Apple Thunderbolt Display EMI Filter Replacement

Written By: Calvin Laverty
  • Comments: 47
Apple Thunderbolt Display EMI Filter Replacement

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

13

Time Required

25 - 35 minutes

Introduction

The EMI Filter is set into the device and is behind a few components. Because of this there are many wires surrounding it that are not part of this specific component. Make sure to carefully follow wires and components to make sure that the right parts are being removed.

  1. vKYkNXJG6EyYZXwb
    vKYkNXJG6EyYZXwb
    bdoSe25Kx2AEFnuf
    Fy6tFKoYcjhdx4uu

    • Lay down the display with screen side up.

    • Since the display is able to be tilted up and down, we found it useful to prop up the screen up with a styrofoam block in between the screen and the base.

    • Place the two suction cups on both sides of the top of the screen and make sure to lock them in place.

    • The glass screen is connected to the rest of the display by small magnets. Lift slowly and the screen will come right off.

    Instead of $14 foam block, I used a full roll of paper towel and two pillows. While it worked, if I ever did this again, I would buy the block of foam. Since you’re removing a power cable, you need to be able thread it through and I think the foam block would make that easier.

    Josh Miller -

    You can also use a single handle, double cup floor lifting suction cup. Just place it in the centre of the screen near the camera and lift slowly.

    Steve A -

    I just used a toilet plunger to remove the screen and it worked like a charm!

    Philip Jacob -

    That’s what I call resourceful—made my day. I hope your repair was successful.

    Tobias Isakeit -

    Great idea, thanks a lot!

    Yvan Sandoz -

    The glass lifted off the magnets quite easily after just using my fingernails. No suction cups or toilet accessories needed.

    Adrian Gropper -

    I had the same problem and after removal of the fan and a bit of work with the vacuum, the fan is quiet. Thanks to ifixit for the great instructions that made this easy.

    John Perser -

    To keep the screen up, other soft objects might work, but it's important that the hole in the back isn't covered because you will need to thread the new Thunderbolt/MagSafe cable through it and it would be a hassle to do it after everything's been set up.

    Thomas -

    Anybody got any links to glass screen replacement supplier for the A1407 Thunderbolt Display? Im finding it impossible to find a replacement without it being crazy money.

    Michael McMillan -

    Instead of a wedge, I used 4 rolls of toiletpaper, one under each corner.

    jnbruin -

  2. y1QM4GJuH1vKrEUg
    y1QM4GJuH1vKrEUg
    xV1xJRpqEugIUYOL

    • Unscrew the 12 screws around the side edges and the top of the LCD with the TR 10 Screwdriver.

    The screws marked in orange don't need to be removed, all they do is hold the magnets on the LCD.

    Garrett Mace -

    Yes “orange screws” does not need to be removed.

    You do not need a TR10 screwdriver as written in the text a T10 will suffice (more common and also correctly mentioned in the list of tools).

    A TR10 screwdriver is compatible with the T10, but not the other way around

    Per Lohmann Poulsen -

    On mine, the orange screws did hold the LCD down; the magnets were held in by TR6 screws, and those did not need to be removed.

    jml9904 -

  3. dNtDx1LZQDU1OVbo
    dNtDx1LZQDU1OVbo
    OSaiV2IVJO3u5HPx

    • Slowly lift the LCD out from its placement and tilt it upwards.

    • It can be very helpful to have an extra set of hands to hold the LCD up while you work with the cables underneath.

    • There are four wires that connect the LCD to the rest of the components. Make sure not to pull hard and break any of the wires.

    Add the note that it should be lifted from the bottom edge. It is also important not to twist the display by levering up from one corner.

    Charlie Nancarrow -

    Before lifting the monitor, you should be prepared to start collecting screws and have your TR 10 ready.

    Josh Miller -

    Having a couple of short screwdrivers handy to prop up the LCD (like you would a car hood) while you disconnect the cables helps.

    jml9904 -

  4. vYMImIhPgImDC4sZ
    vYMImIhPgImDC4sZ
    KwPHhIYJrH6vl4ZA
    ltsqwLZEIXOkvKZf

    • For the first of the four wires (furthest away from the wire that is held in by a screw), grab onto the connector and pull slowly.

    Note: be sure to pull away but not hard. Wiggle and pull slowly. These are delicate especially due to age.

