I recently acquired a mid-2012 MacBook Air 13 inch on which the wifi antenna connectors had been torn off. I tried in vain to find a guide to replacing them on the web. All I found was people telling me that I had to replace the entire display assembly. Rubbish! I went about doing it myself and was successful (at replacing the entire antenna and the left hinge). So, for those of you in the same boat, here is a guide to doing it. I will not go into detail for general disassembly since there are many excellent guides on Youtube and different sites to doing this.
While the repair should probably not be undertaken by anyone who hasn't disassembled laptops before, it is really not that difficult if you have the right tools and take your time. Of course, you will have to get a hold of an antenna and a hinge... I have seen them on auction sites. So, here goes:
1- Remove the case bottom (10 Pentalobe screws)
2- Disconnect battery
3- Disconnect webcam, wifi antenna (from Airport card) and video connector
4- Separate screen assembly from main body (6 Torx screws)
5- Remove clutch cover (brown plastic cover at bottom of screen)... I just wiggled and jiggled it, and pried it up a bit with a spudger and it came off).
6- Remove screen bezel (There are several excellent Youtube videos on how to do this. Most involve a hair dryer or heat gun. Having done three in the past few days, I can say that it requires patience and a bit of attention. I used a metal spudger to get it started and then used several pieces of a cut up credit card. If you encounter too much resistance, apply a little more heat. Be careful not to deform the bezel and do not press into the screen when you are using the metal spudger.) Once the bezel is off, you have done the hardest part.
7- Remove the left hinge (the wifi antenna cables actually go through this hinge... that is why I replaced the cable and the hinge... I have no idea how you would extricate the cable from the hinge) from the cover assembly (3 Torx screws).
8- Disconnect the webcam cable from the webcam (at the top of the screen with a tiny plastic latch... of the type that is common on Windows laptops)
9- Remove the wifi antenna. It is under the clutch and is held in place by 9 or 10 small Phillips screws. Make sure you get them all, there are a couple under the video cable.
10- When you remove the wifi antenna, you will also have to gently pull the webcam cable out with it. It is routed in a channel on the left side of the lid. I also goes under the rubber gasket at the bottom of the screen... I used a spudger to gently lift the gasket maybe 1/4 inch so that I could gently (again) pull the webcam cable through.
Reassembly is just the same thing in reverse order. (Some guides tell you to replace the two-sided tape when putting the bezel back on but I didn't and it is on just fine... just used a little heat to soften things up a bit and then pressed it into place.) In closing, I would like to stress the word "gently". This is a very delicate little piece of engineering. Those connectors and cables are absolutely tiny and fragile. Don's try to horse anything out. One russian fellow on Youtube explains, as he is showing you how to remove the bezel, that it is important to make yourself comfortable and not the laptop. This means that you should not be working at an uncomfortable angle, with poor lighting and the wrong tools.
I hope this can help somebody. Your feedback is encouraged although, please be gentle.
While the repair should probably not be undertaken by anyone who hasn't disassembled laptops before, it is really not that difficult if you have the right tools and take your time. Of course, you will have to get a hold of an antenna and a hinge... I have seen them on auction sites. So, here goes:
1- Remove the case bottom (10 Pentalobe screws)
2- Disconnect battery
3- Disconnect webcam, wifi antenna (from Airport card) and video connector
4- Separate screen assembly from main body (6 Torx screws)
5- Remove clutch cover (brown plastic cover at bottom of screen)... I just wiggled and jiggled it, and pried it up a bit with a spudger and it came off).
6- Remove screen bezel (There are several excellent Youtube videos on how to do this. Most involve a hair dryer or heat gun. Having done three in the past few days, I can say that it requires patience and a bit of attention. I used a metal spudger to get it started and then used several pieces of a cut up credit card. If you encounter too much resistance, apply a little more heat. Be careful not to deform the bezel and do not press into the screen when you are using the metal spudger.) Once the bezel is off, you have done the hardest part.
7- Remove the left hinge (the wifi antenna cables actually go through this hinge... that is why I replaced the cable and the hinge... I have no idea how you would extricate the cable from the hinge) from the cover assembly (3 Torx screws).
8- Disconnect the webcam cable from the webcam (at the top of the screen with a tiny plastic latch... of the type that is common on Windows laptops)
9- Remove the wifi antenna. It is under the clutch and is held in place by 9 or 10 small Phillips screws. Make sure you get them all, there are a couple under the video cable.
10- When you remove the wifi antenna, you will also have to gently pull the webcam cable out with it. It is routed in a channel on the left side of the lid. I also goes under the rubber gasket at the bottom of the screen... I used a spudger to gently lift the gasket maybe 1/4 inch so that I could gently (again) pull the webcam cable through.
Reassembly is just the same thing in reverse order. (Some guides tell you to replace the two-sided tape when putting the bezel back on but I didn't and it is on just fine... just used a little heat to soften things up a bit and then pressed it into place.) In closing, I would like to stress the word "gently". This is a very delicate little piece of engineering. Those connectors and cables are absolutely tiny and fragile. Don's try to horse anything out. One russian fellow on Youtube explains, as he is showing you how to remove the bezel, that it is important to make yourself comfortable and not the laptop. This means that you should not be working at an uncomfortable angle, with poor lighting and the wrong tools.
I hope this can help somebody. Your feedback is encouraged although, please be gentle.