Replacing the keyboard on a G4 iBook

Back in April, I managed to spill coffee on the keyboard of my 14″ iBook, disabling a number of keys. Now, I have managed to return it to functionality for less cost than anticipated.

The authorized Apple repair places in Ottawa wanted $45 just to diagnose the problem – specifically, to determine if the failure lay in the keyboard itself or the logic board it connects to. Replacing the keyboard would then cost extra for parts and labour. Replacing the logic board would be quite a significant expense, largely because the machine would have to be seriously taken apart.

Instead of taking it into a shop, I bought a replacement keyboard on eBay for about $30. Had it been a logic board issue, I would have diagnosed it myself for a lesser cost, which could have been further reduced by re-selling the replacement keyboard. As it happens, the new keyboard works fine. The process of installing it is pretty straightforward:

1. Shut down computer. Remove power cord and battery.
2. Lift plastic tabs at the top of the keyboard so it can swing upward towards you. Lay the partially removed keyboard flat across the area with the touchpad.
3. Ground yourself by touching something metal, to prevent static shock to the components.
4. If present, remove the AirPort card by gently pulling it towards the screen. Gently remove the plug connecting it to the motherboard.
5. Use a tiny screwdriver to remove the four tiny screws holding down the aluminum plate under the space where an AirPort card goes.
6. Lift off that plate.
7. Pull the keyboard connector out of the motherboard. In my experience, it takes a moderate amount of force to make it disconnect.
8. Position the new keyboard where the old one was, lying keys-down on the trackpad area.
9. Plug the new keyboard into the logic board, as before.
10. Replace the aluminum plate. Replace the four screws.
11. If present, replace the AirPort card by plugging the connector into it, then clicking it back where it was previously.
12. Place the keyboard back in its normal position, allowing the tabs to click it into place.

I am always suspicious that stuff I buy on eBay is counterfeit. This keyboard certainly looks identical to the old one. I am less sure about the sounds and feeling of the keys, but that may just be because I had grown used to how an old keyboard feels, followed by the feeling of Apple’s nice new aluminum external keyboards.

The replacement keyboard is definitely squeakier than would be ideal (particularly in terms of the spacebar). Hopefully, it will mellow with use.

Author: Milan

In the spring of 2005, I graduated from the University of British Columbia with a degree in International Relations and a general focus in the area of environmental politics. In the fall of 2005, I began reading for an M.Phil in IR at Wadham College, Oxford. Outside school, I am very interested in photography, writing, and the outdoors. I am writing this blog to keep in touch with friends and family around the world, provide a more personal view of graduate student life in Oxford, and pass on some lessons I've learned here. View all posts by Milan