Broke my Logic Board IR Sensor Clip

[parestailor]

Ok guys i failed. i went to upgrade my HDD with a SSD which i did. during the process i broke my Logic Board IR Sensor clip that attached to the logic board itself. I want to get it fixed but im pretty sure its going to cost me a fortune. Its a Mac Mini Mid 2011. Any idea on the process of getting this fixed? entire logic board replacement? Im hoping apple can fix this for me, for a cost im sure.

thanks guys

[philipma1957]

it will cost you. bring it to apple for an estimate. new logic board it is.

you may find selling it with the broken ir on ebay is possible.

iirc it works fine without it. your loss may be less that way. see this link for photos



http://www.techrepublic.com/photos/c...-view-selector


what did you break?



http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Installi...-Sensor/6412/1


also look at this set of photos this set shows replacement repair once again it depends on what you have broken



this is a close up on the left the plug on the right the ir sensor.

if you pulled the on the left plug out of the logic board's tiny weak socket most likely you are are ffff'd a new logic board is needed.

http://guide-images.ifixit.net/igi/r...beqeqZc1W.huge




if this piece below is broken it is fixable.

http://guide-images.ifixit.net/igi/P...aLUChdQIn.huge

[Riverrun]

I think he broke these.

[philipma1957]

Originally Posted by Riverrun

I think he broke these.

so do I and that means new logic board 9 times out of ten.

i broke the other end on a 2009 mini and was able to replace the wire/ir part for 20 bucks. breaking those little plastic sockets on l-boards is bad news.

[parestailor]

Originally Posted by Riverrun

I think he broke these.

exactly i pry'd from the wrong end for the IR sensor so i ripped the connector bay off. it does looks like an entire new logic board! GRR

going to have to give apple a call / visit.

[808?]

Do you actually use your IR port and remote?

If not then save the cost and use the Mini as is.

[parestailor]

Originally Posted by 808?

Do you actually use your IR port and remote?

If not then save the cost and use the Mini as is.

i was given this mac mini mid 2011 TB via work.

i had a plan i would get a new mac mini this year (revised 2012 edition) when its out and i would use the one i currently have with my TV downstairs in the living room so the remote feature would be handy.

ive made an appointment to see mac genius member on wednesday

the cost is worrying me

[kas23]

There are many Wifi remotes out there that could work for you. They actually work much better and are more versatile.

I feel for you with the IR sensor. There are many horror stories with the removal of this part. You are not the only one. I hope someone will learn from your mistake in the future.

[philipma1957]

Originally Posted by parestailor

i was given this mac mini mid 2011 TB via work.

i had a plan i would get a new mac mini this year (revised 2012 edition) when its out and i would use the one i currently have with my TV downstairs in the living room so the remote feature would be handy.

ive made an appointment to see mac genius member on wednesday

the cost is worrying me

it is not worth fixing. I recall a few numbers for this all over 400 usd as the entire l-board get replaced. still go to apple maybe they will do something nice. if they want the full repair price don't do it. just sell the machine at a discount on ebay.

[MacTech68]

Depending on what's broken, somebody with decent soldering skills could replace the connector. If tracks or pads have been lifted, that makes it more difficult, but not impossible.

For reference, it looks like it might be a Molex "Pico-EZmate™" connector.

http://www.molex.com/molex/products/...e=Introduction

For the 5 pin connector on the logic board, you'd bee looking at part number:

78171-0005

Without one here, it's difficult to know for certain. Pin pitch and dimensions can be compared to the drawings at the above URL.

RS Components UK have the 4 pin connector. P/N 700-0836

[parestailor]

thanks guys

ive had a quote from a few apple authorised engineers around london, cost £400 to replace entire logic board.

they have all told me it would be cheaper going directly to apple themselves for this issue which i am going to do wednesday.

wish me luck on the cost.

