iPad 3G Logic Board Replacement

Written By: Andrew Bookholt

Comments: 26

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

Time Required

No estimate

Introduction

Use this guide to replace your iPad 3G's logic board.

Tools

Parts

iPad 3G (1st Gen) Logic Board

Step 1

If your display glass is cracked, keep further breakage contained and prevent bodily harm during your repair by taping the glass.
Lay overlapping strips of clear packing tape over the iPad's display until the whole face is covered.
This will keep glass shards contained and provide structural integrity when prying and lifting the display.
Do your best to follow the rest of the guide as described. However, once the glass is broken, it will likely continue to crack as you work, and you may need to use a metal prying tool to scoop the glass out.
Wear safety glasses to protect your eyes, and be careful not to damage the LCD screen.

Step 2

The iPad shown in the photos may look slightly different from your iPad, but the procedure is the same.
Insert a metal spudger between the right edge of the display assembly and the rear panel assembly.
Rotate the spudger away from you to release the tabs along the top edge of the display.

Ok, a word of caution that can't be overstated. The off screen switch, the lock swith, and the volume switch can all be broken easily. I would stay away from this area completely. The bracket on the off switch is tack welded and can be broken. The volume/lock swith can be malformed to become unusable. So avoid the area and you will be better off.

Carl Rossi -

Most of the spring clips mounted to the digitizer panel (sandwitched between the LCD display mount tabs and digitizer frame) are guaranteed to break. I recommend just purchasing a set (I found on one Amazon for less then $6). With that said, even though I broke most of mine while removing the glass panel/frame assembly, I was able to remount the glass. It seems fairly secure, but I'm going to put the iPad (3G/Wifi) in a case, anyway.

stevetsi - 23/12/14

Pas besoin de pistolet a chaleur, il faut juste faire sauter les clips qui maintiennent l'ensemble écran et LCD. Bien commencer par la droite, car se sont juste des picots en plastique a faire sauter par dessus le rebord en alu, puis soulever la partie du bas en cassant les 4 clips ( pas moyen de les garder entier). Ensuite la partie gauche (avec 6 clips) se détachera facilement. La partie haute n'est pas éclipser mais retenus par un cable.

tibo - 02/03/15

Yes, most of the clips break easily, but I was able to reassemble the iPad by putting the left side in first at an angle, and then snapping in the rest of it. Even though most of the clips break, it still holds together pretty tight.

Peter Hillman - 05/11/17

not all clips break, and there are so many clips that despite breaking 2-3 clips it still fitted in nicely, if you do not have a metal spudger you can use any pack of screw drivers whose other end looks like the metal spudger, that’s about it, as far the instruction goes they are good for battery replacement.

ztauseef -

Step 3

Insert a second metal spudger between the top edge of the display assembly and the rear panel assembly to keep the tabs from snapping back into place.
Pry the display assembly away from the rear panel.

Step 4

Continue prying the display assembly away from the rear panel along the bottom and left edges of the iPad.
Use extreme caution as you approach the top edge of the iPad. The digitizer ribbon cable is located near the edge of the rear panel and can easily be damaged.

Be very careful as the left side has plastic pins that go into the cover, the right side and bottom have metal clips which break easily.

After unlocking the left side, pull away from the right side, as to save the metal clips.

Neven Dilkov -

During reassembly, it can be difficult to get the clips back into the body. I found that I had to put two (sturdy) metal spudgers on either side of the lower-right clip in order to gain enough space to get the clip into the body. Even then it required a fair amount of force (obviously not so much as to damage the display).

cgkemper -

Step 5

Lift the display assembly away from the rear panel assembly by its bottom edge.
Do not excessively lift the display assembly off the rest of the iPad, as a fragile antenna cable with very little slack still connects the two components.

There are four black angle metal foil corner pieces that just fall out of the case. They are about 4 mm long and 2mm on each leg. Have no clue what they do or where they go.

Carl Rossi -

That's probably broken Metal Display Clips. Easy to replace, but you'll need to purchase a set of new clips. Luckily, they're not expensive :-)

orb -

The display data cable may be glued into place along the right and top side of the right battery. You should use an iPod opening tool to pry it away from the adhesive. This will allow you to get a wider opening between the display and iPad body in order to access and remove other cables.

cgkemper -

The photo above is the Wi-Fi version because the cellular communication board is missing in the photo. As I lifted the display, following the instructions, one of the cellular antennas snapped right out of the copper connector exposing bare wire. No big deal because it is an iPad 1 and no one would ever use cellular with an original iPad anyway. Not these days. But be very careful lifting the display because the antenna wires for the cellular board are very short and break easily.

Peter Hillman - 05/11/17

Step 6

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the antenna connector closest to the bottom of the iPad up off its socket on the communications board.

Whats this antenna for? What is I accidentally tore it out? what will it affect?

