch ein SMC oder NVRAM Reset helfen nicht.

Das Ladesymbol am Ladekabel leuchtet, aber auch nach einer Nacht immernoch nicht grün.

Wenn ich die besagten Tastenkombinationen drücke, ist beim SMC Reset zu erkennen das die Ladeleuchte danach für ca. 2 Sekunden grün wird.

Hat jemand eine Idee ?

This was a piece of cake, thanks to all the comments, and to my 7yo who taped and color-coded of all the screws on a sheet! I used very little heat probably because the batteries were very swollen. I used the acetone (sold with the kit) only to remove the glue.

I used alcohol prep pad with 70% alcohol to remove old battery adhesive from the laptop.

If you need to transfer the rubber spacers to the plastic frame of the new battery (because you got a cheap one that didn't come with any), take note that they come in 2 slightly different heights.

The shorter ones go towards the front edge, the higher ones to the center of the MacBook.

You can remove them by pushing them through from the bottom of the old frame with your screwdriver. Getting them into the new battery frame requires some fiddling. Try to push them in from the top while trying to get the wide part through the hole with a toothpick.

Just replaced the battery on my wife's early 2015 13" MacBook Pro that I handed down to her when I bought my M1 MacBook Pro from my doctoral program. I did my entire master's program with the 2015 and it has been a beast. She working on her master's with the machine now and the only thing that has slowed it down has been the battery. I'm grateful that iFixit offers these kits and guides. I was able to replace the battery in no time at all so the 2015 will keep on trucking!

These small T3 screws are in tight, same with the following step to remove the trackpad itself. Make sure you use a quality set of tools. Trust me, the cheap sets on amazon will break or strip the screw. If that happens you’ll have to use an easy out, or drill the hole.

You’re right Dustin. fyi grainger has a fine t3 screwdriver for$7

The screws in these two steps have thread locker on them. Blue (removable) Loctite, I believe. You’ll hear a “snap” when you first turn them and that’s the Loctite breaking; following that they’re just like normal screws. You might consider putting a little bit of Blue Loctite on them before putting them back in. Be careful not to put too much though: don’t drip it onto the screw; instead, just squeeze the Loctite tube gently until a drop is sitting on the edge of the tube, then touch the tip of the screw to the drop and let capillary action suck a tiny bit of Loctite into the threads.

Oddly, there were only 8 of these 10 T3 screws in my laptop…