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Hi! I’m wondering how people go about learning to repair logic boards. Not replacing components (DC-in, memory, etc.), but actually repairing the board itself when it has liquid damage or other issues that are typically fatal. I’ve sold a lot of dead MacBooks and have noticed there is definitely a market, and I’ve also successfully used flat-rate services which pretty much repair any MacBook board for a few hundred dollars. In my experience, they haven’t switched them out – they’ve actually fixed the board. And not only that, but the high success rate leads me to believe that the repair process must be fairly systematic and straightforward. I’m very interested to learn, so I’m wondering, is anyone aware of resources for doing this kind of thing? I’m assuming it involves soldering, chip replacement, and some pretty hardcore electronics knowledge. I’ve asked people who do this for a living, but for obvious reasons they don’t seem too interested in divulging the info. Thanks!
Apple has courses you can sign up for. See the following link. http://www.apple.com/support/programs/ss… The requirements can be a bit tough but when you are done you are Certified. That will get you ready for board level replacement. For component level repair you might try and find a business that does this type of work and see if you can get a job there part time. That is how I started back in 1993 and then I went to the Apple School in 1994. Not all Apple techs can provide this type of training. Most places like Galaxy Hardware Publisher in Oregon does this type of repair but the manuals they have are on the expensive side. Good luck and enjoy
So much bullshit. Firstly, in terms of PCB level repairs not being reliable; sure, if there’s a hole in the motherboard, it was goused with Coca Cola and it was repaired by a monkey, yes. It is less reliable. The entire board is corroded, many components are hanging on by a thread… sure. But 99% of the time they last and work just fine. The reason PCB level repairs are not done is not because they are less reliable, it is because you have to have a brain to do them - something most have stopped using throughout the new millennium. Fast forward to 23:50 in this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=885LDVit… What is holding this stuff to the board from the factory just sucks. Don’t bother with Apple certifications or programs, they qualify you to unscrew the board before you hand it to me to actually fix it. They are worthless. To answer the OP’s question, how do you learn how to repair logic boards? You watch my channel. Listen, think, absorb. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL…
The problem is that you can’t find Apple logic board diagrams anywhere. The guys who repairs MacBook logic boards have the circuits plans and can mesure the components voltage etc. Even if you are a skilled electronic tech you’ll go nowhere without the boards components values. Obviously Apple doesn’t release the information. They want to sell parts at premium price. They don’t want you to repair it.
If we’re considered Geeks, motherboard repair is in the land of Uber geeks and the guys that flash PC video cards to work on Macs. I went there in the days of the Apple II, it’s a strange land full of RPG characters, wizards and golems.
You can always try Electronics Engineering courses, that’s the best bet. That was my major the first year and a half of college, but i found the Math and Sciences requirements were insanely difficult, so I decided to switch my Major to IT professional. Wayyyy easier. :0) Once you reach that level of training, (Board Repair) you’re looking at over 100K/year easily. Problem is, if you work full time and go to school full-time and have a family it’s not easy. You literally have to burry your head in books and spend countless hours studying just for the requirements. The course is insanely difficult.
A good, skilled electronic tech with an interest in repairing these boards, with out the proper documentation on them, would reverse engineer a known good board, to have general understanding of the board. They would keep a known good board for a reference board. That way they could compare component, electrical and frequency values with problematic boards. They would have an oscilloscope, a function generator, a DC power supply, multimeter and logic probe as minimal test equipment. For repairing the boards, they may have a reflow oven, smd rework station, and a soldering iron, among other things. Bottom line you need to have a firm grasp of electricity and electronics. You need the proper test equipment, the knowledge of how to use them and what values you should be seeing to determine the good, the bad and the ugly. Then you need the proper repair equipment. rdklinc I hope this helps you.
I Have had limited success repairing boards, and I have taken at least three shots at it. I have two roasted PowerBook’s and i have looked at just about everything, and you really can’t tell which components have actually failed. I have tried just about everything, from baths in chemicals such as hydrogen peroxide, and rubbing alchohol, to rebonding solder with a heat gun, and nothing seems to work, the only main board i ever repaired, was the one in my apple 17" Studio Display, and i replaced a Diode that had fried on the main board.
