In this guide I’ll be taking apart Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme (type 20MF) laptop.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme design highlights:
– This model supports two PCIe NVMe solid state drives.
– There are two memory slots on the motherboard.
– Both cooling fans are attached to the heatsink.
– DC jack is attached to a cable.

For this disassembly you will need just one basic tool – Phillips screwdriver.

Bottom cover removal

Unscrew seven captive screws holding the bottom cover. These screws will remain attached to the cover when unscrewed.

Remove the bottom cover starting from the back side of the laptop.

Battery removal and replacement

Remove four screws securing the battery.

The battery cable connector is a little bit tricky. Don’t just pull it up, you can damage the connector.

Carefully lift up the right side of the connector to release it from the connector housing on the motherboard.

Now lift up the connector while moving to the shown direction to separate from the housing.

When you remove the battery it will be necessary to un-route speaker cables from the guided path on the bottom of the battery.

You can find a new replacement battery using model name L17C4P72 or Lenovo part number 01AY969. I recommend using genuine Lenovo batteries.

Memory removal and replacement

There are two memory (RAM) slots on the motherboard.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme (type 20MF) laptop can handle up to 64GB RAM (2x32GB modules).

You can use DDR4-2666 or DDR4-3200 SODIMM modules.

I recommend using two identical size/speed RAM modules in both slots so it operates in dual-channel mode.

SSD removal and replacement

Remove one screw holding the solid state drive (SSD) in place.

Lift up the right side of the SSD and pull it out of the slot.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme laptop can support two M.2 PCIe NVMe Gen3 SSDs.

Do not remove blue thermal pad. Install new SSD right on top of it.

Cooling fans removal

Both cooling fans are attached to the heatsink.

Separate the wireless antenna cables and the webcam cable from the guided path on the left side of the fan.

Carefully pull the white connector to the left to disconnect the fan cable from the motherboard.

Now move to another fan. Separate the display cable from the fan and disconnect the fan cable from the motherboard.

Unscrew five captive screws attaching the heatsink to the processor. These captive screws will remain attached to the heatsink.

Carefully lift up and remove the cooling fan assembly. If thermal grease is dry, it might be necessary to apply some reasonable force to separate the heatsink from the chips.

Here’s the picture of the other side of the cooling fan assembly.

If you need to replace the cooling module, you can find a new one using this Lenovo spare part number: 01YU923.

Power connector removal and replacement

In this laptop the power connector (DC jack) is attached to a harness and can be easily removed and replaced without de-soldering the jack.

Remove four screws securing the display hinge and the DC jack bracket.

Lift up and remove the DC jack bracket.

Open the display hinge as it shown on the following picture. The hinge has to be opened up because the DC jack LED is mounted under the hinge.

Now you can access the DC jack.

Disconnect the DC jack cable from the motherboard and remove it.

You can find new replacement DC jack harness using this Lenovo part number: 01YU754.

In this guide I disassemble a Lenovo Yoga 7 15ITL5 (model 82BJ0003US) laptop.

Lenovo Yoga 7 15ITL5 design highlights:
– This laptop has a PCIe Gen3 NVMe solid state drive installed.
– All memory is onboard – permanently soldered to the motherboard.
– The cooling fan is attached to the heatsink but can be removed.
– The keyboard is riveted to the top case.

For this disassembly you will need three essential tools: T5 Torx screwdriver, PH0 Phillips screwdriver. A case opener tool and tweezers are optional.

Bottom cover removal

Remove seven Torx screws holding the bottom cover in place.

I’m using a case opener tool to separate the bottom cover from the palmrest assembly.

Continue removing the bottom cover with your hands.

Battery removal and replacement

Remove five screws securing the battery. Don’t forget one screw in the middle of the battery. This screw is easy to overlook.

Lift up the battery and disconnect the battery cable from the motherboard.

To disconnect the cable, simply pull the black connector out.

If you need to replace the battery, you can find a new one using this model number L19M4PDC. I recommend using only genuine Lenovo batteries.

Solid state drive removal and replacement

Remove one screw holding the solid state drive (SSD) in place.

Pull the SSD out of the slot to remove it.

