Apple Thunderbolt Display Fan Replacement

Written By: Calvin Laverty

Comments: 39

Apple Thunderbolt Display Fan Replacement

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

Time Required

25 - 35 minutes

Introduction

The fan in this device is set in by only a few screws, but recognize that when removing it, there are a few wires that are wrapped behind other components. Make sure not to tug or pull too hard on the wires, and rather move them out from behind the other components before completely removing the fan. Also, keep track of your screws and where they were placed in the device as there is one screw that is different from the others. This will allow for a much less frustrating reversed process!

Tools

Parts

Apple Thunderbolt Display Fan (New)

Step 1

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 - 30/11/18

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 - 16/09/19

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

Philip Jacob - 14/03/20

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

Tobias Isakeit - 25/03/20

Great idea, thanks a lot!

Yvan Sandoz - 30/03/20

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

Adrian Gropper - 07/05/20

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 -

Step 2

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 - 04/06/16

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 - 30/12/17

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 - 26/09/20

Step 3

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 - 04/10/18

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

Josh Miller - 30/11/18

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 - 26/09/20

Step 4

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 - 14/07/20

Step 5

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 - 10/02/17

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

Scott Havard - 13/02/17

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 - 22/12/17

I also screwed up this wire.

erybovic - 08/03/18

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

erybovic - 08/03/18

Thunderbolt Display 27" LVDS Cable

Klaus Finke - 09/07/19

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 - 16/09/19

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 - 12/02/21

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 -

Step 6

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 - 21/04/20

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

danmcfalls - 14/05/20

Step 7

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

Step 8

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

Step 9

Now you should have access to the rest of the display. From here, locate the fan.

Step 10

The fan is connected to the main logic board by two connectors. Make sure that while disconnecting them, grab the wire at the point closest to the board and the pull slowly to avoid damaging the connectors.
Remove the piece of tape that is holding the wires to the casing.

Remember which way the wire is connected. (top connector should have black wire at the top and bottom connector should have brown wire at the bottom). Both wires should have the “shiny” side facing you when inserting.

Per Lohmann Poulsen - 30/12/17

Step 11

Next, you can see that the fan is connected to the casing by three screws.
Use the TR 10 screwdriver to remove these three screws.

Step 12

Make sure to carefully remove the fan after it is free of the casing as to not damage surrounding parts.
Switch out the old fan with the new one and you're all set!

Conclusion

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

Author

Calvin Laverty

Member since: 14/04/15

2126 Reputation

10 comments

I have been having trouble with fan noise -- a noisy, rapid thumping sound, especially on startup but getting worse over a few weeks and lately persisting all day. Following this excellent guide, I removed the fan and examined it. I could see nothing wrong except perhaps a fine layer of dust on the blades, no worse than could be expected. I did not manage to disassemble the fan itself, as its two-part housing is very firmly clipped together, but applied a vacuum cleaner hose to both the entry and exit sides to clean it up as much as possible. I put it back and reassembled the whole display, and am pleased to report that the noise has completely disappeared. This may be good news to anyone dismayed by the apparent non-availability of replacement fans.

John Canti - 01/10/15

This guide made the power supply replacement quick and easy.

Jon Martinez - 17/07/16

I had the rumbling fan cleaned by a pro. but the rattling didn't go. I just finished replacing the fan on my 27'' Thunderbolt Display using these instructions, and so far so good after 3 hours. It usually started the rattling after 30mn!

I purchased the fan on eBay. There were a couple available then.

I got the fan for $18 and spent 30mn on the job. At the Apple certified spot in town, they were going to charge me $250! I bought this Apple Display second hand for $250! and now it is back to its old self, working like a charm :)

Thank you very much for this web page which walked me through the process.

By the way, for a succion cup I used the two small ones that are attached to my soap holder, from the bathroom tiled wall; worked just fine and I didn't have to spend $20 to buy one.

cheers

ekoh dubois - 19/10/16

Many thanks to Mr. Laverty and the other contributors. I followed this guide to install a new power supply in my darkened 27” Thunderbolt Display to bring it back from the dead. While the instructions were specifically for replacing the fan, I found that after following them to remove the LCD panel, it was easy to replace the power supply as well. For anyone else who may suspect a failed power supply (loud buzzing and then black), I ordered mine directly from China, supposedly a brand new one. It looks identical to the original in every way and does have a 2018 sticker affixed to it. It took a month to arrive but did the trick. I paid $70.50 for it from wwon_one off eBay (https://www.ebay.com/itm/273134311780). Thanks again for the extremely helpful guide!

ilovemybeagles - 10/06/18

I killed my Thunderbolt monitor while trying to follow this guide.

There is an aspect of my Thunderbolt monitor that is either different from the one shown above, or just not discussed in the write-up. One of the four cables connecting the front LCD and the back PCBs is a ribbon connector that’s held onto the PCB with a latch. The cable is very short, so the only way to connect it is to hold the LCD and glass *just* above the back panel. What’s more, the latch and ribbon are *extremely* delicate, and the latch *barely* holds the connector onto the PCB.

Long story short - once I disconnected that cable, I could not reattach it and get the latch to stay in place. I kept getting it just right, closing up the monitor, and plugging it in… only to find that it wouldn’t power on. By the fourth or fifth attempt, the latch was bent out of shape (seriously, it’s delicate) and the connector looked a little damaged.

I never got it to turn on again, and I hauled it to an Apple Store for recycling last weekend.

David Stein - 06/07/18

Ein kräftiges “Hallo” aus dem Jahre 2021! :-) Habe soeben meine treues, 7-jähriges Display operiert und den für 59 € erstandenen, neuen Lüfter eingesetzt, nachdem der alte die bekannten Lagergeräusche erzeugte. ––– Herzlichen Dank für die geniale Anleitung!! Es hat alles perfekt funktioniert. ––– Das Schwierigste war, die Fussel zu vermeiden. Dazu habe ich mehrere Anläufe und ne ordentliche Portion Geduld benötigt. Der Moment, in dem man den Strom wieder anschließt, ist besonders adrenalinfördernd – aber ich würde es jederzeit wieder tun! Er lebt! ;-) Auf weitere 7 Jahre Thunderbolt-Display! Liebe Grüße Sonja

Spinat Quadrat - 10/02/21

Worked great.

Something that was not quite clear to me - the new fan had only one cable.

One of the two cables of the old fan was only attached to the fan with tape and connected to the board, because it was probably a temperature sensor. This could be easily detached from the old fan and attached to the new fan with the same tape.

The display is now totally quiet again - like new! Thanks for the great instructions.

Patrick -

Fairly straightforward repair. I recommend wearing a headlamp in order to see the smallish connectors more clearly. Also, be sure to use a puffer to thoroughly eject dust from the monitor.

anonymous 7460 -

Just did mine. If youve taken apart an iMac same deal. No suction cups, no replacement fan. Had a couple imac fan thought maybe i coud rebuild… nope. imac fan is a shaft in 2 bearing. Display is a brass sleeve. I cleaned the fan out some mild goo gone, greased the shaft, reassembled… Weird thing is the fan only wobbled shortly after midnight. No constant, revolving wobble. So far jst the compressor fan on my fridge… How often? so often you wont even notice it.. Elwood Blues…

Seem dirt, worn sleeve little dust and heat… Dash of time is the obvious cause… Didnt have actual grease in hand thought i did… used a tiny bit of solder flux… total cost… 45minutes.. If she doesnt find you handsome she’ll at least find you handy… Cheers

10 7 -