MacBook Unibody Model A1342 Battery Replacement

Written By: Walter Galan
  • Comments: 62
MacBook Unibody Model A1342 Battery Replacement

Difficulty

Easy

Steps

7

Time Required

5 - 10 minutes

Introduction

Don't pay Apple to replace your worn out battery. Do it yourself!

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    • Remove the eight 4 mm Phillips screws securing the lower case to the MacBook.

    According to this page http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1651?viewl..., the 8 screws are not identical.

    Can anybody tell me where each kind of screw is supposed to go?

    Gregoire -

    They are all 100% Identical. You were probably looking at a different model, or Apple has entered the wrong information... Hey, It happens...

    Owen Davies -

    The screws on the Late 2009 are identical. The blue lock compound might make tightening some require a little more effort.

    svenaustx -

    Can I replace it with a SATA 3 cable?

    nm -

    A1342 macbook does not have the right controller to support sata III

    Owen Davies -

    hi, i just got back from the apple store and they are really keen for me to upgrade to a new laptop since my battery is old and the screen is cracked, so glad i found ifixit i would love to upgrade this puppy! gonna make it a real sleeper! styler hall wrote about sticking 16 gb of ram in his a 1342 ? is this a simply mather of ordering 3 4gb sticks ?aslo i currently have 4 gb and would like to upgrade to 8 ( or indeed 16) does that mean i need to buy all new sticks or can i continue to use the old one and stick a new one next to it ?

    thanks again mick van aar, perth western aus.

    michelvanaar -

    The A1342 will take up to 16 GB of RAM, however, there are only two RAM slots, so use two 8-GB RAM modules. Other World Computing (OWC) is a great reference source for info on exactly which RAM to use with which model; prices are usually much better on EBay though. Add an SSD from OWC and your machine will really scream!

    I hope that helps!

    gdesbrisay -

    Gregoire is right. The 8 screws are absolutely NOT identical, I’m looking at them right now, weeowey weeowey.

    John Guzman -

    I just wanted to say that, in 2020, i used these instructions to replace the magsafe socket on my A1286, mid-2012, pre-Retina MacBook Pro. The internal layout is not quite the same but close enough for me to do the job. I skipped the steps of fully disconnecting the fans and speakers because of what others had said about breaking the sockets. it just meant I had to be extremely careful when lifting up the main board so that I did not tear and break the connections. I was able to disconnect the old magsafe socket with the board flat and in situ, but there was no where near enough room to be able to aline and press home the new par home. Reluctantly i had to lever up the board. This was difficult as there is a tapped post that holds a screw in the way close to where the USB sockets are, that prevented the board lifting up and out. I had to be quite forceful to manouevre the sockets out from the edge of the case.

    Paul Burridge -

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    • The lower case is constructed of rubber-coated aluminum. Do not excessively bend the aluminum during removal, as any permanent deformation will cause tolerance issues after reassembly.

    • Slightly lift the lower case near the vent opening.

    • Continue running your fingers between the lower and upper cases until the upper case pops off its retaining clips.

    • The location of these three clips is shown in the third picture.

    Do the retaining clips have to be re-engaged when replacing the lower case?

    John Morley -

    Answering my own question, the clips re-engage when the lower case is correctly positioned. You can help them by gently pressing the lower case with your thumbs midway along the two short sides. When everything is correctly aligned the eight screw holes line up.

    John Morley -

    Rather than running your fingernail down the sides to free up the retaining clips, I found that using an old credit card, inserted about 1/4”, to run along the left and right side popped those end retaining clips right off with no problem. You may need to twist the card slightly when in the middle area to help pop those off.

    bdahl385 -

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    • Use the flat end of a spudger to lift the battery connector up out of its socket on the logic board.

    • It may be easier to use your fingernails to lift up on both sides of the connector.

    Hi,

    for error I did step 3 as last one. The battery now is no more recognized by my macbook.

    Did I make such a tremendous mistake that cause the battery to fail ??

    Enrico D -

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    • Remove two 5 mm Tri-point screws securing the battery to the upper case.

    "Tri-Wing Screws"? I don't see a "Tri-Wing Screwdriver" listed in the "Tools" section.

    barryjaylevine -

    See here: Tri-point Y1 Screwdriver

    All tools required are included here: [linked product missing or disabled: IF145-022]

    Just did it myself ;)

    Hannes -

    5mm tri-wing screw??

    Its hardly that big. It certainly requires a tri-wing screwdriver much smaller than a 5mm tri-wing screwdriver - "Y1" is probably 1mm. The smallest I had was a 2mm tri-wing screwdriver and it just worked ok.

