DIY iPad 4G Logic Board Replacement Guide
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 45 Steps
Hey there, repair rockstar! Just a quick heads-up: make sure you’re working in a cozy, well-lit spot. It’s all about keeping things chill while you tackle this repair. And if you ever feel stuck, no worries at all! Just schedule a repair and we’ll help you out!
Follow this guide to swap out the logic board like a pro! If you hit any bumps along the way, don’t hesitate to schedule a repair for some extra help.
Step 1
It’s a good idea to give your microwave a little TLC before diving in, as any leftover mess on the bottom might just hitch a ride on your iOpener.
– Pop the iOpener right in the middle of the microwave like a champ.
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Step 2
Keep an eye on the iOpener during your repair—overheating can lead to a dramatic burst! Make sure it doesn’t exceed 100˚C (212˚F).
If the iOpener looks like it’s puffing up, steer clear and don’t touch it.
If the center of the iOpener is still too hot to handle, hang tight and let it cool down a bit before you reheat it. A well-heated iOpener should keep its warmth for about 10 minutes.
– Give your iOpener a warm-up in the microwave for thirty seconds. It’s like a cozy spa day for your repair buddy!
– As you work through the repair, keep an eye on the iOpener. When it starts to cool down, pop it back in the microwave for another thirty seconds to keep the good vibes going.
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Step 3
Watch out! The iOpener is going to be super hot, so handle it with care. A trusty oven mitt might be your best buddy here!
– Carefully take the iOpener out of the microwave, gripping one of the flat ends to steer clear of that hot center. Stay safe and happy fixing!
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Step 4
Don’t have a microwave? No worries! Just follow this step to warm up your iOpener in a pot of boiling water.
– Grab a pot or pan and fill it with enough water to give your iOpener a nice, warm bath.
– Bring that water to a rolling boil and then turn off the heat. Safety first!
– Carefully place your iOpener into the hot water for about 2-3 minutes. Make sure it’s having a full-on spa day by being completely submerged.
– Using some tongs (because we want to keep those fingers safe), lift the warmed iOpener out of the water.
– Give the iOpener a good towel dry to remove any excess water.
– And voilà! Your iOpener is all set for action! If it needs another heat-up, just repeat the process: boil water, turn off the heat, and let it relax in the water for another 2-3 minutes.
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Step 5
Don your safety glasses to keep those peepers safe, and remember to treat that LCD screen with care—it’s not a trampoline!
– If your display glass has taken a hit, let’s keep it from shattering further and protect your hands while you tackle this repair. Grab some tape and cover that glass up.
– Lay down some overlapping strips of clear packing tape over your iPad’s display until it’s fully protected.
– Follow along with the rest of the guide as best as you can. Just a heads up, once the glass is broken, it may keep cracking while you work, so you might need to use a metal prying tool to carefully scoop out the pieces.
Step 6
Just a friendly reminder: while you’re getting your hands dirty with this repair, it’s a smart move to rock some safety glasses! They’ll keep those pesky glass shards from crashing your repair party.
– Position the iOpener flat against the right edge of the iPad, ensuring it makes good contact with the surface. Give it a little love to smooth it out!
– Allow the iOpener to hang out on the iPad for about 90 seconds before diving into the fun of opening the front panel.
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Step 7
Getting that wedged tip of the opening tool between the glass and plastic might take a little elbow grease. Just take your time and stay cool, gently wiggling the plastic tool back and forth as you go. You’ve got this!
– Hey there! You’ll find a tiny little gap in the adhesive ring at the upper right corner of your iPad, about 2.0 inches (~5 cm) from the top. This is your golden opportunity to get started!
– Now, grab your tool and line it up with the mute button. Gently slide the tip of your plastic opening tool into that gap between the front glass and the plastic bezel. Just get the very tip in there, enough to give that crack a little nudge!
Step 9
– With the tip of your trusty plastic opening tool snugly placed between the front glass and the plastic bezel, gently slide a plastic opening pick into that little gap right next to your tool. You’re doing great!
Step 10
– Take that trusty plastic opening tool out of the iPad, and gently nudge the opening pick a bit deeper under the front glass—aim for about half an inch. You’ve got this!
Step 12
The adhesive is super strong, so you might need to put in a bit of elbow grease. Take your time and be gentle!
If you can catch a glimpse of the opening pick peeking out from under the front glass, just give it a gentle tug. Don’t worry—using the pick at this depth won’t cause any harm, but it might leave a bit of sticky residue on the LCD. Keep it cool, and if you need help, you can always schedule a repair.
– While the iOpener is warming up the bottom edge, let’s get that adhesive on the right side of your iPad to loosen up a bit.
