Had to pick between a full board swap or a microsoldering fix on a MacBook Air

The customer's 2018 Air had a dead backlight circuit. I could replace the whole logic board for $350 or try to replace the tiny filter caps myself. I went with the microsoldering, and after about an hour under the scope, I got it working for just the cost of the parts. Anyone else faced this kind of call on a tight deadline?

3 comments

3 Comments

evanschmidt24d ago

Ever think about how much e-waste you're saving with a microsoldering fix? @sarah_hart's port IC story is a perfect example. That's a whole board kept out of a landfill.

sarah_hart26d ago

Nice save... I had a similar call on a 2020 Pro with a shorted USB-C port. Swapping the whole board felt like giving up, so I spent a sweaty afternoon replacing the port IC. The look on the customer's face when it booted was worth the stress.

henderson.oscar26d ago

The look on the customer's face" is the real payoff. I used to see board swaps as the only safe bet, but pulling off a tricky fix like that changes your whole view on the job. It stops being just a repair and feels more like a proper win.