Hey guys - Since I saw that resources for apple laptop logic board schematics were brought up several times, take a look at this link: http://laptop-schematics.com/db/8/ (DEAD LINK) - 5/22/2014 They give great blocked out schematics for the majority of the pre-unibody macbook pro models. Granted, you have to purchase each schematic, but at least you have a source for it if you’re serious… Cheers Jason
UPDATE - 5/22/2014
This schematics supplier now only sells the ENTIRE Apple lineup of schematics in one bundle: $249. I bought the set… very reliable and consistent info. Just FYI http://laptop-schematics.com/view/8610/
I learned to do component level repairs in the Navy working on radars and occasionally working on an early Navy computers. (with vacuum tubes) By the time I retired from the Navy they were doing board swaps but would send boards to a rebuild facility. There are company’s today doing board level repair for computers but I think it would take a very committed person to find one and apprentice out until they learned the skills. Ralph
I wouldn’t think you need an EE degree from a 4-year college. I imagine a good working knowledge of electronics (the tinkerer type), plus the necessary schematics for the computer you want to fix, are basically what you need. Of course there will probably be certain tricks of the trade that only experience (or someone with experience) can teach you. One thing is for sure- I see a lot of water-damaged MBP’s on EBay nowadays. (I can replace parts but can’t fix motherboards.) I wonder if the current models are more susceptible to water leaking through the keyboard. I think they typically sell for more than the parts value, so I imagine people are fixing them.
i’ve been looking here and there for about a week now to repair a logic board with my electrical engineering degree in my hand . i’ve done my engineering from a top university in my country and i am just blank right now. degree wont help you in this , its really very basic when it comes to repairing a logic board. I think if you need a solution to this you have to do your research on it. And that i think will only be done by putting your every free minute to it.
One the best tools available for Macbook repair is Paul Daniels FlexBV software as used by Louis Rossmann. It is available here at a very reasonable price https://pldaniels.com/flexbv/ It perfectly ties the PDF schematic in with the boardview file making finding components and power rails a breeze.
From what I’ve heard/know, people like electrical engineers have the know how for this kind of hardcore electronics. If you go and get a degree in electrical engineering, you’ll probably learn that level electronics.
an attempt that helps pick up damaged components at work: inject a limited current at the appropriate voltage on the power leads & use a IR thermometer to pick out the weak ICs. (if the board is already toast then the risk is minimal, just take normal precautions for electronics lab safety and get ready to turn off power supply.) won’t always work, but i’ve salvaged a few $1400.00 bds that way…. -Chris
I don’t know if you have noticed but it appears to be the same block diagram for all of the models, am sorry I don’t trust them and second $30 a pop seems a lot of money, the diagrams are out there some were it is just finding them, there are a few China sites with them unfortunately I can not understand to navigate my way around, i have been going through the manual page by page taking screen shots, in an attempt to get the full thing, http://wenku.baidu.com/view/273a40eff8c7… if any one can help me load this up in English I would be very greatful
If you own a MacBook Pro 13 in early 2013. you can upgrade or replace its solid-state drive using this guide. This MacBook Pro Repair uses a proprietary storage drive connector and is therefore not compatible with common M.02 drives without the use of an adapter. Before you perform this repair, back up your existing SSD. you’ll need to familiarize yourself with internet recovery or create a bootable external drive so that you can install macOS and migrate your data from the old drive to the new one.
We recommend installing macOS 10.13 High Sierra (or a later macOS) before replacing the original SSD from your MacBook Pro Repair. The latest version of macOS requires updated storage drives that can’t be found in versions prior to High Sierra Lower Case To remove the lower case from the upper case. Remove the ten screws attaching the lower case, and remove the ten screws that hold them together:Two 2.3 mm P5 Pentalobe screwsEight 3.0 mm P5 Pentalobe screwsTo avoid damaging your device, ensure that every screw goes back exactly where it came from throughout this repair. Step 2 During repairs, keep track of each screw and make sure it is put back on.To separate the upper case and lower case, place your fingers between them and slowly pull both in different directions.Now keep both cases in different places. Step 3 To connect the two cases, gently push the center of the lower back down. You will need the assistance of a technician for the further process. You can find the best advice for Macbook Pro Repair at UTM India.
