DIY Guide: How to Replace Right Thermal Sensor in MacBook Pro 15 – Step-by-Step Tutorial
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 26 Steps
Hey there! Time to roll up those sleeves and get ready for some repair magic! If you run into any trouble, don’t stress – just schedule a repair and we’ll have you fixed up in no time. Let’s do this!
This nifty sensor keeps an eye on your device’s internal temperature to prevent overheating.
Step 1
– Push those battery release tabs away from the battery with your fingers, then lift that battery out of the computer. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair.
Step 2
– Take a moment to unscrew the three matching Phillips screws from the memory door. You’ve got this!
– Don’t forget to keep track of which screws came from where—it’s like a little puzzle that will make reassembling 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. You’ve got this!
Step 4
– Unscrew those two Phillips screws hanging out in the battery compartment by the latch. You’ve got this!
Step 5
– Get ready to tackle this project by unscrewing these 6 little heroes:
Step 6
– Let’s get those four Phillips screws off the port side of your computer! Grab your trusty screwdriver and let’s make it happen.
Step 7
– Take a fun twist and rotate your computer a cool 90 degrees. Now, grab some tunes and remove those two Phillips screws from the back of the computer.
Step 8
– Twist that computer 90 degrees once more and unscrew those four Phillips screws hanging out on the side. You’ve got this!
Step 9
Gently pop off the upper case—it’s tethered to the logic board with a ribbon cable. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair.
– Start by lifting the rear of the case and wiggle your fingers around the sides to loosen it. Keep moving along the edges until the sides are free. You might have to give the case a little jiggle to detach the front. Be patient here—it can be a bit of a puzzle! Watch out for the four sneaky tabs above the DVD reader, which need to be pulled out vertically.
– Heads up! The two tiny tabs on the front left side of the upper case might get a bit bent during removal. No worries, though—just give them a gentle bend back into the grooves on the lower case when you’re putting things back together.
Step 10
– Unhook the trackpad and keyboard ribbon cable from the logic board. Feel free to peel off any tape getting in your way!
– Time to lift off the upper case. Let’s see what’s inside!
Step 11
– Unplug the hard drive and ExpressCard connectors from the left side of the logic board. Let’s keep this repair rocking!
Step 12
– Unhook the eight connectors highlighted on the logic board, peeling off any tape that’s in the way. Let’s keep it neat!
Step 13
– Grab your spudger and give the brown plastic flap on the logic board a little nudge to lift it up. This secures the left ambient light sensor cable.
– Gently slide the left ambient light sensor cable towards the left and smoothly pull it out of its connector.
Tools Used
Step 14
– Unscrew the shiny silver T6 Torx screw that’s keeping the ground loop of the display data cable snug against the casing. You got this!
Step 15
– Unscrew that one silver T6 Torx screw holding down the clear plastic shield over the right ambient light sensor. You’ve got this!
– Gently lift off the clear plastic shield to reveal the right ambient light sensor. Easy peasy!
Step 16
– Gently lift the orange Kapton tape that’s holding down the right thermal sensor cable on the logic board. You’ve got this!
Step 17
– Alrighty, let’s tackle this together! Grab your trusty toolkit and get ready to remove the following 16 screws, making sure to delicately move those cables around as needed:
Step 18
– Shift the display data cable to the right, removing tape as needed.
– Peel up and remove the orange foil shield near the right speaker.
Step 19
– Give that speaker a gentle twist to the right, about 30 degrees, and watch it pop free from the logic board like magic!
Step 20
– Gently lift the gray and black speaker wires off the top of the logic board, peeling away any tape that might be holding them down. You’ve got this!
Step 21
– Gently lift up those iSight and inverter board cables above the left fan.
– With one hand on the logic board, use your other hand to raise the left fan from its cozy home. Look out for that sneaky piece of black tape sticking the fan to the heat sink – peel it off as you lift the fan.
– Pop the fan over the Airport card with style. No need to fully detach the fan; it gets the idea just being there.
Step 23
– Gently lift the left side of the logic board and unplug the colorful power cable from the bottom of the board. If you hit a snag, just remember, you can always schedule a repair.
Step 24
Great job! The logic board is still hanging out with one more cable, so hold on tight before pulling it all the way out.
To get your MacBook Pro back in action, it’s time to give those chips on the back of the logic board a nice cleanup and a fresh batch of thermal compound. Check out our Applying Thermal Paste Guide to get those surfaces looking fresh again.
– Grab the logic board from the left side and the thin section, then gently rotate it out of the lower case. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair
Step 25
– Unplug the right thermal sensor cable from the bottom of the logic board, just a hop away from the DVI port.