[philipma1957]

Originally Posted by MacTech68

Depending on what's broken, somebody with decent soldering skills could replace the connector. If tracks or pads have been lifted, that makes it more difficult, but not impossible.

For reference, it looks like it might be a Molex "Pico-EZmate™" connector.

http://www.molex.com/molex/products/...e=Introduction

For the 5 pin connector on the logic board, you'd bee looking at part number:

78171-0005

Without one here, it's difficult to know for certain. Pin pitch and dimensions can be compared to the drawings at the above URL.

RS Components UK have the 4 pin connector. P/N 700-0836

this has worked on occasion you need someone with good tools and skills. it is getting harder and harder to find techs that will do this in the states. also remember his mini works in every way except via remote control.

he could sell the mini and buy a new one with a loss under 100 pounds. many buyers of minis would want his machine at a 100 pound discount since they do not need a remote control.

I am in the usa I would buy the machine from him in a heartbeat if he was local to me. I have a need four 4 minis which I have but I would trade one of mine to him. As I only use the remote on one of the 4 machine.

He is better off trying to find a UK person that does not need the remote control and swap his machine for the other one. Toss the guy 50 quid and call it a day.

[MJL]

give these people a call

http://www.e-techsiliconvalley.com/a...ardrepair.html

surface mounted component repair needs some specialised tools but is not out of this world.

and for those in the UK:
http://www.applerepair.co.uk/logic-board-repair.htm

[paulrbeers]

Ya know, you can also get an external IR remote control/IR sensor that plugs into a usb port. I had one by Keyspan for awhile. You can usually get these sorts of things for $25 US. It's not as pretty, as having a built in IR receiver, but it works (and you can move it to directly under your tv if your Mac Mini is in a cabinet).

[blevins321]

Yeah, I did the exact same damn thing while doing an SSD install in mine. It happened almost too easily; like it wasn't attached well to begin with. One other casualty is that the connector also controls the front power indicator light, so now I'm not sure if my computer is sleeping or not. Annoyance, but I've learned to live with it.

For HTPC purposes, if you have an iPhone or iPod, you could get HippoVNC or Conductor. They function as iOS remote controls and touchpads for your Mac.

[TraceyS/FL]

Originally Posted by parestailor

thanks guys

ive had a quote from a few apple authorised engineers around london, cost £400 to replace entire logic board.

they have all told me it would be cheaper going directly to apple themselves for this issue which i am going to do wednesday.

wish me luck on the cost.

One thing to keep in mind they might axe your warranty going to apple and having it done. If you don't NEED the ir sensor, you might want to save the money in case something else comes up you need to repair in the next year. Since your employer is apt to make you pay at that point. I'd hate to have to pay the 400 twice!

It may be a flat rate type of repair, I know they do that for older machines. X dollars and fix whatever is wrong. Curious what the rate is on it.

[parestailor]

Originally Posted by philipma1957

this has worked on occasion you need someone with good tools and skills. it is getting harder and harder to find techs that will do this in the states. also remember his mini works in every way except via remote control.

he could sell the mini and buy a new one with a loss under 100 pounds. many buyers of minis would want his machine at a 100 pound discount since they do not need a remote control.

I am in the usa I would buy the machine from him in a heartbeat if he was local to me. I have a need four 4 minis which I have but I would trade one of mine to him. As I only use the remote on one of the 4 machine.

He is better off trying to find a UK person that does not need the remote control and swap his machine for the other one. Toss the guy 50 quid and call it a day.

this is a brilliant idea, ive put it on ebay and made it clear because i if i go to apple / anywhere its go to cost more then £250 to fix.. you can buy the new base models for £450 on ebay, RRP £529.

check it: (im happy to buy my machine again but i will have to pay £150 on top to fix my problem...)

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...ht_2577wt_1156

[MrXiro]

I did the same thing to my 2012 Mac Mini last week... I was able to pop the wires back in and the IR works fine. But the light seems to be shot.

