DIY Tutorial: MacBook Pro 15 Left Thermal Sensor Replacement Guide
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 29 Steps
Hey there, watch out! It’s easy to mess things up if you’re not careful. If you’re feeling unsure, remember you can always schedule a repair!
Let’s keep things cool and funky by monitoring the inner vibes of your device to groove with the heat!
Step 2
– Pop off those three matching Phillips screws from the memory door.
– Remember which screws came from where—makes putting things back together a breeze!
Step 3
– Gently lift the memory door just enough to get a good grip, then slide it towards you to pop it away from the casing.
Step 4
– Unscrew the dynamic duo of Phillips screws chilling near the latch in the battery compartment.
Step 5
– Unscrew the following 6 screws:
Step 6
– Unscrew the four fabulous Phillips screws chilling on the port side of your device. Let’s make this machine fabulous again!
Step 7
– Give your computer a quick twirl to the right, making it a full 90 degrees, and then whip out your Phillips screwdriver to remove those two screws hanging out on the back. Easy peasy!
Step 8
– Twist your computer 90 degrees one more time and whip out those four Phillips screws from the computer’s side with gusto!
Step 9
Hold your horses! Don’t just whip the upper case off like it’s a band-aid. It’s still tethered to the logic board by a sneaky little ribbon cable. Let’s keep everything in one piece, shall we?
– Start by lifting the rear of the case and wiggle your fingers along the sides to loosen it. Keep moving around the perimeter until the sides feel loose. You might have to gently rock the case up and down to dislodge the front part of the upper case—it’s a bit like a dance move! Remember, there are four sneaky tabs over the DVD reader that need to be pulled out vertically, so give them a gentle tug.
– Watch out for the two tiny tongues on the left front of the upper case; they might get a bit bent out of shape during the removal. No worries! Just give them a little bend back into place to make sure they snugly fit back into the grooves of the lower case when you’re putting things back together.
Step 10
– Time to bust a move! Disconnect that trackpad and keyboard ribbon cable from the logic board, peeling off any tape as needed.
– Get ready for the big reveal – it’s upper case removal time!
Step 11
– Gently detach the orange SuperDrive ribbon cable from the logic board, and feel free to peel away any tape that might be getting in your way.
Step 12
– Unscrew those 3 pesky screws right here:
Step 13
– Gently lift the optical drive out of the computer, like you’re giving it a little hug goodbye!
Step 14
– Unplug the hard drive and ExpressCard connections from the left side of the logic board.
Step 15
– Gently unplug the eight highlighted connectors from the logic board, and don’t hesitate to peel away any tape that’s in your way. You’ve got this!
Step 16
– Grab your spudger and show that brown plastic flap who’s boss! Flip it up to free the left ambient light sensor cable on the logic board.
– Give the left ambient light sensor cable a gentle nudge to the left and slide it out of its cozy connector.
Tools Used
Step 17
– Unscrew the shiny silver T6 Torx screw that’s keeping the ground loop of the display data cable tight to the casing. You’re doing great!
Step 18
– Unscrew the single silver T6 Torx screw that’s playing guard to the clear plastic shield over the right ambient light sensor.
– Gently lift off the clear plastic shield from the right ambient light sensor and set it aside.
Step 19
– Gently lift the orange Kapton tape that’s keeping the right thermal sensor cable cozy on the logic board.
Step 20
– Pop out those 16 screws, and don’t hesitate to move those cables as you go along!
Step 21
– Slide the display data cable to the right, and peel off any tape as needed.
– Carefully lift and remove the orange foil shield near the right speaker.
Step 22
– Give that speaker a gentle twist to the right, about 30 degrees, until it pops off the logic board like a champ!
Step 23
– Gently lift the gray and black speaker wires off the top of the logic board, taking off any tape that’s holding them down. You’ve got this!
Step 24
– Gently lift the iSight and inverter board cables away from the left fan. You’ve got this!
– With one hand, keep the logic board steady while your other hand raises the left fan from its cozy spot. There’s a sneaky piece of black tape holding the fan to the heat sink—carefully peel it away as you lift the fan up. Easy peasy!
– Now, just place the fan above the Airport card. No need to completely detach it from the computer; it’s just taking a little break.
Step 26
– Gently raise the left side of the logic board and unplug the colorful power cable from the bottom of the board.
Step 27
Hold on! The logic board is still connected by one more cable. Don’t pull it out too far just yet.
When putting your MacBook Pro back together, you’ll need to clean off and replace the old thermal compound from the chips on the back of the logic board. Check out our Applying Thermal Paste Guide to get the processor and heat sink surfaces ready. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair.
– Hold onto the logic board by its left edge and the slender part, then gently twist it out of the lower case. You’ve got this!
Step 28
– Unplug the right thermal sensor cable from the bottom of the logic board, just a hop away from the DVI port. You’ve got this!