Laith -

This is the GSM antenna cable connector.

orb -

did u find out what it did as I pulled the whole connector socket off can this be repaired

dods - 29/06/14

The antenna cable is easily broken when separating the screen from body.

The whole antenna can be purchased for about $5 new on eBay.

mpaint - 04/09/14

Is there a tutorial? Mine broke and I did buy part. However, only thing I find is how to replace lcd. Just need how to replace 3G antenna.

Marvin Dizon - 23/02/16

I just need how to replace 3G antenna. Is there a tutorial? Mine broke and I did buy part. However, only thing that I find online is how to replace lcd.

Marvin Dizon - 23/02/16

There are 2 small cable with golden connector plugged into the sockets,

unfortunately the lower one the cable and golden connector is broken when I move the display assembly off, what shall I do to fix it:-(

oliveryb - 12/04/15

Some know the function of these 2 cable? My lower cable broken with the golden connector...

oliveryb - 12/04/15

Mine broke and I simply soldered a new one on the bottom part of the old one, where the plastic wire cover ended. It worked. :)

jessamy99 - 14/02/20

Step 7

In the following steps, you will disconnect the three cables attaching the display assembly to the logic board. The cables are for the following components:
Digitizer
Ambient Light Sensor
Display Data Cable

Step 8

Use the edge of an iPod opening tool to flip up the retaining flaps holding the digitizer ribbon cables in their sockets on the logic board.
Be sure you are flipping up the retaining flap, not the socket itself.
Pull the digitizer ribbon cables straight out of their sockets.

Step 9

Use an iPod opening tool to remove the ambient light sensor connector from its socket by gently prying upward.

Step 10

Disconnect the display data cable from the main board by flipping up the metal retainer by its black plastic pull tab.
Pull the cable connector away from its socket.
Pull the connector parallel to the face of the logic board.

For iPad Wifi Users, there is a ‘3D Antenna’’ cable that also needs to be removed. This is not covered in this tutorial. Here is a YouTube link to that covers this procedure. https://youtu.be/iD8kGSD5r0A

Amanda May - 22/08/20

Step 11

Remove the display assembly from the rear panel assembly.

Step 12

Use the edge of an iPod opening tool to carefully pry the remaining antenna connector up off the communications board.

Replacing the communications board is a very delicate process. Be warned. I got to this point with only a bracket or two broken and when reseating the communications board, one of the connector wafers cracked. Hopefully it will still work but I suspect I will need to find a replacement.

Berach Productions - 09/09/20

Step 13

De-route the control button cable along the top edge of the communications board.
Pull the communications cable upward to lift its connector up and out of the socket on the logic board.

Step 14

Remove the single T5 Torx screw securing the communications board to the rear case.

for me it was t3 torx

Chris Willberg - 20/10/16

Step 15

If necessary, lift the right edge of the communications board upward to release it from the adhesive pad attached to the rear case.
Pull the communications board away from its socket on the logic board.

Step 16

Carefully peel back the rubber EMI shield covering the GPS antenna socket.
Use the edge of an iPod opening tool to flip up the GPS ribbon cable retaining flap attached to the GPS cable's socket on the logic board.
Be sure you pry up on the retaining flap, not the socket itself.

Step 17

Pull the GPS antenna ribbon cable out of its socket.

Step 18

Use the edge of an iPod opening tool to pry up the retaining flap on the headphone jack/microphone socket.
Be sure you pry up on the retaining flap, not the socket itself.
Pull the headphone jack/microphone ribbon cable out of its socket.
Pull the cable toward the left side of the iPad.

Step 19

Use an iPod opening tool to pry the SIM board connector up off its socket on the logic board.
This connector might be covered with black tape. Use tweezers to remove the tape before prying.

Some iPads have a black tape that keeps the connector in place, you will have to remove it.

Walter Ferlazzo -

Cut the tape holding the SIM board connector to the logic board.

anonymous 9861 -

Step 20

Fold the SIM cable toward the bottom of the iPad to access the speaker connector.
Use the edge of an iPod opening tool to pry the speaker connector up and out of its socket on the logic board.
Pry up from beneath the wires.

Step 21

Remove the following screws securing the logic board to the rear panel assembly.
Two 4.56 mm T5 Torx screws.
Two 3.76 mm T5 Torx screws.

Step 22

Use the edge of an iPod opening tool to carefully pry the dock cable connector straight up off the logic board.

Step 23

Lift the logic board out of the rear panel assembly.

Conclusion

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

Author

Andrew Bookholt

589141 Reputation

One comment

Did this and everything worked great, but I forgot to re-attach the 3G antenna so I went back in to do that, closed it back up again and now my wifi isn't working. Any thoughts on what I likely messed up?

The first repair didn't require a software/firmware restore, but the second one did. I've restored twice now and reset network settings... all the suggestions Apple makes for troubleshooting a software issue, so I do think I messed something up inside. wobble man 3d

Aro Artis - 04/01/21