Great guide. Thanks for posting. One thing it assumes however, is that the replacement trackpad you’re using came with a data cable (i.e. there is no Step 23 regarding removing the data cable from the old trackpad and re-using it). I’m not sure if it’s always been this way, but the replacement trackpads iFixit sells now for this laptop do not come with a data cable. I had to re-use the data cable from the old trackpad. It wasn’t too difficult to pull the cable up and out of the connector on the old trackpad, and there is no locking tab or anything to flip up to remove it. But it was hard to get the cable back into the connector on the new trackpad with the left over adhesive and the angle of the connector. I was able to get it connected after a few careful attempts, and the trackpad works after re-assembly. Maybe in the past, the replacement trackpads iFixit sold came with a new data cable attached, but it’s worth noting that they currently do not, and you have to supply one.

Great guide! I completed on the A1706 in a little under 2 hours. Re-performing Step 25 on re-assembly was the hardest part. Other than that, pretty standard repair with the proper tools. Thanks for posting!

Reversing this step was the hardest part for me. There is a small “tunnel” that runs under the heat pipe which the 3 antenna cables plus the securing bracket must be threaded through. The shortest cable easily got stuck or pushed off to the side under the heat pipe. After many attempts, I found success by bending the 3 wires ever so slightly to the left before inserting them in the tunnel, so that when they make it through the tunnel, they were more prone to stay straight. It was easy to grab them one by one with tweezers by doing that. Just have to be very careful.

While the tape in this step was definitely attached to the ribbon cable, I accidentally pulled it off during Step 9, thinking that it was a tab to remove the larger tape covering the whole battery connector. It didn’t seem to do any harm.

Hello Sam. I appreciate the reply and have noticed you’ve at least updated the guide to note at the end a clear picture of what is sold, and how it differs from what you pull off of your iMac. At iFixit Support’s advice, I am now attempting to transfer the cables. However, now I’m noticing a whole other set of issues. There is not only a whole row of fabric covered cushion on the bottom of the display I’ve removed from my iMac, as well as a complete housing frame not even mentioned at all in the guide. The cushion may be part of the housing frame, but I cannot easily discern that. I’ve removed what screws I can see from the housing frame and it is not coming free from the old LCD. This housing frame is what holds the magnets that the front glass panel sticks to. Based on that and the issue with the cable transfer, I’d advise removing this product and guide from your website until you can provide better support for this DIY replacement. VERY FRUSTRATED.

BUYER BEWARE!!

Good review if you were provided all the necessary connector cables on your replacement part. I bought the replacement LCD online from ifixit.com and it’s missing all connectors except the LED Backdriver cable.

This is what I pulled off my iMac.

This is what I was shipped by ifixit.

Even missing foam cushioning that protects inside components from the back of the LCD. If you’re not going to include those connectors in shipped parts, then you need to include how to remove them from your old LCD and transfer them to the new one. Thanks for having me tear down my iMac for nothing. At least I could use it previously with an external monitor. Now I have to put it back together just to be able to do that again.