    I think this and step 5 should be edited with better information.

    yy yy -

    The original iFixit guide described the step 4 screws as "tri-wing" but that is incorrect, it should say "tri-point" or "Y", and the required screwdriver diameter is 2 mm, not 5 mm. See this image:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_scr...

    The top row is tri-wing, the bottom row is tri-point, as found in this MacBook.

    irvbromberg -

    My tri-wing screws were black, 2mm and totally seized up. I had to break the plastic around the screw holes in the battery, remove it and then un screw them with long nose pliers. Needless to say they are now replaced with Philips screws.

    Al Livesey -

    A Y1 screwdriver emphatically did not fit mine - so in case it saves others buying a useless set of security bits like I did, you need a Y0, like this one: https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/tri-wing-y0-tri...

    Jo Wilson -

    A small ~2mm flat-head screwdriver will fit across two of the points and have enough leverage to do the trick as well.

    Edward Price -

    In my case a Y1 Tri-point driver loosened the silvery screws of 5 mm length.

    channy8 -

    Here’s a trick you can use if your black tri-wing screws would rather than strip than come out: the reason they’re stuck is that Apple put adhesive on the threads, and if you apply heat you can defeat the adhesive. Once I stripped the first one I realized what was going on, and I put the tip of a soldering iron on the remaining screws for two minutes. Presto, they came out easily. If you strip one like I did you can either break the plastic like Al did above, or you can use a Dremel tool with a cutting disk to cut a slot in the head of the screw, converting it into a slotted screw head. You have to judge it carefully: deep enough to get a bite on it, not so deep that you destroy the integrity of the screw. Also, you have to mask off the surgery site: I put down paper everywhere except where the screw was, then covered the paper with aluminum foil. The foil protects against the sparks created by the cutting wheel, the paper insulates the circuit board against shorting by the foil. Not for faint of heart.

    Klieb -

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    • Use the tip of a spudger to carefully peel back the finger of the warning label to reveal a hidden Tri-point screw.

    • Remove the 5 mm Tri-point screw securing the battery to the upper case.

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    • Remove three 3.1 mm Phillips screws securing the battery near the edge of the upper case.

    • When reinstalling the battery, be sure to install these three screws before proceeding to fasten the Tri-point screws.

    When I re-installed the battery, I inadvertently ripped the ribbon between the Trackad ribbon and the battery ribbon. Be Careful!

    Joel Gilbert -

    "Remove three 3.1 mm Phillips screws securing the battery near the edge of the upper case".

    Using the tools I bought from iFixit, I have got this far, no worries :)

    The channels underneath/around these screws appear damaged and will not allow the screw to unwind and come out, therefore, the screws are "stuck". (This is by no means an indictment of the mini screwdrivers.) Any suggestions to help, because the replacement battery will not fit with these screws in place. Thanks.

    jane -

    These last 3 screws were a bit** to get off. One of them actually would not come out but I managed to slip the battery out anyways. Maybe it nudged just enough. Getting it back in was okay, just slid it under. Fit was snug, had to be careful not to break or crimp the ribbon in front of the battery connector, as Joel stated. Simply snipped a piece of the plastic tab from the old battery and stood it up in this spot and slid the battery down, this kept the ribbon from crimping. Only one of these last 3 screws that I did get out, did I put back in. Not sure why they are there as the tabs that hold them are enough to hold the battery. All other screws and battery connector worked like a charm. Replaced the cover, turn it on and Whala!!! Only got a message that said I needed to reset the Date & Time. Got it on the charger now, as new battery only had 75% charge, so fingers crossed it will recharge at a 100% and last longer than the old battery before it's next charge. Good luck everyone!!

    Terri C -

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    • Use the battery's plastic pull tab to lift and remove the battery from the upper case.

    • If you're installing a new battery, you should calibrate it after installation:

    • Charge it to 100%, and then keep charging it for at least 2 more hours. Next, unplug and use it normally to drain the battery. When you see the low battery warning, save your work, and keep your laptop on until it goes to sleep due to low battery. Wait at least 5 hours, then charge your laptop uninterrupted to 100%.

    • If you notice any unusual behavior or problems after installing your new battery, you may need to reset your MacBook's SMC.

Conclusion

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

Author

Walter Galan

697731 Reputation

37 comments

what size is the tri-wing screwdriver used in this guide(0,1,2,3,4,5?)

aknewhope -

I bought a tri wing y1 from Wera, but it was way to big.... I guess I'll buy the ifixit bit set, but otherwise I would try y0.

--edit-- Looking at the photo's here of the tri-wing screws, it more looks like my macbook has different screws. Mine are black and as large as the other normal screws.

Looks like the 2010 version has y0 somehow.