    Overall this is a moderate repair. Follow step by step and you are good.

    Also, use tape and/or labels to mark which cables go where per the MLB and other parts. Resulting in easier reassembly.

    Ted Teske -

  5. aJXhUDyuRDBEYIPX
    aJXhUDyuRDBEYIPX
    TvkYkf3pUBHBJZEQ
    N6oVUvAxqymMUFXn

    • For the next connector, which is right next to the previous wire, there is a piece of tape attached to a metal bar.

    • Flip the metal bar over using the tape as a handle.

    • Next, grab onto the connector and slowly pull it from the socket in the logic board.

    What is this connector for?

    pdspanagel -

    I imagine this connector is going to be for display data (i.e. LCD data).

    Scott Havard -

    I pretty much mangled this cable trying to put it back into the slot. Is this something I can order a replacement for?

    Ryan Stryker -

    I also screwed up this wire.

    erybovic -

    I also screwed up this wire. Wondering what the wire name is.

    erybovic -

    Thunderbolt Display 27" LVDS Cable

    Klaus Finke -

    As other’s have said, this cable is super delicate.

    When you replace it, make sure that the small metal handle it firmly reattached to the other side of the port. I thought I’d got it right first time, but had no video signal (thunderbolt detected display, and power was fed to the Macbook Pro).

    I had to reinsert this one again, and one in, firmly press the connector home, then latch the handle over the other side. I also gave it a test pull to ensure it was secure. Then all was well!

    Steve A -

    Managed to remove it but broke one pin putting it back. I don’t understand why they make so fragile with all the space available…

    BAULARD -

    Can anyone provide a photo of this connector so as to give a better understanding of its mechanics? see this cringe worthy effort at guidance; https://youtu.be/A96CUSm_Xhs?t=1050

    Philip Sharp -

  6. yYhUxvsdBk3pv3Io
    yYhUxvsdBk3pv3Io
    EyjpfRYE2bE1xGWk
    a4reZswHC1EsBc11

    • For the connector on the other side of the logic board, grab the connector from underneath and carefully pull it from the board.

    To remove this connector, you squeeze the lower tab to unclasp it, and pull it sideways away from the board

    Brad Bell -

    This cable was also taped for me, so remove the tape first

    danmcfalls -

  7. sjOHkIKEoj3IwvE6

    • For the last wire connecting to the LCD, use your T 10 Screwdriver to remove the screw.

  8. fGJtJg1gy2EQTqVl
    fGJtJg1gy2EQTqVl
    XNFyMYy5JtA3VvQX

    • The LCD has now been fully disconnected from the casing and can be repaired/replaced!

    • its best to set the LCD on a bed or on a thick towel to avoid damage to the LCD

  9. IAdhOVeNuJYgWleN
    IAdhOVeNuJYgWleN
    dHys1ZnkrDAYMc4E

    • You should now see the EMI filter right in the middle of the device (although held in by a few other components).

    • Follow the wires coming out of the bottom of the Power adapter off to the left.

    • Take the tweezers and remove the piece of tape holding the wires to the casing.

    • There is only one connector that needs to be taken out (even though there are two right next to each other!).

    • Grab the connector from the bottom and pull it carefully from its corresponding socket.

    Note: The Brown/Black pair highlighted in the picture is for the AC connector. For the MagSafe power, you want to disconnect the double-black wire connection. Another way to distinguish if colors differ is that the MagSafe connection has a much larger connector on it.

    Isaac -

    Confirming what Isaac said. The black/brown pair don’t need to be unplugged. It’s the other connector that needs to be removed to replace this cable.

    R Miller -

    Yes - pictures and last bullet point are misleading and confusing respectively. I suggest fixit should remove the second picture and replace it with a picture of the connector that should be removed and amend the last bullet point o read something like 'depress the clip that holds the left connector in place and carefully etc ...'

    Avoid the verb 'grab'

    Philip Sharp -

    The plastic tape was completely dried out and had slight burs from overheating. Replaced with regular masking tape.

    Thomas -

    Confirming that pictures and last bullet point are misleading. The double-black wire connection is the larger connector and is black green. Much easier to tell apart and much easier to unplug.

    Thomas -

  10. f2eTfEXtKSnhjaFH
    f2eTfEXtKSnhjaFH
    ubeP3nSbSlSRj3Zl

    • Next, remove the piece of electrical tape that is holding wires into the casing connecting to the power adapter.