As you noticed, the SSD is wrapped in a black mylar cover.

Remove one screw attaching the SSD to the mounting bracket.

It’s a 512GB type 2242 M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD. Lenovo part number 5SS0W76178.

If you are replacing or upgrading the SSD, you can install a type 2280 (regular size) PCIe NVMe Gen3 SSD instead of the original type 2242 (short) SSD.

Cooling fan removal and replacement

Remove three screw (red) from the cooling fan. Unscrew three captive screws (red) from the heatsink.

Disconnect the cooling fan cable from the motherboard.

Remove the cooling fan assembly from the laptop.

Remove five screws attaching the fan to the heatsink.

Now you can separate the cooling fan from the heatsink.

Here’s the other side of the fan.

You can find a new replacement fan assembly using this Lenovo part number AT1RY001VV0.

Other internal components

The finger scanning device is mounted under a metal bracket and cab be easily removed and replaced.

The power button is located on a separate circuit board.

The wireless card is easily replaceable too. In order to remove the wireless card it’s necessary to remove one screw and disconnect two antenna cables.

The touchpad is mounted under a metal bracket.

The keyboard in Lenovo Yoga 7 15ITL5 laptop is riveted to the top case assembly.

In this guide I explain how to disassemble a Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Yoga (Type 20R5) laptop. The disassembly process is relatively simple and shouldn’t take much time.

Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Yoga (Type 20R5) laptop design highlights:
– This laptop supports one PCIe NVMe solid state drive.
– Memory (RAM) is not removable. It’s permanently soldered to the motherboard.
– The cooling fan is attached to the heatsink.

For this disassembly you will need a Phillips screwdriver. Tweezers and case opener tool are optional.

Remove the stylus before removing the bottom cover.

Bottom cover removal

There are nine captive screws that hold the bottom cover in place. Unscrew all screws. They will remain attached to the bottom cover.

Using a plastic case opener tool (or something similar) start separating the bottom cover from the rest of the laptop. You will have to wiggle the bottom cover in order to disengage hidden latches and separate it from the laptop.

Continue lifting up the bottom cover until you can remove it completely.

Battery removal and replacement

There are five screws that hold the battery pack in place. Remove all five screws.

Disconnect the battery cable from the motherboard.

Lift up and remove the battery pack.

If you need to replace the battery, you can find a replacement using the model number L18C4P90 or Lenovo part number 5B10W13934. I strongly advise using genuine Lenovo batteries.

SSD removal and replacement

Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Yoga laptop has only one PCIe slot for NVMe solid state drive (SSD).

Remove one screw holding the SSD in place.

Pull the SSD out and remove it.

If you need to replace or upgrade the SSD you can use any third party SSD made by Samsung, Crucial, Wester Digital, etc… This is M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD type 2280.

Wireless card removal and replacement

The wireless card is easily accessible and can be removed or replaced if necessary.

Disconnect two antenna cables from the wireless card. The black antenna cable is attached to the connector #1 and the gray cable to the connector #2. Remove one screw holding the wireless card.

Pull the wireless card out of the slot and remove it.

You can find and replacement wireless card using this Lenovo part number 01AX770. This is Intel 9560NGW Wireless-AC dual band 802.11ac WiFi + Bluetooth 5.0 card.

Cooling fan removal and replacement

In this laptop the cooling fan is attached to the heatsink and they have to be removed together.

Unscrew 6 captive screws holding the cooling assembly in place.

Unplug the cooling fan cable from the motherboard.

Lift up and remove the cooling fan and heatsink assembly.

You can find a new replacement fan if you search the part number 5H40S72913.

Display assembly removal

Remove five screws securing two brackets on the left and right sides of the motherboard.

Lift up and remove the left bracket.

Lift up and remove the right bracket.

Disconnect two display cables from the motherboard.

Here’s how to unlock the connector and release the cable.

Lift up the connector lock so it opens up at a 90 degree angle (red arrow). Lift up and remove the display cable (yellow arrow). Release another cable using the same technique.

Open the display panel 180 degrees and place the laptop on the desk as it shown on the following picture. Remove four screws securing the display hinges.