Peterdk -

I just replaced the battery on my late 2009 mac and thanks to this and all the other detailed guides it was actually quite simple (save for those cursed tri-wings). Don't feed apple with money you can spend on better things. A battery-removel isn't one of them.

Sebastian Koch -

For those that have questions about the size of the bit, every article starts with "Tools". The tri-wing is size Y1 as the guide says. 5mm is the length of the screw itself, not the size of the bit.

Just replaced a battery myself. The replacement battery (from an ebay seller) is supposed to be genuine, but was missing the "Warning, do not remove the battery" sticker and the "Do not throw in the trash" sticker, and the main sticker was glossy with air bubbles. Not sure if fake or not. But have been working great this first night.

This guide was spot on. Followed every step, and used the iFixit kit when doing the repair.

tech -

I just replaced the battery, using a battery and tools from iFixit, and the guide was perfect. Many thanks!

bobleigh -

If you cant find a tri-wing screwdriver, a very VERY small straight (2-sided) screwdriver will suffice.

jpbarbash -

I got the "Service Battery" warning after replacing my old "bloated" battery. Did I do something wrong during the process ('cause I did exactly the same as the guide) or is it the battery the faulty one (it worked just fine from my observation)? Or is it software related? Appreciate feedbacks... (^_^)

Mohd Zulothman Mustapha -

My 2010 model is doing it with the original battery and it isn’t even bloated but then according to the built in hardware test(holding d at startup) it’s at ~75% of its original capacity at 582 cycles

Isaiah Hollingworth -

Thanks for the great guide. Taking my time it took only about 15 minutes beginning to end. . . a very simple procedure. Reviewing the instructions ahead of time I saw that I needed a tri-wing screwdriver, so I took a quick trip to Harbor Freight and purchased a electronics driver and bit kit. I saved my daughter a lot of money replacing the battery myself and I got some new tools in the bargain!

David Smith -

No Batteries Available in Power icon at top of the screen....?

I successfully replaced the battery two weeks ago. Today, I needed to change the trackpad due to it having a mind of its own...followed the instructions on iFixit step by step (removing the battery and the trackpad and then reassembling), but when I tried to start up the computer it would not boot except when hooked up to its power supply. The battery icon at the top of the screen, when I clicked on it, states No Batteries Available. (I reinstalled the old weak battery as a check and got the same message). Any ideas or solutions? Thanks for any help!

David Smith -

Update: I took the computer to an Apple Authorized Repair Center. They first diagnosed the problem as the incorrect battery being installed, and after further examination determined the logic board was malfunctioning. They wanted well over $350 to replace the board; I will take care of this at a later date for a lower price! Be sure to disconnect the battery cable carefully, using your fingernails or a nonconductive spudger...I believe that's where I went wrong with the disassembly.

David Smith -

Newest update: Operated computer off of power supply since the logic board was malfunctioning. Found a new logic board on eBay ($150), and the seller offered to install it if I'd ship the computer to him which I did. The replacement board solved the problem...all I now need to do is to replace the old, weak battery sometime in the future (this time with the correct tools...a small Phillips driver, a tri-wing, and, most importantly, a nonconductive spudger).

David Smith -

hi David,

hope you are doing well.

I think I have the same issue with my Macbook white A1342 would you please provide me the information to the person who installed the new logic board. the reason why I want to fix mine is that I just bought a new battery and I really want to use it instead of it being a waste.

thank you

Abdullah

Abdul Sa -

In response to the question about where to get the motherboard replaced I used an eBay seller to do so . I searched for "MacBook A1342 logic board repair" and found a few vendors who will do the repair for less than $150.00, plus S/H.

David Smith -

thank you David

Abdul Sa -

Hey! Installed a new battery in my MacBook Late 2009! Works great! Thank you iFixit!

But: Be Careful with the battery connector - you have to peel it from one side , then the other side - otherwise you´ll damage it!

nm -

I swapped out my battery, everything seemed to go very smoothly, now my computer won't turn on. I tried putting the old battery back in, still no sign of life. Won't even come on with the power cord plugged in. Any suggestions?

jonathanburger -

You very likely knocked the keyboard ribbon cable our of place. It’s easy to do when changing out the battery on this model. Look at the guide to A1342 logic board replacement to see how to properly remove, and reseat the keyboard ribbon cable.

Lance J -

Thank you iFixit for such up close photos. This really allowed me to perform this task myself. Truly appreciate it!!

Terri C -

Bought my battery (A1342) and a Y1 screwdriver bit (I already had the PH-00), and I got through step 3 no problem. The problem that arose is that the tri-wing screws holding the battery on appear to be Y0, rather than Y1. As another commenter has noted, it looks like the screws are different: black rather than brass, with a smaller head. I'm pretty well boned until I can get hold of a smaller Y set.