– Gently slide the opening pick down the edge of the iPad, letting it work its magic on the adhesive as you go.
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Step 13
As you peel away the adhesive, you might want to slide that heated iOpener back to the right edge of the iPad. This little dance move depends on how long your iPad has been chilling while you’ve been busy. Keep it warm and steady!
– If your trusty opening pick finds itself stuck in the adhesive, just give it a little ‘roll’ along the edge of the iPad. Keep going, and you’ll help release that sticky stuff in no time!
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Step 14
– Before you pop out that first opening pick from the bottom corner of your iPad, slip a second pick under the right edge of the front glass to keep that adhesive from sticking back together. We don’t want any clingy situations here!
– Give your iOpener a little reheat love, then move it up to the top edge of the iPad. Let’s keep things nice and warm for a smooth opening!
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Step 15
The Wi-Fi antenna is snugly fitted to the bottom right corner of the rear case of your iPad, held in place by screws and a cable. Since the Wi-Fi antenna has its unique orientation, it’s super important to tread carefully—otherwise, you might end up causing some serious damage to it. So, let’s keep it safe and sound!
– Alright, folks, it’s time to put on your superhero cape because we’re diving into some delicate work! Take a deep breath and remember, patience is key here.
– You’ll need to carefully loosen the adhesive that’s keeping the antenna stuck to the front panel. Just make sure to be gentle and avoid any mishaps with those sensitive parts connecting the antenna to the bottom of the iPad. Follow these steps closely, and you’ll do great!
Step 16
Hey there! Just a friendly reminder: don’t slide that pick too far past the bottom right corner. You wouldn’t want to accidentally mess with the Wi-Fi antenna, right?
– Gently slide the opening pick around the bottom right corner of the iPad to free up that stubborn adhesive. You’ve got this!
Step 17
As you glide the opening pick along the bottom right edge of the front panel, keep in mind that the Wi-Fi antenna is lurking close to the corner. If you release the adhesive the wrong way, you might accidentally give it a haircut! So, take your time and be gentle.
Just give the pick a little wiggle and don’t yank it all the way out from under the front glass. Leave about 1/8″ (3 mm) of the tip still cozy under there.
– Gently glide the tip of your opening pick along the bottom edge of the iPad to free up the adhesive around the Wi-Fi antenna. You’ve got this!
Step 18
– Once you’ve breezed past the Wi-Fi antenna, which is about 3 inches (75 mm) from the right edge, right by the home button, go ahead and slide that opening pick in all the way. You’re doing great!
– Now, gently glide the pick to the right to loosen up the adhesive that’s holding the Wi-Fi antenna snug against the front glass. Keep it smooth and steady!
Step 19
Keep it cool! Don’t blast that iOpener for more than a minute at a time, and remember to give it a breather for at least two minutes before giving it another go.
– Keep on peeling that adhesive along the bottom of your iPad! Gently pull the opening pick out far enough to wrap around the home button, and then slide it back in, aiming for about a 1/2 inch (10 mm) depth once you’re past that home button. You’ve got this!
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Step 20
– Keep on peeling away that adhesive along the bottom edge of the iPad. You’re doing great!
– Slide the opening pick in and leave it snugly under the front glass near the home button. It’s like giving your device a little hug!
Step 22
If your adhesive has cooled down a bit too much, just swap in a fresh iOpener along the top edge and keep on working your magic. And if your iOpener has lost its heat, no worries—give it another round of warming up.
– Gently glide the opening pick along the top edge of your iPad, giving it a little tug to navigate around the front-facing camera bracket.
– The adhesive in this area is pretty strong, so you might need to apply a bit of elbow grease. Take your time, and watch out for any slips that could lead to accidents or damage to your iPad.
– If your opening pick feels like it’s stuck in the adhesive, try ‘rolling’ it as demonstrated in step 9.
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Step 23
– Keep peeling away that adhesive along the top edge of your iPad, and gently wiggle the opening pick around the top left corner. You’re doing great!
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Step 24
The digitizer cable hangs out about 2″ (50 mm) from the bottom of the iPad. So, when you’re sliding that pick, take a breather and stop when you reach around 2.25″ (60 mm) from the bottom. You’ve got this!
– Gently slide the opening pick along the left edge of your iPad to release that sneaky adhesive! Don’t worry, it’s a bit thinner here thanks to the digitizer running along the entire left side. Just keep the pick at a shallow angle—no more than 1/2 inch (10 mm)—to avoid any accidental damage to the digitizer. You’re doing great!
Step 25
Be super careful! The bottom of the digitizer cable is just about 1″ (25 mm) from the bottom of your iPad. Take your time and handle it gently to avoid cutting that cable.