Now you can separate the display panel from the laptop body.

In this guide I show how to disassemble a Lenovo Yoga C740-14IML (model 81TC) laptop.

Lenovo Yoga C740-14IML design highlights:
– This laptop configured with a PCIe NVMe solid state drive.
– The memory (RAM) is not removable. It’s integrated into the motherboard.
– The cooling fan is attached to the heatsink but can be removed and replaced.

You will need four basic tools for this disassembly: T5 Torx screwdrivers, PH0 Phillips screwdriver, tweezers and thin case opener tool.

Bottom cover removal

Remove nine Torx screws located on the bottom cover.

The bottom cover is fitted very tightly to the top case assembly. You’ll need a thin case opener tool to separate one from another. Works slowly. The case is made of aluminum and easy to scratch.

Insert the case opener between the bottom cover and the top case and carefully pry up the cover. Continue removing the cover with our fingers. You’ll have to wiggle the cover to release the latches.

Remove the bottom cover completely.

Battery removal and replacement

Remove four screws (circled in red) and loosen one screw (circled in yellow) attaching the battery.

Disconnect the battery cable from the motherboard.

Remove the battery.

There are speaker cables routed on the bottom side of the battery. It’s necessary to un-route the cables while removing the battery.

If you need to replace the battery you can find a new one using this model number: L18L4PE0.

I recommend using genuine Lenovo battery.

SSD removal and replacement

Lenovo Yoga C740-14IML laptop configured with one PCIe NVMe solid state drive (SSD).

Remove one screw securing the SSD.

Pull the SSD out.

If you want to replace or upgrade the drive, you can use any third party PCIe NVMe SSD (Like Samsung, Western Digital, Crucial, etc…).

Cooling fan removal and replacement

Remove two screws securing the cooling fan (circled in red). Loosen three screws attaching the heatsink to the processor (circled in yellow).

Disconnect the fan cable from the I/O board.

Un-route the I/O board cable from the guided path on the fan.

Remove the cooling fan and heatsink assembly.

Here’s the other side of the assembly.

Remove four screws attaching the fan.

Start removing black tape covering the fan.

Continue removing black tape on the other side of the fan assembly.

Separate the fan from the heatsink.

Now you can replace the fan if necessary and clean up the heatsink from dust.

Wireless card removal and replacement

The wireless card can be easily removed and replaced after you disconnect antenna cables.

Using fine tweezers lift up the black and white antenna cables to disconnect them from the wireless card. Remove one screw securing the card.

Pull the wireless card out.

If you need to replace the wireless card you can find a new one using this Lenovo part number: 01AX768. It’s Intel 9560NGW dual band wireless-AC Bluetooth 5.1 Wi-Fi card.

In this guide I explain how to disassemble a Lenovo IdeaPad FLEX-14API (model name 81SS) laptop.

Lenovo IdeaPad FLEX-14API design highlights:
– The motherboard has only one memory (RAM) slot. Some memory is built into the motherboard.
– The storage is PCIe NVMe solid state drive.
– The DC power jack attached to a harness and can be replaced without soldering.
– The keyboard is permanently attached to the palmrest assembly.

For this disassembly you will need a T5 Torx screwdriver, PH0 Phillips screwdriver, case opener tool and tweezers.

Removing bottom cover

Remove ten T5 Torx screws from the bottom cover.

Start separating the palmrest assembly from the bottom cover.

Turn the laptop upside down and remove the bottom cover.

Removing and replacing battery

Remove four Phillips screws attaching the battery to the top case.

Lift up the battery and disconnect the battery cable from the motherboard.

You can find a new replacement battery if you search the model number L18M4PF3.

Removing and replacing SSD module

Remove one screw securing the solid state drive (SSD).

Pull the SSD out.

If you need to replace or upgrade the SSD you will have to use M.2 2280 PCIe NVMe SSD.

Removing and replacing RAM module

The removable memory (RAM) module is hidden under the metal cover.

Carefully lift up the metal cover to disengage it from the retention clips on the motherboard.

Remove the memory cover.

Spread latches securing the memory module and pull the memory module out.

