DIY Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 (13.5-inch) Right Speaker Replacement
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 17 Steps
Dive into this guide to replace the right speaker in your Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 (13.5-inch). If your battery looks like it’s been indulging in too many snacks, handle with care! Some of the photos are from a different model, so don’t sweat any minor visual differences—they won’t mess with the procedure.
Step 1
Let your laptop’s battery dip below 25% before diving into this repair adventure. A battery that’s too charged might throw a fiery tantrum if it gets damaged!
– First things first, power down your laptop completely and unplug all cables. Let’s make sure everything is safe before diving in!
Step 2
– Flip your laptop over so the back is facing up, and you’ll spot those four rubber feet ready for action!
Step 3
Each foot has a small groove that makes it easier to pop off the laptop—no sweat!
– The recesses for the back feet hang out closest to the back edge of the laptop.
– Meanwhile, the recesses for the front feet are chilling near the front edge of the laptop.
Step 4
Watch out for those speedy little feet—they have a knack for disappearing!
– Slide one arm of your tweezers into the groove of one foot—it’s like unlocking a little puzzle piece.
– Give your tweezers a twist and gently pry upward to loosen the adhesive and unclip the foot from your laptop. Easy does it!
– Lift off the foot and set it aside. Boom, one down!
– Now, repeat the same simple process for the rest of the feet. You’ve got this!
Tools Used
Step 5
– This laptop sports two unique types of feet. When putting it back together, ensure each foot finds its rightful home in the recesses.
– Gently press the feet into their spots to lock them securely to the frame.
– The rear feet come with a single center clip, keeping things simple.
– The front feet, on the other hand, have three clips and can only be inserted in one specific way—no guesswork here!
– If the current feet aren’t sticking to the frame like they should, just peel off the old adhesive and stick on a little Tesa Tape where the old stuff used to be.
Step 6
– If the feet are looking worse for wear, grab some 8mm rubber furniture pads:
– Peel a pad off the backing, it’s as easy as peeling a sticker.
– Line the pad up with the foot cavity and press it down firmly to stick it in place.
Step 7
Be careful with these screws – they can strip if you’re not gentle. Apply some consistent, downward pressure to keep them cooperating!
As you tackle this repair, keep an eye on each screw and make sure it finds its way back to its original home. You’ve got this!
– Grab your trusty T5 Torx driver and zip out the four 3 mm screws that are holding down the upper case. Easy-peasy!
Step 8
– Let’s get started by flipping your laptop over and opening the screen all the way. This will give you easy access to the internals.
Step 9
Don’t go overboard trying to take off the upper case completely—it’s still hanging on by a cable!
Make sure the upper case is snug all the way around. Any little gaps near the screen could cause some damage when you close it up.
The top casing is held in place by magnets.
– Get a grip on the top edge of the upper case, just above the keyboard, and lift it straight up – it’s like a little wake-up call for your laptop!
– Now, carefully lift the bottom edge of the upper case up and away from the laptop. Be gentle, as you don’t want to put any unnecessary strain on that delicate ribbon cable hiding underneath.
– When it’s time to put everything back together, simply lower the upper case onto the lower case until you hear those satisfying magnets snap into place, and voila! It’s lying flat and looking good as new.
Step 10
The keyboard and touchpad cable is the trusty link between the upper case and the laptop. Keep it connected, and you’re one step closer to a fully functioning device!
– Slide the sharp end of a spudger under one side of the magnet connector and gently pry it up to disconnect. You’ve got this!
– When you’re ready to reconnect, line up the magnet connector over its socket with the cable pointing down towards the laptop. Give it a firm press to lock it in place. You’re doing great!
Tools Used
Step 11
– Pop off the upper case and place it keyboard-side down on a clean surface. Keep it cozy and scratch-free!
Step 12
Your SSD is cozy with some thermal paste that sticks to the upper case like a best friend.
As an alternative, you can totally squeeze a little bead of thermal paste right onto the SSD’s label. Just remember to use the dot method, and make that bead a tad bigger than the screw head keeping your SSD snug in place.
– As we get back to putting things together:
– Grab your trusty spudger and gently scrape off any old thermal paste from both the top of the SSD and the bottom of the upper case. Clean slate, here we come!
– Now, let’s add a splash of highly-concentrated isopropyl alcohol (over 90%) to those surfaces. Wipe away the remnants with a lint-free or microfiber cloth. Shine on!
– Finally, swap out that thermal pad for a new one that matches the size of the SSD sticker. Perfect fit, perfect performance!
Tools Used
Step 13
Once the screw is out of the way, the SSD will gracefully lift at a slight angle, ready for its next move.
– Grab your T5 Torx driver and get ready to tackle that 2.7 mm screw holding the SSD in place!
Step 14
Keep it cool and steady—yanking it up at a sharp angle might just do a number on the SSD or its socket, so take it easy!
Taking out the SSD also gives your battery a breather.
– Gently wiggle that SSD out of its cozy home and set it free.
– When it’s time to bring everything back together, give the SSD a little tilt as you slide it back in.
Step 15
– Grab a spudger (pointy side up!) and gently pop the right speaker wire loose from its cozy connector on the motherboard.
Tools Used
Step 16
These screws can be a bit fussy. Make sure to keep steady pressure downwards to avoid any stripping mishaps!
– Grab that T3 Torx driver and let’s get to work! Remove those three 2.6mm screws holding the right speaker in place.
Step 17
– Take a moment to compare your shiny new replacement part with the original—don’t forget to transfer any leftover components or peel off those pesky adhesive backings before you dive into the installation.
– When it’s time to put everything back together, just retrace your steps in reverse. Easy peasy!
– Got some e-waste? Make sure to drop it off at an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler. Let’s keep our planet happy!
– If things didn’t go quite as planned, don’t sweat it! Give some basic troubleshooting a shot, or feel free to reach out to our Answers community for a helping hand.
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Success!
