Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

10

Time Required

                          45 minutes - 2 hours

Sections

4

  • External Battery
  • 2 steps
  • Back Cover
  • 2 steps
  • Internal Battery
  • 3 steps
  • Trackpad
  • 3 steps

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Introduction

Generally, trackpads are pretty durable. If you are having problems with your trackpad, first check to make sure that it is enabled as well as its other settings. If they are okay, you may need a new driver. If none of these things fix your issue it may be time to replace your trackpad.

Prior to beginning your repair, disable the internal battery, power off the laptop and finally unplug it from any external power source.

What you need

Step 1

              External Battery
  • Disable the battery, power down, and unplug your device before you begin.
  • Flip the laptop over so the bottom of the device is showing.

Disable the battery, power down, and unplug your device before you begin.

Flip the laptop over so the bottom of the device is showing.

1024

Step 2

  • Using your fingers, slide the lock on each side of the battery to the unlocked position.
  • Remove the battery from the slot.

Using your fingers, slide the lock on each side of the battery to the unlocked position.

Remove the battery from the slot.

Step 3

              Back Cover
  • Using the Phillips #1 screwdriver, loosen the six captive screws.

Using the Phillips #1 screwdriver, loosen the six captive screws.

Step 4

  • Insert the blue plastic opening tool into the space between the lower case and the chassis.
  • Slide the opening tool around the perimeter of the case to release the clips holding the case and the chassis together.
  • Remove the back case.

Insert the blue plastic opening tool into the space between the lower case and the chassis.

Slide the opening tool around the perimeter of the case to release the clips holding the case and the chassis together.

Remove the back case.

Step 5

              Internal Battery
  • Using the Phillips #1 screwdriver, remove the two 4.6 mm screws securing the internal battery to the frame.

Using the Phillips #1 screwdriver, remove the two 4.6 mm screws securing the internal battery to the frame.

Step 6

  • Use the spudger to slide the battery socket connector parallel to the motherboard and out of its socket on the motherboard.

Use the spudger to slide the battery socket connector parallel to the motherboard and out of its socket on the motherboard.

Step 7

  • Using the black nylon spudger, wedge the battery up from the case and lift it out.

Using the black nylon spudger, wedge the battery up from the case and lift it out.

Step 8

              Trackpad
  • Using the Phillips #1 screwdriver remove the four 3.1 mm screws from the chassis.
  • In this guide additional components have been removed. Your laptop internals will look slightly different than the images in Steps 8-10 because of this.

Using the Phillips #1 screwdriver remove the four 3.1 mm screws from the chassis.

In this guide additional components have been removed. Your laptop internals will look slightly different than the images in Steps 8-10 because of this.

Step 9

  • Using the black nylon spudger, remove the ribbon cable connected to the trackpad.

Using the black nylon spudger, remove the ribbon cable connected to the trackpad.

Step 10

  • Lift the chassis up and the trackpad will fall out.

Lift the chassis up and the trackpad will fall out.

To reassemble your device, follow the above steps in reverse order.

Take your e-waste to an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler.

Repair didn’t go as planned? Try some basic troubleshooting, or ask our Answers community for help.

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Author

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                    Sarah Westberg

Member since: 03/11/2019

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Den - Mar 16, 2022

Reply

Hi, I just tested with my T480, and the replacement looks exactly like this T580 guide, and is very easy in fact.

Open the shell, remove the battery (3 screws), see 3 of the 4 screws of the trackpad.

The fourth one is below the black plastic that you can see on the guide, and you can just lift it up. So you can move from step 11 to the end, the 4 screws are in fact directly accessible and changing the trackpad takes 1mn.

I don’t think I have a special T480 model, so if you are frightened by this guide, don’t hesitate to open yours to look… you may have to spend only 5 to 10mn on this operation :)

Sarah Westberg - Mar 16, 2022

Reply

Hi Den, thank you for letting me know the procedure can be simplified. I appreciate the reference to the T580 guide too! We always strive to make better guides :)

John Longwood - May 15, 2022

Reply

According to the T480 Hardware Maintenance Manual page 84 “1160 Trackpad and trackpad cable” only the following steps need to be performed to remove the trackpad:

  • “1010 Removable battery” on page 64

  • 1030 Base cover assembly" on page 65

  • 1040 Memory module" on page 68

This is much easier than the steps described here.

See https://download.lenovo.com/pccbbs/mobil…

Sarah Westberg - May 19, 2022

Thanks Den and John! I finally got a chance to edit the steps. It’s not perfect because I wasn’t able to reshoot the photos but I removed the prerequisite guides that were unnecessary. I hope this helps.