Lenovo IdeaPad FLEX-14API is shipped with a DDR4-2666 RAM module. You can use DDR4-2400 (slower) or DDR4-3200 (faster) RAM modules.

Removing and replacing cooling fans

This laptop has two cooling fans. Let’s remove the left fan first.

Remove two screws securing the left fan.

Disconnect the fan cable from the motherboard and remove the fan.

If you need to replace the left fan, here’s the model number: EG50040S1-1C130-S9A.

Remove three screws securing the right fan.

The right fan is partially covered by the heatsink. In order to remove the fan it’s necessary to lift up the heatsink as shown on the following picture.

Also, it’s necessary to separate both wireless card antenna cables from the guided path on the left side of the fan.

Disconnect the cable from the motherboard and remove the fan.

If you need to replace the right fan, here’s the model number: EG50040S1-1C180-S9A.

Removing and replacing wireless card

The wireless card is mounted under the I/O board cable so we’ll have to remove it first.

It’s necessary to disconnect the I/O board cable on both sides.

Here’s how to disconnect the I/O board cable. Open up the connector (red arrow) and pull the cable out (yellow arrow).

Remove the I/O board cable.

Remove black foam covering the wireless antenna connectors.

Disconnect both antenna cables from the wireless card and remove one screw fastening it to the motherboard.

Pull the wireless card out.

If you need to replace the wireless card, you can find it using this Lenovo part number: 01AX712.

Removing display panel

There is one cable attaching the display panel to the motherboard.

In order to disconnect the display cable from the motherboard, pull it up using the black belt on top.

Open the display and place the laptop upside down on the desk as shown on the following picture.

Remove four screws attaching the display panel hinges to the top case assembly.

Now you can separate the display panel from the laptop and remove it.

Removing DC power jack

In Lenovo IdeaPad FLEX-14API the DC power jack is mounted under the left display hinge.

It is necessary to remove the display in order to remove the DC jack.

Disconnect the DC jack cable from the motherboard and remove it.

Removing motherboard

Remove one screw attaching the motherboard to the top case assembly.

Disconnect the following cables:
– keyboard cable (blue)
– keyboard backlight cable (red)
– finger scanner cable (orange)
– touchpad cable (yellow)
– speaker cable (green)

After that you can remove the motherboard.

In Lenovo IdeaPad FLEX-14API laptop the keyboard is permanently attached to the palmrest assembly. Here’s how you can remove and replace the keyboard.

In the following guide I explain how to disassemble a Lenovo YOGA C930-13IKB (Model name: 81C4) laptop.

Lenovo YOGA C930-13IKB design highlights:
– The battery is glued to the top case.
– Laptop uses PCIe NVMe SSD.
– Computer memory (RAM) is permanently soldered to the motherboard.
– Wireless card can be removed and replaced.
– Both cooling fans are attached to the heatsink.
– The keyboard is riveted to the top case assembly.

For this disassembly you will need the following tools: Torx T5 screwdriver, PH0 Phillips screwdriver, case opening tool, twiizers.

Bottom cover removal

STEP1.
There are six torx T5 screws securing the bottom cover to the main frame. Remove all the screws.

STEP 2.
Insert a thin case opening tool between the bottom cover and the laptop frame. Start removing the bottom cover on the side opposite to the display hinges. Carefully unsnap the bottom cover from the frame and remove the cover.

Battery removal and replacement

The battery is attached to the top case by four screws and two self-adhesive rubber strips. Before removing the battery you must remove both adhesive rubber strips.

STEP 3.
Remove four Phillips screws securing the battery.

You will find two clear tabs on the left and right sides of the battery. These tabs are attached to the adhesive strips routed under the battery.

STEP 4.
Separate the tab from the battery.

STEP 5.
Slowly pull the tab to the shown direction. The adhesive strip will start sliding from under the battery. Do not apply too much force because you don’t want to break the strip.

Here’s one of the adhesive strips removed. It’s possible to re-use the strip later to install a new battery.

STEP 6.
Remove the strip from the other side too.

STEP 7.
Now you can disconnect the battery and remove it.

If you need to replace the battery I recommend using genuine Lenovo battery.
Lenovo YOGA C930-13IKB laptop uses battery model: L17C4HP1.