– With your trusty opening pick still nestled under the bottom edge of your iPad, gently work to free the adhesive at the bottom left corner. Keep it smooth and steady!
Step 26
It looks like some of the adhesive around the edge of your iPad has decided to stick around a bit too long. No worries! Just grab a pick and gently slide it under the edge where the front glass is still hanging on. Give that adhesive a little ‘snip snip’ and you’ll be on your way to a smooth repair.
– Grab one of those handy opening picks and gently lift up the bottom right corner of the iPad. Then, use your fingers to give it a little tug for a smooth opening!
Step 27
Watch out for any sticky stuff that might still be hanging around, and grab an opening pick to slice through any adhesive that’s still keeping that front panel in place.
– Grab your iPad by the top and bottom right corners, and gently twist the front glass away from the device. You’ve got this!
– When it’s time to put everything back together, remember to use a microfiber cloth and a blast of compressed air to whisk away any pesky dust or fingerprints from the LCD before you seal the glass back on. A clean screen is a happy screen!
Step 28
– Unscrew those four tiny 2 mm Phillips #00 screws that are keeping the LCD snug in its aluminum home. You’ve got this!
Step 29
– Grab your trusty plastic opening tool or a spudger and gently lift the right edge of the LCD out of your iPad.
– Now, swing that LCD around its left edge and let it rest on the front panel like it’s taking a little break!
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Step 30
– Grab your trusty spudger and gently lift up that sneaky piece of tape hiding the LCD ribbon cable connector. You’ve got this!
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Step 31
– Gently lift the retaining flap on the LCD ribbon cable ZIF connector. Easy peasy!
– With a little finesse, use your fingers or some tweezers to slide the LCD ribbon cable out of its cozy socket on the logic board.
– If your iPad decides to play hard to get and the LCD screen doesn’t light up after reconnecting the ZIF connector, just hold down the power button and home button for about ten seconds until the Apple logo makes its grand appearance. You’ve got this!
Step 32
– Carefully lift the LCD away from the front panel without touching its surface. You’ve got this!
Step 33
– Grab your trusty spudger and gently lift the tape that’s holding the touchscreen ribbon cable snug against the logic board. You’ve got this!
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Step 34
– Lift the retaining flap on both of the touchscreen ribbon cable ZIF connectors with a gentle nudge.
Step 35
– Grab your trusty spudger and gently slide the flat end underneath the digitizer ribbon cable to break that pesky adhesive seal. Easy peasy!
– Once you’ve loosened it up, pull the digitizer ribbon cable straight out from its cozy home on the logic board. You’ve got this!
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Step 36
– Gently lift the touchscreen ribbon cable and grab your trusty spudger. Use the flat end to carefully loosen the adhesive that’s holding the cable to the rear aluminum case. You’re doing great!
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Step 37
– With a gentle tug, grab that touchscreen ribbon cable and carefully pull it out from its cozy spot in the aluminum frame.
– Next up, let’s get that front panel off the iPad. Time to say goodbye to the old and make way for the new!
Step 38
If you see any electrical tape hiding the Wi-Fi antenna, speaker cable, or dock connector cable, go ahead and peel those off. Let’s get everything exposed and ready for action!
Step 39
– Gently peel back the electrical tape that’s giving the headphone jack assembly cable connector a snug hug and remove it with care.
– Grab your trusty spudger and, with a little finesse, flip up the retaining flap on both ZIF connectors that are holding the headphone jack cable to the logic board in place.
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Step 40
– Gently slide the flat end of your trusty spudger under the headphone jack assembly cable, and watch as it releases from the adhesive that’s been holding it snug against the rear aluminum frame.
– Now, give that headphone jack assembly cable a gentle pull straight out of its cozy socket on the logic board. Easy peasy!
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Step 41
– Gently peel back and take off the tape that’s keeping the SIM board cable ZIF connector cozy and covered.
– Give a little flip to the retaining flap on the SIM board cable ZIF connector—it’s time to get things moving!
– With the tip of your spudger, carefully pull the SIM board cable straight out of its snug home on the logic board.
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Step 42
Remember to gently pry under the connector, not the socket itself! Giving the socket a poke might lead to some serious damage. Let’s keep everything in one piece, shall we?
– Unplug the following connectors from their cozy homes on the logic board:
Step 43
– Unscrew those seven little screws holding the logic board snugly against the rear aluminum panel. You’ve got this!
Step 44
– Grasp the logic board by the edge closest to the dock connector and gently slide it down toward the bottom of the iPad. Remember, slow and steady wins the race!
Step 45
– Carefully turn the logic board over, being mindful of any cables that might get tangled up.
– Grab your trusty spudger and gently pry off the three antenna connectors from their spots on the logic board.
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