[arvetus]

I did this to my fan connector

I would not have cared if I did it to my IR connector. But noooooo...I had to do it to the fan.

I ended up buying a new Mini at the Apple store so I could get back up and running and am now trying to find a place to repair this logic board or procure a replacement at reasonable cost. Might have to wait a year until these things come out of warranty and parts become more widely available.

I clipped the fan connector off and tried to solder directly to the PCB, but then I noted the foil was starting to lift.

[troy14]

I just had my mid 2011 midlevel Mac mini logic board die. (2.5ghz i5/discrete graphics). I had Applecare so I didn't have to pay for anything but the repair was quoted at $39 for labor and $349 for the actual logic board. Total with tax was just under $400. I get the logic board is basically the whole computer but had I had to pay that I would have been so upset! Can almost get a new Mini for that price

[tom29786]

I do not understand why the films from OWC and the I fix it photos are so quick to take these things off the Mother Board. I have put about 20 hard drives and ssd's in minis and never disconnect these things. You can change these things without the disconnect.

Tom

[MBUSA]

Hello, in the process of replacing the HDD of my new MD388LL/A with a SSD, instead of prying the IR sensor connector out of the socket, I pried the entire socket off of the logic board. The inconvenient result of this is that my Mac mini power light no longer works. (I don't have a remote control, but I imagine that wouldn't work either.)

This broken connector / socket is VERY small and has 5 wires, and there's no way I could fix it. But, maybe I could make the connection for one or two of the wires. Does anyone know what each of the 5 wires controls? I would love to get my power light working again. Thanks! -Michael

[MacTech68]

Originally Posted by MBUSA

Hello, in the process of replacing the HDD of my new MD388LL/A with a SSD, instead of prying the IR sensor connector out of the socket, I pried the entire socket off of the logic board. The inconvenient result of this is that my Mac mini power light no longer works. (I don't have a remote control, but I imagine that wouldn't work either.)

This broken connector / socket is VERY small and has 5 wires, and there's no way I could fix it. But, maybe I could make the connection for one or two of the wires. Does anyone know what each of the 5 wires controls? I would love to get my power light working again. Thanks! -Michael

If you're able to pull the whole machine apart, you should be able to work this out with a multimeter.

Looking at this crop of a larger pic from a slightly EARLIER version (attached), the LED is at the bottom right in this pic. If you use the multimeter to check continuity of the cable to the two silver points on the outer edge of the LED, you'll have the two wires you need. From just the pic, one SEEMS to be the upper-most wire in the pic. You'd still need to trace these back to the connector end of the cable.

A take apart can be found here:

http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Installi...Sensor/11719/1

[blanka]

Originally Posted by tom29786

I do not understand why the films from OWC and the I fix it photos are so quick to take these things off the Mother Board. I have put about 20 hard drives and ssd's in minis and never disconnect these things. You can change these things without the disconnect.

Tom

Even better: you can change these without moving the logic board a single bit. Leave it in place!
You need to remove the fan and disconnect it.
You need to remove the left plastic cover.
You need to remove the WiFi antenna and disconnect it.
Tools needed: Torx 7, Torx 9 and Hex 2mm
To mount the bottom drive, you can either use 2 standard screws in the side of the drive, but that might give some rattle as it is plastic on steel. Or you can pop in the 2 rubber grommets from the kit and put 2 threaded pins in your drives side.
That's it.

[philipma1957]

Originally Posted by blanka

Even better: you can change these without moving the logic board a single bit. Leave it in place!
You need to remove the fan and disconnect it.
You need to remove the left plastic cover.
You need to remove the WiFi antenna and disconnect it.
Tools needed: Torx 7, Torx 9 and Hex 2mm
To mount the bottom drive, you can either use 2 standard screws in the side of the drive, but that might give some rattle as it is plastic on steel. Or you can pop in the 2 rubber grommets from the kit and put 2 threaded pins in your drives side.
That's it.

Torx 6 and Torx 8