On the following picture you can see how I applied original adhesive strips to the new replacement battery. If you accidentally broke the strips while removing them, you can use regular double sided adhesive tape to secure the battery back to the top case.

SSD removal and replacement

Lenovo YOGA C930-13IKB laptop has one PCIe slot and uses NVMe solid state drive (SSD). Any third party NVMe SSD (Samsung, Western Digital, Crucial etc…) will work just fine.

STEP 8.
Remove one Phillips screws securing the NVMe SSD to the case.

STEP 9.
Carefully lift up the left side of the SSD and pull the drive from the slot.

Wireless card removal and replacement

STEP 10.
Disconnect two antenna cables from the wireless card. Lift up the small golden connector to unsnap it from the wireless card.

STEP 11.
Remove one Phillips screws securing the wireless card.

STEP 12.
Pull the wireless card out.

This wireless card is Intel model 9260GW. Lenovo part number: 01AX769.

Cooling fans removal and replacement

STEP 13.
Remove two screws from the left cooling fan and two more screws from the right cooling fan.
Loosen three screws (circled in yellow) securing the heatsink assembly to the processor.
Disconnect both fan cables (pointed with green squares) from the motherboard.

In order to disconnect the fan cable simply pull the connector out.

STEP 14.
Remove the cooling fan assembly.

Both fans are attached to the heatsink. If one of the fan failed it will be necessary to replace the entire assembly.

You can find new replacement fan assembly using the part number AT18S001DT0.

Removing motherboard

STEP 15.
Remove all screws securing the motherboard to the top case and disconnect all cables from the motherboard.

Now you can separate the motherboard from the top case and remove it.

Removing touchpad

Remove four screws securing the touchpad bracket and remove the bracket.
Disconnect the touchapd cable from the motherboard.

Now you can remove the touchpad.

This guide will help you with taking apart the display panel and removing the touchscreen from a Lenovo ideapad FLEX 4 laptop.

You can use these instructions for one of the following models:
Ideapad FLEX 4-1570 | ideapad FLEX 4-1580
Ideapad FLEX 4-1470 | Ideapad FLEX 4-1480 | Ideapad FLEX 4-1435

In order to open up the display panel and remove the touchscree it’s necessary to remove the display firsts as I explained in my previous Lenovo ideapad FLEX 4 disassembly guide.

STEP 1.
There are two rubber screw covers located in the lower left and right corners of the display panel.

The rubber covers are self-adhesive and can be easily removed with a needle-nose tweezers. Remove both screws from the left and the right sides.

STEP 3.
Using a metal case opening tool, pry up and remove two plastic covers from the left and the right sides of the display panel.

STEP 4.
Start removing the cover located between the display hinges.

STEP 5.
Remove the cover. You’ll need to apply some reasonable force to remove this cover. There are multiple hidden latches securing it to the display panel.

STEP 6.
Remove two screws securing the touchscreen assembly to the display cover.

STEP 7.
Move the touchscreen towards the hinges.

Before you move the touchscreen there will be no gap on the top.

When you move the touchscreen, a gap will appear between the bezel and the cover.

STEP 8.
Now you can separate the touchscreen assembly from the display caver and place it upside down on the desk.

Here’s how the cables are routed inside the silver hinge covers. There is a rubber cover securing the hinges inside.

You can easily remove the cover from the hinge cover.

You don’t have to remove the cover. I just wanted to show where’s it’s located if the cover accidentally falls off.

STEP 9.
Remove the antenna cables from the guided path on the left and the right sides of the touchscreen assembly.

STEP 10.
Disconnect the LCD screen from the touchscreen board.

Now you can replace the touchscreen assembly with a new one. The LCD screen is permanently glued to the glass and cannot be replaced separately.

In this guide I show how to disassemble a Lenovo ThinkPad E490 or E495 laptop. All disassembly steps should work for machine types 20N8, 20N9, 20NE and 20NG.

I’ll start this disassembly process with the keyboard removal because it can be done without removing any other part. After that I’ll show how to remove the base cover and access all internal components.

