MacBook Core Duo Left Speaker Replacement

Last updated on September 17, 2016

No estimate

Moderate

Introduction

Does your MacBook's music sound not quite right—or, rather, only right? Restore balanced sound to your laptop by replacing the left speaker.

Parts

Tools

Remove the three evenly-spaced Phillips screws from along the rear wall of the battery compartment.
The screws are captive to the metal memory cover.
When replacing the battery casing, use a spudger to re-insert the foam cushioning behind the rear wall for propper battery spacing.

Lift up on L-shaped memory cover, slide it to the right, and lift it out of the computer.

Remove the following 3 screws:
One 11 mm Phillips #00 in the middle of the case.
Two 14.5 mm Phillips #00.
If the screws stick in the case, you can use a magnetized screwdriver to draw them out.
The shorter of the three screws goes in the middle.

Remove the following 3 screws from the rear wall of the battery compartment:
Two 3 mm Phillips #00. (A1181 has three 3 mm screws and one 4 mm.)
One 4 mm Phillips #00 on the right side.
When reinstalling these screws, press gently on the lower case to line up the screw holes.

Remove the two 6 mm Phillips #00 screws from either side of the right wall of the battery compartment (not the ones closest to the battery connector).

Remove the four 3 mm indicated Phillips #00 screws from the front wall of the battery compartment. When working from the left, remove the 2nd, 4th, 7th and 9th screw.

Remove the two 5.2 mm shouldered Phillips #00 screws from the optical side of the computer.
It is not necessary to remove the similar screws on the other side of the computer.

Starting near the display and working around to the front of the computer, pry up on the upper case. It is held with clips on the right above the optical drive. These will release with some firm lifting pressure.
Be careful when prying up the upper case. It's very easy to slice open a fingertip and thus provide the blood sacrifice the Mac gods sometimes require of those who insist on doing their own repairs.
There's a trackpad and keyboard ribbon connecting the upper case to the logic board, so don't pull the upper case off entirely just yet.
If you have trouble getting the clips to release, be careful that you are not prying the plastic top of the upper case away from its metal frame.

While holding up the upper case (from the bottom or the top), use a spudger to pry up the orange trackpad and keyboard cable from its connector.
Take care to pry between the black socket and the white connector. You might have to pry on both sides for it to release properly.
Do not pry from the bottom or the top, but from the sides.
If you happen to break your upper case cable when removing the upper case, we stock the individually and we have a [invalid guide link] that makes replacing it easy.