  11. fIwqSYHs6L4WiqS6
    fIwqSYHs6L4WiqS6
    NvKeWDj1ntTX5qGc
    1TeokRN3dFfD4tV2

    • The surrounding speaker component (the black box) around the power inlet needs to be removed.

    • Use the TR 10 screwdriver to remove the four screws.

    • Disconnect the speaker from behind the logic board by carefully pulling at the plastic end of the cable.

    • Remove the speaker.

    If you are only replacing the Thunderbolt and MagSafe cable, steps 11-13 do not need to be performed ie speaker and EMI filter do not need to be removed, only the screw holding the grounding cable on the EMI filter (top left of round disk).

    martin baynes -

    I concurr with M Baynes.

    Macrepair SF -

    I just successfully removed and replaced the Magsafe/TB cable. I can confirm that Martin Baynes and lamajr are correct.

    Kevin -

    Can confirm martin baynes' comment, steps 11-13 are unnecessary.

    Thomas -

  12. Gmo3uGR1nvqYoULt
    Gmo3uGR1nvqYoULt
    uBvJstRwqGaA5Jce

    • Now that the middle speaker is out of the way, the EMI filter is easily accessible.

    • Using tweezers, remove the silver tape that is at the top of the filter.

    I can’t help but notice that this assembly that is called an EMI (Electromagnetic Interference) Filter is in the exact position that my monitor has been displaying a band of disrupted color bands once it heats up. I am changing the Thunderbolt cable assembly in hopes that is fixes the problem. If it doesn’t then I will make changing the Filter my next quest. It is also noteworthy that the Filter is grounded to the case by the metal tape which must be peeled back for this procedure. Hmmm.

    whiteshephard -

  13. STdtpV1PkaLcQJcl
    STdtpV1PkaLcQJcl
    juCgKIhmpv6WeJbR
    mXObmqkIBApESyqZ

    • The EMI filter is connected by three screws. Use the T10 screwdriver to remove them.

    • The screw that holds in both the filter and a wire that is connected to it is a different size and should be kept identifiable from the other two screws.

    • The green and yellow wire that was held in by the different screw is tucked behind another component. To get it out, squeeze it behind the black wire and the filter will be able to be removed from the casing.

    Nothing about the power cable itself here. That has to be unplugged first, or when you get to this point, you’ll have to carefully unplug the main power cable from the back of the AC adapter you just removed in Step 13, and feed it through the hole in the back of the case.

    EARL W REYNOLDS JR -

    I was unable to “squeeze” the green/yellow wire behind the black wire because it is adhered to the back case. In order to replace this cable, you’ll need to pry the black cable off the back of the case. Now is a good time to do that so you *can* get the green/yellow wire out.

    R Miller -

Conclusion

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

Author

Calvin Laverty

Member since: 14/04/15

2126 Reputation

7 comments

Power adapter? That's the AC EMI filter, right? My power supply looks like this:

http://www.dvwarehouse.com/661-6048-661-...

The EMI filter will never fail... well, maybe a direct lightning strike.

roger -

That is definitely just a filter. The power supply is the big PCB connected to it. One could say this is an EMI filter along with an IEC input connector...this guide is only useful if you want to replace the connector rather than the actual power supply.

Garrett Mace -

Not sure if the EMI filter will NEVER fail as someone said above. Mine was buzzing and I replaced it and this fixed one of my displays that was buzzing. There are also other causes, including capacitors on the Power Supply board, worn out fan etc.

Charlie Nancarrow -

So are we saying that this is wrong? anyone? I really need to replace my power supply.

Stewart Sensor -

I replace the all in one lightning and charge cable but it has ended up that the lightning cable only works. I thought I connected everything up fine but which connector would stop the charge cable working?

pdspanagel -

Am I imagining things, or was there once a separate power supply guide? I bought the part, and now I can't seem to find that particular guide.. I had the buzzing sound, and now my display won't even turn on-- do I have to replace both, would you think?

Cory Caplan -

Display is going out afther 1 hour of working. I have replace the power supply. But afther installation I still had this problem.

Then I ordered a new Logicboard. and a new cable. Afther installation I still had the same problem !!!. :(

Is it possible that the filter is broken, or the display of the A1407.??

Paul Rovers -