During the disassembly I was using the following repair tools: Phillips screwdriver #1 and #0, thin metal case opener, plastic spudger tool and tweezers.

At the end of this guide I will attach a link to the official Lenovo ThinkPad E490 and E495 hardware maintenance manual. If you need more detailed disassembly instructions, please refer to the service manual.

Keyboard removal

The keyboard removal part is a little bit tricky so pay attention to all the following disassembly steps.

STEP 1.
Insert a thin case opener tool under the left trackpad button.

STEP 2.
Carefully pry up the button and un-snap it from the mounting bracket.

STEP 3.
Remove the left trackpad button and after that remove the right trackpad button the same way.

STEP 4.
Loosen two captive screws securing the keyboard to the bezel assembly. Both screws will stay attached to the keyboard when it’s removed.

In order to remove the keyboard it’s necessary to slide it towards the display but there are two T-shaped knobs securing the keyboard in place.

On this picture you can see only the left T-shaped knob but there is another one on the right side.

STEP 5.
Insert the case opener tool under the middle button to elevate the keyboard frame above the two T-shaped knobs (located close to screws).

STEP 6.
With the case opener located under the frame slide the keyboard towards the display. The upper side of the keyboard will move under the bezel.

Use both hands to slide the keyboard under the bezel. Shift the keyboard in a short, quick motion.

You know you’ve done it properly when you see the top row keys touching the bezel and about 1/8″ gap on the bottom.

STEP 7.
Lift up the lower side of the keyboard and pull it towards the trackpad. Now you can turn the keyboard upside down and place it on the palmrest.

STEP 8.
Disconnect two cables found under the keyboard.

In order to release the cable it is necessary to unlock the connector first.
Lift up the locking tab to unlock the connector and after that pull the cable out.

STEP 9.
Remove the keyboard completely.
Lenovo ThinkPad E490 E495 keyboard FRU part number (English): 01YP240.

Base cover and battery removal

STEP 10.
Loosen nine captive screws securing the base cover.

STEP 11.
Place the laptop on its side and start separating the top case from the base cover. I’m using a plastic spudger tool for that.

Move the spugdger along the side and pry up the top case to unlock hidden latches securing it to the base cover.

STEP 12.
Continue removing the base cover with your hands.

STEP 13.
Remove two screws attaching the battery to the top case. Disconnect the battery cable.

STEP 14.
Lift up and remove the battery.
Lenovo ThinkPad E490 E495 battery model name: L17L3P51.

Memory and hard drive removal

There are two memory slots on the motherboard. You can upgrade memory to 32GB max (2x16GB).

STEP 15.
Remove the memory module.

In this particular case the laptop had a regular 2.5″ spinning SATA hard drive installed. The PCIe M.2 slot is available for a PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD upgrade.

STEP 16.
Disconnect the 2.5″ HDD SATA cable from the motherboard.

STEP 17.
Pry up the back side of the hard drive and separate it from the top case. There is a small knob securing the hard drive bracket to the case.

STEP 18.
Remove the hard drive with the cable attached to it. You can upgrade this drive to a 2.5″ solid state drive.

Fan and heatsink removal

STEP 19.
Loosen four captive screws securing the fan and heatsink assembly to the motherboard. Disconnect the fan cable.

STEP 20.
Lift up and remove the fan/heatsink assembly.

Here’s the other side of the fan/heatsink assembly.
Lenovo FRU part number: 02DL824.

Display panel removal

STEP 21.
Remove four screws securing the display panel hinges.
Disconnect the display cable (yellow) from the motherboard and two antenna cables (green) from the wireless card.

STEP 22.
Lift up and remove the I/O board bracket.

Here’s how to disconnect antenna cable from the wireless card. Simply lift up and un-snap the antenna head from the connector on the wireless card.

The display cable connector has a black tab on top. Pull the display cable connector up to unplug it from the motherboard.

STEP 23.
Lift up the right display hinge as it shown on the picture.

STEP 24.
Lift up the left display hinge.

STEP 25.
Lift up the top case assembly and slide it from under the display hinges.

The display panel has been removed. I don’t have disassembly instructions at this time but you can find them in the service manual.

