MacBook Pro Battery Replacement Guide For Beginners

If your Macbook Pro is having battery issues, you can easily replace it yourself by following our step by step visual guide and get a new battery replacement

Battery related issues are one of the most commonly occurring ones in laptops. This calls for battery replacement to overcome those issues so that you can enjoy the best performance from your device.

Today, we will walk you through the process of replacing the battery of MacBook Pro with a 13″ retina display. The battery of MacBook Pro is glued to the frame, but that should not stop you from performing this easy DIY replacement task. You can get battery replacement kits from the market that consist of all the tools you need to replace the battery of your device. Some of these kits also include an adhesive remover that dissolves the glue holding your battery to the laptop frame, allowing you to remove the battery with ease. Alternatively, you can use a heating pad to do the same.

As a precautionary step, make sure to fully discharge the battery and turn off the device before you begin to avoid any accidents. This is because the lithium ion batteries used in laptops are highly flammable if they get punctured, so they should be handled with care, especially if they are swollen. Having said that, let’s get started.

Step 1: Removing The Back Cover/ Lower Case

The back cover of MacBook Pro is secured to the upper case with the help of 10 pentalobe screws that need to be unsecured. 2 of these have a smaller size than the rest, so it’s important to keep track of where each of the screws should go to secure the lower case back to the device.
The upper and lower case are secured together with the help of 2 plastic clips in the center. Place your fingers between the upper and lower case and gently pull the lower case toward you to separate the two.
Press the center of the lower case to reattach it to the plastic clips and secured the upper and lower case together.

Step 2: Remove The Battery Connector

The battery contact board is hidden underneath a thin plastic cover that needs to be removed to expose the components underneath.
Locate the battery connector on the logic board. Using a spudger, lift it up from the socket while making sure not to remove the socket itself as it can permanently damage the logic board.
Slide the connector out of the way to make sure it does not make any contact with the socket accidentally during the repair process. You can also cover the connector with tape to make sure it does not get shorted with the socket.

Step 3: Remove The Right Speaker

Unscrew the 2 T5 Torx screws to uncover the I/O cable bracket on the logic board and remove the bracket.
Using a spudger, lift the I/O board connector from the socket on the logic board. Make sure not to remove the socket itself; otherwise, the logic board can be damaged.
Bend the logic board end of the I/O board cable to make sure it does not make any accidental contact with the socket. You can also cover it with tape for extra protection.
Insert the flat end of a spudger underneath the right speaker cable (located near the connector). Pry the spudger upwards to detach the speaker cable from its socket and carefully lift up the speaker cable from the upper casing.
Unscrew the 3 screws that securely attach the right speaker to the upper casing and remove the speaker.

Step 4: Remove The Left Speaker

Insert the flat end of a spudger underneath the left speaker cable (located near the connector). Pry the spudger upwards to detach the speaker cable from its socket.
Unscrew the 3 screws that securely attach the left speaker to the upper casing and remove the speaker. Make sure not to break the speaker cable while doing this.

Step 3: Remove The Right Speaker

Unscrew the 2 T5 Torx screws to uncover the I/O cable bracket on the logic board and remove the bracket.
Using a spudger, lift the I/O board connector from the socket on the logic board. Make sure not to remove the socket itself; otherwise, the logic board can be damaged.
Bend the logic board end of the I/O board cable to make sure it does not make any accidental contact with the socket. You can also cover it with tape for extra protection.
Insert the flat end of a spudger underneath the right speaker cable (located near the connector). Pry the spudger upwards to detach the speaker cable from its socket and carefully lift up the speaker cable from the upper casing.
Unscrew the 3 screws that securely attach the right speaker to the upper casing and remove the speaker.

Step 4: Remove The Left Speaker

Insert the flat end of a spudger underneath the left speaker cable (located near the connector). Pry the spudger upwards to detach the speaker cable from its socket.
Unscrew the 3 screws that securely attach the left speaker to the upper casing and remove the speaker. Make sure not to break the speaker cable while doing this.

Step 7: Remove The Battery

The battery of MacBook pro consists of 6 cells in total, which need to be
Insert a thin plastic card underneath the right end of the battery, pushing it forward such that it cuts through the adhesive securing the battery to the upper case. Make sure not to damage the battery in this process.
If you feel that you still have to apply a lot of force during the prying process, you can apply some heat on the area to soften the adhesive.
Repeat the same to process until you have removed the first 2 battery cells from the right side.
Leave the plastic card between the battery and the upper case to prevent the two from adhering together again.
Repeat the same process of heating up the battery and prying it up from the left side of your MacBook Pro.
You may have to apply the adhesive remover again to the 2 battery cells in the middle by the time you reach there. It’s advisable to lift up one corner of your laptop so that the adhesive remover seeps underneath the 2 battery cells.
Wait for 2 minutes before you start prying the plastic card under the remaining battery cells.
Continue until both the cells are detached from the upper case.
Remove the battery.

Step 8: Replace The New Battery

Remove the leftover adhesive from the uppercase using your fingers. You can also apply a few drops of the adhesive remover on the frame and, after 2 minutes, scrape away the adhesive with the help of a plastic card. Alternatively, you can apply concentrated isopropyl alcohol to a cloth and wipe the uppercase with it to remove the leftover adhesive.
Identify the placement of your new battery and then remove the plastic from over the adhesive on the new battery to expose it.
Place the battery in its correct orientation and push it down with your fingers to secure it to the upper case.
Connect back the left and right speakers, as well as all the items that were removed throughout the process (except for the old battery, of course)
Place the lower case back on the top and press towards its center to reattach it to the plastic clips, securing the upper and lower case together.
Screw back the 10 pentalobe screws in their respective places.

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