DIY iPad 4G Headphone Jack Board Replacement Guide
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 55 Steps
Heads up, repair rockstars! Before you dive in, make sure you’re all set with the right tools and a clear workspace. If you find yourself in a pickle, don’t hesitate to schedule a repair with the pros at Salvation Repair!
Ready to jazz up your third generation iPad? This guide will help you swap out that worn-out headphone jack board, complete with the headphone jack. Let’s get your device back to jamming in no time! If you need help, you can always schedule a repair.
Step 1
Before diving in, it’s a great idea to give your microwave a little TLC. A quick clean will help ensure that any stubborn gunk doesn’t hitch a ride on your iOpener. Trust us, your future self will thank you!
– Pop that iOpener right in the middle of your microwave!
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Step 2
Keep an eye on that iOpener during your repair adventure! We don’t want it to get too hot and start a party—overheating can cause it to pop. Let’s keep it below 100˚C (212˚F), alright?
If the iOpener looks like it’s been hitting the gym and is a bit swollen, just give it a pass. Safety first!
Still feeling the heat from that iOpener? No worries! Keep using it while it cools down a bit, but make sure it’s touch-friendly before you reheat. A well-warmed iOpener should hang out at a cozy temperature for about 10 minutes.
– Pop that iOpener in the microwave for thirty seconds to get it nice and toasty!
– As you work through your repair, keep an eye on that iOpener! If it starts to cool down, just give it another thirty seconds in the microwave to keep the warmth flowing.
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Step 3
The iOpener is going to be super toasty, so handle it with care! A trusty oven mitt might just be your best buddy here.
– Carefully take the iOpener out of the microwave, gripping one of the flat ends to keep your hands safe from the warm center. You’re doing great!
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Step 4
If you’re not rocking a microwave, no worries! Just pop that iOpener into a pot of boiling water to get it nice and toasty.
– Grab a pot or pan and fill it up with enough water to completely dunk your iOpener.
– Get that water boiling, then turn off the heat. You’re almost there!
– Carefully place your iOpener into the hot water for a cozy soak of 2-3 minutes. Make sure it’s fully immersed for maximum heat!
– Using tongs (safety first!), fish out that warm iOpener from the water.
– Give your iOpener a good towel dry to make sure it’s nice and ready to roll.
– Boom! Your iOpener is all set for action! If it needs a little more warmth later, just repeat the boiling dance: heat the water to a boil, turn off the heat, and let your iOpener soak for another 2-3 minutes.
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Step 5
– Grab a SIM eject tool or an uncoiled paperclip and give that SIM tray a gentle nudge to pop it out!
Step 6
– Gently slide out the SIM tray from its cozy spot and set it aside for a moment. It’s time to give your iPad a little TLC.
– If you’re swapping in a new SIM card, just pop out the old one from its tray and slide in the fresh one like a pro!
Step 7
Pop on those safety glasses to keep your peepers safe, and watch out for that delicate LCD screen – it’s more fragile than it looks!
– If your display glass has taken a hit, let’s keep it from shattering into a million pieces and ensure you stay safe while fixing it. Grab some tape and cover that glass up!
– Apply overlapping strips of clear packing tape over the iPad’s screen until it’s completely wrapped up and ready to go.
– Try to follow the rest of the guide as best as you can. Just a heads up, once the glass starts to crack, it might keep doing its thing while you work. You might need to bring in a metal prying tool to help scoop out the pieces.
Step 8
Hey there! Just a quick heads-up: while you’re getting your hands dirty with this repair, you might encounter some tricky shards of glass. To keep your peepers safe from any sneaky flying bits, we totally recommend rocking a pair of safety glasses. Better safe than sorry, right?
– Place the iOpener flat against the right edge of your iPad, giving it a little love by making sure it’s snug against the surface for a solid connection.
– Kick back and let the bag hang out on the iPad for about 90 seconds before diving into opening that front panel.
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Step 9
Getting that wedged tip of the opening tool in between the glass and plastic might take a bit of elbow grease. Just take your time, and gently wiggle the plastic opening tool back and forth as needed. You’ve got this!
– Hey there! Spot a little gap in the iPad’s adhesive ring up in the upper right corner? It’s about 2.0 inches (~5 cm) from the top. Let’s take advantage of that tiny flaw!
– Now, align your tool with the mute button. Gently slide the tip of a plastic opening tool into that gap between the front glass and the plastic bezel. Just pop in the very tip—enough to give that crack a little nudge!
Step 11
– With the plastic opening tool snugly placed between the front glass and plastic bezel, gently slide a plastic opening pick into that little gap, right alongside the tool. You’re doing great!
Step 12
– Take out the plastic opening tool from your iPad, and gently slide the opening pick deeper under the front glass, aiming for about 0.5 inches. You’ve got this!
Step 14
The adhesive is super strong, so you might need to channel your inner Hercules! Just take it slow and steady.
If you can spot the tip of that trusty opening pick peeking out from under the front glass, give it a gentle tug. While it’s totally safe to go this deep without causing any harm, just a heads up: you might end up with a bit of adhesive residue on the LCD. No biggie, just part of the adventure!