Here’s the top case with the display panel removed. The motherboard, I/O board and trackpad can be easily removed at this point.

In this guide I’m taking apart a Lenovo ideapad FLEX 4 laptop.

You can use these instructions for one of the following Lenovo ideapad FLEX 4 models:
Ideapad FLEX 4-1570 | ideapad FLEX 4-1580
Ideapad FLEX 4-1470 | Ideapad FLEX 4-1480 | Ideapad FLEX 4-1435
All these models are almost identical except for one screw location on the base cover.

For this disassembly you will need only basic repair tools: Phillips screwdriver #1 or #0, case opening tool and tweezers. For your convenience at the end of this guide I will attach a link to the official hardware maintenance guide.

Removing base cover and battery

STEP 1.
Remove all screws from the base cover. Two screws color-coded in yellow are longer than other nine screws.

STEP 2.
Start separating the base cover from the top case. I started removing the base cover around the hinge area. You can start from the front side of the laptop if you wish.

There are many hidden latches securing the base cover. It’s necessary to use some reasonable force to separate two parts.

STEP 3.
Remove the base cover.

STEP 4.
Remove three screws attaching the battery to the top case.

STEP 5.
Lift up the battery from the case and disconnect the battery cable from the motherboard. Remove the battery (Model Name: L15L3PB0).

Removing hard drive and memory

STEP 6.
Remove three screws securing the 2.5″ hard drive caddy.

STEP 7.
Lift up the rear side of the hard drive and pull it out of the SATA slot. The hard drive has tin foil wrapped around it. Upgrading this laptop with a 2.5″ solid state drive will make it much faster.

Lenovo ideapad FLEX 4 laptop has the memory module hidden under the metal cover shown on the following picture.

STEP 8.
Carefully separate the memory cover from the motherboard. There are a few clamps securing the cover.

STEP 9.
Lift up and remove the memory cover.

STEP 10.
Now you can access and remove and upgrade the memory module if necessary. This model has only one memory slot.

Removing cooling fan and DC jack

STEP 11.
Remove two screws from the cooling fan.

STEP 12.
Lift up the cooling fan and disconnect the fan cable from the motherboard. It’s necessary to separate the display cable fro the fan. It’s routed in the guided path on the side.

STEP 13.
Disconnect the DC jack cable from the motherboard. The DC power jack is mounted under the left display hinge.

STEP 14.
Open the display 180 degrees and place the laptop on the desk as shown on the following picture. Remove two screws securing the left display hinge.

STEP 15.
Lift up the display panel (yellow arrow) just enough to access the DC jack. Lift up the DC jack from the case and remove it.

Removing motherboard and display panel

In Lenovo ideapad FLEX 4 laptop the display panel can be remove only after the motherboard is removed. The right display hinge is mounted right under the motherboard.

STEP 16.
Disconnect two antenna cables from the wireless card.

STEP 17.
Remove one screw securing the wireless card and pull it out.

STEP 18.
Remove three screws securing the motherboard and disconnect the following color-coded cables:
– Fingerprint scanner cable (orange).
– Touchpad cable (yellow).
– Keyboard cable (green).
– Keyboard backlight cable (blue).
– Speaker cable (dark blue).
– USB/audio/media card reader board cable (pink).
– Display cable (red).
You can disconnect the CMOS battery too but I’ll leave it connected in order to keep the BIOS settings unchanged.

Here’s how to disconnect all flat cables.
Lift up the locking tab to unlock the connector (red arrow) and pull the cable out.

The display cable has a black tab on top. Pull the display cable up to unplug it from the motherboard.

The keyboard backlight cable doesn’t have a lock. Simply pull the cable out using tweezers.

STEP 19.
Separate the motherboard from the top case and remove it.

Here’s the other side of the motherboard.

STEP 20.
Remove two screws securing the right display hinge. Un-route wireless card antennas from the guided path on the top case.

STEP 22.
Separate the display panel from the top case.

Lenovo ideapad FLEX 4 has the keyboard permanently attached to the top case. If the keyboard fails, it’s necessary to replace the top case unless you are willing to try this keyboard replacement hack.