Disappointing, since I've had good luck with iFixit how-tos in the past.

Scott H -

Absolutely superb thank you. I've just replaced my April 2010 MacBook battery with a SLODA.

The original battery did very well - 2490 charges and lasted 6.5 years. Sadly, it failed and grown in size and popped out the trackpad. New battery is working superbly!

prwinn -

Completed the replacement last night. I used the tri wing from iFixit and an iFixit replacement battery. The only hiccup I encountered was in removing the old, original battery. The final screw on the bottom was over-tightened and it stripped. Everything else went well. After installing the new battery, and before turning the laptop on, I reset the SMC just in case. Everything is working perfectly and my laptop now has it's original approximately 9 of battery life.

Chris Malka -

Hi Chris, I'm attempting a battery change myself and one of the screws holding the battery down is also over-tight and stripped: I just can't get it out (though I'm working with the right tri-wing screw). How did you manage to pull yours out?

Thanks!

daniela.vargas -

If your tri-wing screws are seized up as mine were, you can nibble away the plastic around the screw mounts on the battery with long nose pliers and a flat head driver enough to extract the battery. I then unscrewed them with the pliers. Have replaced tri screws with Philips.

Al Livesey -

Is it possible to remove the swollen battery, not replace it, and just use the computer while attached to the power source from then on?

Follow-Up, if you cannot use it without replacing the swollen battery, is it safe to briefly use the laptop with the swollen battery to remove personal files? (Battery is swollen enough that the track back has popped out of it's area.

I appreciate the thoughts

lgxc20 -

Yes, you can use an A1342 without a battery. However, note that magsafe is not your friend in a no-battery scenario, as knocking the magsafe out of place will immediately power off your MacBook.

Lance J -

My A1342 had a battery that swelled up and pushed the trackpad through the case, damaging the case en route.

I’ve successfully replaced the battery, but now the trackpad is flopping around due to the “notch” damage to the case. Does anyone have any tips for repairing such damage to the case? I otherwise love this oldie but goodie.

Lance J -

As several others have commented, the security screws are definitely Y0, not Y1. Please can this be updated in the tools summary and steps 4/5.

Jo Wilson -

Two of my Tri-wing screws were immovable. My solution was putting a microdrop of WD-40 at the tip of an Exacto knife and spreading it around the screw. The knife tip also seemed to release the screw head from its environment. I don't know what part of this worked, but something did. The screws then came right out.

Robert Knox -

非常感谢作者和翻译工作者的工作！我已经根据这个教程完成了电池的更换。

Ralph Deng -

Hello everyone! I’m managing to change the battery with a new one! Did anyone tried to use another battery? What parameters should i look after to try a lighter battery?

Matteo Timossi -

I tried to install this battery, but it is slightly different than the one in my machine and doesn’t quite fit. Comparing the two, it was clearly a problem with the three tab-like depressions that are meant to tuck under the three tabs at the bottom of the battery compartment. This new battery is slightly taller, causing it to not slip in nicely. Even applying some force doesn’t make it fit.

Has anyone else had this problem?

ocouzin -

Hello, Here in Argentina, I can’t find the Y0 screw driver. But the Y0,6 ( for the Iphone 7) driver is available. Does anybody know if I can use to replace my macbook unibody white battery?

Thank you very much,

Miguel.

Miguel -

Don’t use the Y0 screwdriver unless it works for you, you’ll be lucky if it fits as mine didn’t. If your y0 or y0.6 won’t fit use a very small flathead screwdriver instead, almost stripped my screws using the Y0 but the flathead worked pefectly.

Rookii -

Easy guide to replacing battery on Mac. Done it a while ago and just had refresh look as forgotten about Step 5 (i.e. Use the tip of a spudger to carefully peel back the finger of the warning label to reveal a hidden Tri-point screw.) After that it was simple and battery was replaced all under 10 minutes. Thank you. As always these guides here are straight forward, and easy to follow. The “tip” and what equipment to use especially are vital to ensure you don’t break your precious Mac. Plus by doing it yourself (DIY) saves you a heap. Massive thanks to the Author and Ifixit :-) Thank you.

Aminur Choudhury -

I was not able to seat the (longer) tri-wing screw on the right because the hole in the iFixit battery did not line up with the hole in the case. The third screw under the label wasn't there in my Macbook either. So it's now held in place by a single tri-wing screw. I am sure the battery is secure, there is basically no play in the case, but it was a little disconcerting at first.

Peter da Silva -

Another GREAT instruction page! Thank you!!!

Jim Janelle -