– As you warm up the bottom edge with the iOpener, start working on loosening the adhesive along the right edge of the iPad.
– Gently slide the opening pick down the edge of the iPad, making sure to free up that sticky adhesive as you go along.
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Step 15
As you peel away the adhesive, you might want to scoot the heated iOpener back to the right edge of the iPad. This little dance depends on how long your iPad has been cooling off while you’ve been busy working your magic.
– If the opening pick gets a bit cozy with the adhesive, just give it a little roll along the side of the iPad to keep that sticky stuff at bay.
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Step 16
– Before you pop that first opening pick out of the bottom corner of your iPad, slide a second pick under the right edge of the front glass to keep that pesky adhesive from sticking back down.
– Give your iOpener a little heat boost, then place it on the top edge of the iPad.
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Step 17
The Wi-Fi antenna is snugly secured to the bottom right edge of the rear case of your iPad with screws and a cable. Given the positioning of the Wi-Fi antenna, it’s super important to take your time and be gentle—otherwise, you might end up causing some serious damage to the antenna. Stay cool and careful!
– Alright, folks, it’s time to channel your inner repair guru! Just a heads up, the next few steps need some serious care.
– You’ll be delicately releasing the adhesive that’s holding the antenna to the front panel. Be super gentle with those fragile bits connecting the antenna to the bottom of your iPad. So, take a deep breath and follow the upcoming steps closely!
Step 18
Avoid sliding the pick past the bottom right corner. Doing so might give your Wi-Fi antenna a rough time!
– Gently slide the opening pick around the bottom right corner of the iPad to break free the adhesive hanging on for dear life.
Step 19
As you glide that opening pick along the bottom right edge of the front panel, watch out for the Wi-Fi antenna hanging out close to the corner. It’s a little shy and can get easily cut off if the adhesive isn’t treated with care!
Just gently pull the pick out a bit from under the front glass—leave about 1/8″ (3 mm) of the tip snugly in place. You’ve got this!
– Gently glide the opening pick along the bottom edge of your iPad to free up the adhesive covering the Wi-Fi antenna. You’re almost there!
Step 20
– After you’ve navigated past the Wi-Fi antenna (that’s about 3″ or 75 mm from the right edge, right next to the home button), gently reinsert the opening pick all the way in.
– Now, slide that pick to the right and watch the adhesive that holds the Wi-Fi antenna to the front glass loosen up!
Step 21
Keep the iOpener’s heating time to just a minute at a go, and give it a little breather of at least two minutes before warming it up again.
– Keep on peeling away that adhesive at the bottom of your iPad! Make sure to gently pull the opening pick out far enough to navigate around the home button. Once you’ve bypassed the home button, slide it back in to about a depth of 1/2 inch (10 mm). You’re doing great, keep it up!
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Step 22
– Keep peeling that adhesive all along the bottom edge of your iPad like a pro!
– Once you’ve got some space, slide the opening pick in and leave it snug under the front glass by the home button. You’re doing great!
Step 24
If the adhesive has cooled down a bit too much, just swap the iOpener to the top edge and keep at it! And if that iOpener feels like it’s lost its heat, give it a quick reheat to get back in action.
– Gently slide that opening pick along the top edge of your iPad, giving it a little tug to navigate around the front-facing camera bracket.
– Be ready for some serious adhesive action here—it’s thick! Take your time and apply steady pressure to avoid any slips that might cause you or your iPad some grief.
– If your opening pick feels like it’s stuck in the gooey stuff, just roll it as demonstrated in step 9.
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Step 25
If the adhesive is nice and toasty, feel free to take the iOpener off the iPad for a bit. But if it’s still hanging on tight, give that iOpener another heat-up and place it on the left edge while you get to work. You’ve got this!
– Keep peeling back that adhesive along the top edge of the iPad, then gently slide your opening pick around that top left corner like you’re on a smooth joyride.
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Step 26
Hey there! The digitizer cable is hanging out about 2″ (50 mm) from the bottom of the iPad. So, when you’re sliding that pick, just ease up when you reach around 2.25″ (60 mm) from the bottom. You’ve got this!
– Gently glide that opening pick along the left edge of your iPad, letting it work its magic on the adhesive as you go. It’s a bit thinner here thanks to the digitizer stretching across the left side. Just be careful not to go too deep (keep it to a max of 1/2 inch or 10 mm) to avoid any accidental digitizer drama.
Step 27
Be super careful here! The bottom of the digitizer cable is just about 1 inch (25 mm) from the bottom of your iPad. Take your time and watch out for this cable—let’s keep it intact!
– With the trusty opening pick still nestled under the bottom edge of your iPad, gently work to free the adhesive stuck at the bottom left corner.
Step 28
– With one of those handy opening picks in hand, gently lift the bottom right corner of your iPad and give it a little tug with your fingers. You’ve got this!
Step 29
Watch out for any leftover adhesive that might still be hanging around! Grab an opening pick and gently slice through any sticky bits that are keeping the front panel in place.
– Grab your iPad by the top and bottom right corners, and gently twist the front glass away from the device like you’re unveiling a surprise.
