Iphone 4 Wi Fi Antenna Replacement Repair Guide

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

Time Required

                          15 minutes

Sections

Rear Panel
3 steps
Wi-Fi Antenna
2 steps

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Introduction

What you need

Step 1

              Rear Panel

Before you begin, discharge your iPhone battery below 25%. A charged lithium-ion battery can catch fire and/or explode if accidentally punctured.
Power off your iPhone before beginning disassembly.
Your iPhone 4 rear cover may have either two #000 Phillips screws or Apple’s 5-Point “Pentalobe” screws (second image). Check which screws you have, and ensure you also have the correct screwdriver in order to remove them.
Remove the two 3.6 mm Pentalobe or Phillips #000 screws next to the dock connector.
Be sure the driver is well seated when removing Pentalobe screws, they are very easy to strip.

Before you begin, discharge your iPhone battery below 25%. A charged lithium-ion battery can catch fire and/or explode if accidentally punctured.

Power off your iPhone before beginning disassembly.

Your iPhone 4 rear cover may have either two #000 Phillips screws or Apple’s 5-Point “Pentalobe” screws (second image). Check which screws you have, and ensure you also have the correct screwdriver in order to remove them.

Remove the two 3.6 mm Pentalobe or Phillips #000 screws next to the dock connector.

Be sure the driver is well seated when removing Pentalobe screws, they are very easy to strip.

1024

Step 2

Push the rear panel toward the top edge of the iPhone.
The panel will move about 2 mm.

Push the rear panel toward the top edge of the iPhone.

The panel will move about 2 mm.

Step 3

Pinch the rear panel with your fingers and lift it away from the iPhone. Alternatively, use a Small Suction Cup .
Be careful not to damage the plastic clips attached to the rear panel.
If you are installing a new rear panel, be sure to remove the plastic protective sticker from the inside of the camera lens and the sticker from the large black area near the lens.

Pinch the rear panel with your fingers and lift it away from the iPhone. Alternatively, use a Small Suction Cup .

Be careful not to damage the plastic clips attached to the rear panel.

If you are installing a new rear panel, be sure to remove the plastic protective sticker from the inside of the camera lens and the sticker from the large black area near the lens.

Step 4

              Wi-Fi Antenna

Remove the following five screws securing the wi-fi antenna to to the logic board:
One 2.3 mm Phillips
Two 1.6 mm Phillips
One 1.4 mm Phillips
One 4.8 mm Phillips
When re-assembling, start off with replacing the 4.8 mm Philips screw first, then the 2.3 mm. This is to ensure there is no mix-up, and avoid rendering the LCD and digitizer useless.
Also make sure to put the long 4.8 mm Philips back in correctly when reassembling. This is the ground for the wi-fi antenna and is often the culprit if you are having bad wi-fi reception after reassembly.

Remove the following five screws securing the wi-fi antenna to to the logic board:

One 2.3 mm Phillips

Two 1.6 mm Phillips

One 1.4 mm Phillips

One 4.8 mm Phillips

When re-assembling, start off with replacing the 4.8 mm Philips screw first, then the 2.3 mm. This is to ensure there is no mix-up, and avoid rendering the LCD and digitizer useless.

Also make sure to put the long 4.8 mm Philips back in correctly when reassembling. This is the ground for the wi-fi antenna and is often the culprit if you are having bad wi-fi reception after reassembly.

Step 5

Use an iPod opening tool to slightly lift the top edge of the wi-fi antenna away from the logic board.
Use the tip of a spudger to pull the wi-fi retaining clips away from the inner frame.
Remove the wi-fi antenna from the iPhone. Make sure you don’t lose the metal clips on the top of the cover where the 4.8mm screw attaches or the 4.8mm screw. That’s the primary reason for abnormal Wi-Fi performance after the reassembly.
Before reassembly, be sure to clean all metal-to-metal contact points on the connector cover with a de-greaser such as Windex. The oils on your fingers have the potential to cause wireless interference issues. Do not clean the connectors themselves with Windex.

Use an iPod opening tool to slightly lift the top edge of the wi-fi antenna away from the logic board.

Use the tip of a spudger to pull the wi-fi retaining clips away from the inner frame.

Remove the wi-fi antenna from the iPhone. Make sure you don’t lose the metal clips on the top of the cover where the 4.8mm screw attaches or the 4.8mm screw. That’s the primary reason for abnormal Wi-Fi performance after the reassembly.

Before reassembly, be sure to clean all metal-to-metal contact points on the connector cover with a de-greaser such as Windex. The oils on your fingers have the potential to cause wireless interference issues. Do not clean the connectors themselves with Windex.

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

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Attached Documents

Wifi_Antenna_Screw_Template.pdf
PDF - 619.63 kb
View

Wifi_Antenna_Screw_Template.pdf

PDF - 619.63 kb

Author

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                    Scott Head

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trae - Jan 28, 2012

The wifi antenna has a small clip connecting the black antenna to the logic board.

Its very small and apparently easy to loose as i never even saw mine. If you loose it you will not have a good wifi signal untill its replaced.

mariocrocop - Jul 25, 2013

It’s doesn’t work i’m sorry

macintaos - Aug 29, 2013

I purchased an iPhone 4 GSM new/sealed from an Apple Store in July 2010

and never needed to connect to multiple Wi-Fi networks until recently.

When I would go from a known Wi-Fi connection to another one,

I would need to go into Settings to reconnect each time.

I figured that I needed to replace the Wi-Fi antenna.

When I took off the back panel, I discovered that the 4.8mm Phillips screw

that grounds the Wi-Fi antenna is not present. So, you might want to first

check that the screw is there and properly secured.

gustyn2000 - Sep 4, 2013

Still doesn’t work … one or two bar near a-port express / everything is in order - just one screw miss / yellow one [1.4 mm Phillips] - U think that’s the reason ?? Please, help :(

panchocole - Oct 4, 2013

Ifixit no longer sells the WiFi antennas but I found a perfectly good one on Ebay

Introduction#

What you need#

Attached Documents#

Team#

Introduction

What you need

Attached Documents

Team