MacBook Unibody Model A1278 Left Speaker Replacement

With the case closed, place the Unibody top-side down on a flat surface.

Depress the grooved side of the access door release latch enough to grab the free end. Lift the release latch until it is vertical.

The access door should now be raised enough to lift it up and out of the Unibody.

Grab the white plastic tab and pull the battery up and out of the Unibody.

Remove the following eight screws securing the lower case to the chassis:

One 3 mm Phillips screw.

Three 13.5 mm Phillips screws.

Four 3.5 mm Phillips screws.

Using both hands, lift and remove the lower case off the upper case.

Remove the four 10.3 mm Phillips screws securing the mid wall to the upper case.

Lift the mid wall out of the upper case.

Use a spudger to pry the fan connector straight up off the logic board.

Remove the following three screws securing the fan to the upper case:

Two 5 mm Phillips screws.

One 7 mm Phillips screw.

Lift the fan out of the upper case.

Each connector is different, so the following steps will show you how disconnect each in detail.

Remove the single Phillips screw securing the battery cable cover to the upper case.

Remove the battery cable cover from the upper case.

Use a spudger to pry the battery level indicator cable connector straight up off the logic board.

Disconnect the battery cable connector by pulling it straight away from the logic board.

Using the tip of a spudger, flip up the keyboard ribbon cable retaining flap.

Pull the keyboard ribbon cable straight out of its socket.

If the smaller connector at the right side of the keyboard ribbon cable is populated by another small black ribbon cable, remove it in a similar way to the above.

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the trackpad connector straight up off the logic board.

Use the tip of a spudger to flip up the locking lever to release the IR sensor ribbon cable from its socket.

Use the tip of a spudger to pull the IR sensor ribbon cable straight away from the logic board.

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the hard drive cable connector straight up off the logic board.

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the optical drive cable connector straight up off the logic board.

Disconnect the display data cable by pulling the male end straight away from its socket.

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the subwoofer cable connector straight up off the logic board.

Grab the plastic pull tab secured to the display data cable lock and rotate it toward the DC-in side of the computer.

Pull the display data cable connector straight away from its socket.

Remove the following two screws securing the display data cable bracket to the upper case:

One 7mm Phillips screw.

One 5mm Phillips screw.

Remove the two 7 mm Phillips screws from the DC-in board.

Lift the display data cable bracket out of the upper case.

If present, remove the two 4mm Phillips screws securing the bottom case clip to the upper case.

Lift the bottom case clip out of the upper case.

Remove the two 5mm Phillips screws securing the keyboard flex bracket to the upper case.

Lift the keyboard flex bracket out of the upper case.

Use the tip of a spudger to release the microphone from the upper case.

Remove the following five screws securing the logic board to the upper case:

Four 3mm Phillips screws.

One 3.5mm Phillips screw.

Lift the logic board from its left edge and pull it out of the upper case.

Deroute the microphone cable from the channel in the left speaker.

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the microphone cable connector up off the logic board.

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the left speaker connector up off the logic board.

Use the flat end of a spudger to separate the left speaker assembly from the adhesive securing it to the logic board.