– When putting everything back together, take a moment to use a microfiber cloth and some compressed air to give the LCD a nice clean-up—bye-bye dust and fingerprints, hello clarity!
Step 30
– Go ahead and take out those four 2 mm Phillips #00 screws that are holding the LCD snugly to the aluminum frame. You’re doing great!
Step 31
– Grab a plastic opening tool or a spudger, and gently lift the right edge of the LCD away from the iPad. You’ve got this!
– Now, rotate the LCD along its left edge and carefully lay it down on the front panel. Take your time, it’s all part of the process!
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Step 32
– Grab your trusty spudger and gently lift the tape that’s hiding the LCD ribbon cable connector. You’ve got this!
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Step 33
– Lift the retaining flap on the LCD ribbon cable ZIF connector with a gentle flick.
– With a little finesse from your fingers or a trusty pair of tweezers, ease the LCD ribbon cable out of its cozy home on the logic board.
– If the LCD screen decides to play hard to get and doesn’t light up after you’ve reconnected the ZIF connector, just give your iPad a little nudge! Press and hold the power button and home button together for at least ten seconds until that lovely Apple logo makes an appearance.
Step 34
– Gently lift the LCD away from the front panel, but be sure to keep your fingers off the screen!
Step 35
– Grab your trusty spudger and gently lift the tape that’s holding the touchscreen ribbon cable to the logic board. You’re doing great!
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Step 36
– Lift the retaining flap on each of the touchscreen ribbon cable ZIF connectors with care.
Step 37
– Gently slide the flat end of a spudger under the digitizer ribbon cable to break that adhesive seal. You got this!
– Carefully pull the digitizer ribbon cable straight out from its cozy little sockets on the logic board. Easy peasy!
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Step 38
– Gently lift the touchscreen ribbon cable and grab your trusty spudger. Use the flat end to carefully coax the adhesive loose from where it’s stuck to the rear aluminum case. You’ve got this!
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Step 39
– With a gentle tug, pull the touchscreen ribbon cable out of its cozy little spot in the aluminum frame.
– Carefully detach the front panel from your iPad. You’ve got this!
Step 40
– Gently peel back the electrical tape that’s been keeping your headphone jack assembly cable snug as a bug. Time to set it free!
– Grab your trusty spudger and give the retaining flap on both ZIF connectors a little flip. This will release the headphone jack cable from the logic board like a pro!
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Step 41
– Gently slide the flat end of a spudger under the headphone jack assembly cable to break free the adhesive that’s holding it snugly against the rear aluminum frame.
– Carefully pull the headphone jack assembly cable straight out from its cozy spot on the logic board.
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Step 42
– Gently peel away the tape that’s keeping the SIM board cable ZIF connector snug and secure.
– Give the retaining flap on the SIM board cable ZIF connector a little lift.
– With a spudger in hand, carefully pull the SIM board cable straight out from its cozy spot on the logic board.
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Step 43
– Unscrew the three 1.75 mm Phillips #00 screws that are holding the SIM board snugly against the aluminum frame. Let’s get that board free!
Step 44
As you gently maneuver the headphone jack assembly cable, remember to take it easy—yanking too hard could send the headphone jack packing!
– With the headphone jack assembly cable tucked out of the way, gently take out the SIM board from your iPad.
Step 45
– Gently peel away the adhesive tape that’s keeping the headphone jack assembly snug as a bug. You’ve got this!
Step 46
– Unscrew the lone 2.6 mm Phillips #0 screw that’s keeping the camera cable snugly attached to the headphone jack assembly. You’ve got this!
Step 47
– Grab your trusty spudger and gently pry the front-facing camera out of its cozy little home on the headphone jack assembly.
– Keeping that spudger in place, slide it to the right to free the adhesive that’s been holding the camera cable down.
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Step 48
– Alright, let’s get started! Take that trusty spudger and gently lift the retaining flap on the microphone cable ZIF connector. You’re doing great!
– Next up, slide the tip of the spudger under the microphone ribbon cable and pop it right out of its ZIF connector. Nice and easy!
– Now, give the spudger a little slide to the left to free up the adhesive that’s keeping the microphone ribbon cable stuck to the headphone jack assembly. Almost there!
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Step 49
– Gently use the flat end of your spudger to lift the antenna connector cable out of its cozy spot on the headphone jack assembly board. You’ve got this!
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Step 50
– Gently lift the retaining flap that’s holding the volume/power button ribbon cable in place on the headphone jack assembly board. You’ve got this!
– Carefully detach the volume button ribbon cable from its ZIF connector. Easy peasy!
Step 51
– Unscrew the screws holding the headphone jack assembly in place. Let’s get those tiny bolts out of there!
Step 52
– Gently grasp the ribbon cable of the headphone jack assembly and give it a careful tug, pulling the assembly straight out towards the bottom of the iPad. You’ve got this!
Step 53
– With a firm grip on the headphone jack assembly, gently tug it away from the iPad, being careful of any cables that might want to join the party.
Step 54
– With the flat end of a spudger in hand, gently nudge the rear-facing camera out of its cozy little home on the underside of the headphone jack assembly board. You’ve got this!
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Step 55
– The headphone jack board is still in place.