The fingerprint board, touchapd and I/O board (USB/audio/media reader) can be easily removed.

In one of the following posts I will explain how to disassemble the display panel and remove the touch screen assembly.

In this tutorial I explain how to disassemble a Lenovo IdeaPad S340-15API Touch laptop (model name 81QG).

You can use these instructions for taking apart many other models in the Lenovo IdeaPad S340 computer line. All disassembly steps should be very similar for 15″ and 14″ models 81N8, 81QF, 81N7, 81NC, 81NB.

You will need only basic repair tools for this disassembly: Philips screwdriver #0 or #1, tweezers and case opening tool. For your convenience at the end of this guide I published a link to the official service manual.

Base cover and battery removal

STEP 1.
Remove nine regular screws and loosen one captive screw located on the base cover. In some models there is no captive screw installed.

STEP 2.
Insert the case opening tool between the base cover and the top case assembly. Pry up the base cover and start separating it from the top case.

STEP 3.
Continue removing the base cover with your hands.

STEP 4.
Remove three screws attaching the battery to the case.

STEP 5.
Lift up the battery and disconnect the cable from the motherboard.
Lenovo IdeaPad S340-15API Touch laptop battery model name: L18L3PF3.

Hard drive and memory removal

Lenovo IdeaPad S340-15API has two storage drive interfaces: SATA (for 2.5″ hard drives) and M.2 PCIe (for PCIe NVMe solid state drives). In this particular laptop I had a regular 2.5″ hard drive installed. You can see an empty PCIe M.2 slot located just above the 2.5″ drive.

STEP 6.
Remove four screws securing the hard drive bracket. Slide the hard drive assembly away from the motherboard to disconnect it from the SATA port.

I’m not going to remove the drive because there is a warranty seal on one of the screws and the laptop is still under warranty.

The memory module located under the metal cover. There are a few clamps attaching the cover to the motherboard.

STEP 7.
Carefully start separating the memory cover. I’m using tweezers for that.

STEP 8.
Lift up and remove the memory cover.

Lenovo IdeaPad S340-15API has 4GB soldered RAM and one memory slot available for upgrades. This laptop can take up to 16GB DDR4 memory module in the expansion slot.
Total RAM for this model is 20GB (4GB soldered + 16GB removable).

STEP 9.
Remove the memory module.

Fan removal

The display cable is routed in the guided path on the fan side. The display cable has to be separated from the fan before it can be removed.

STEP 10.
Unplug the display cable connector from the motherboard.

There is a back tab on the top of the connector. Pull the connector up to disconnect it from the motherboard.

STEP 11.
Separate the display cable from the fan. Remove two screws attaching the fan to the case. Disconnect the fan cable from the motherboard.

STEP 12.
Remove the fan.

Display panel removal

STEP 13.
Separate self-adhesive sponge covering the wireless card antenna cables.

STEP 14.
Disconnect both antenna cables from the wireless card.

STEP 15.
Open the display 90 degrees and place the laptop upside down on the edge of your desk as it shown on the following picture. Remove four screws securing the display hinges to the top case assembly.

STEP 16.
Now you can separate the top case and remove the display panel.

DC jack, I/O board and motherboard removal

The DC power jack mounted under the left display hinge. By the way, it is not necessary to remove the display panel completely in order to access and remove the DC jack. You can simply remove two screws from the hinge and lift it up just enough to remove the DC jack.

STEP 17.
Unplug the DC jack cable from the motherboard and remove it.

STEP 18.
Remove one screw securing the I/O board which has the power button, USB ports and media card reader. The CMOS battery also connected to the I/O board.
Peel off black mylar tape attaching the I/O board to the case.

STEP 19.
Lift up and remove the I/O board.
The power button is soldered to the I/O board.

STEP 20.
Remove three screws securing the motherboard. Disconnect the following color-coded cables:
– I/O board cable (pink).
– Keyboard cable (yellow).
– Touchpad cable (green).
– Speaker cable (blue).
After that you can separate the motherboard from the top case and remove it.

NOTE: on the following picture the hard drive is still connected (for warranty purposes) but it must be removed in order to remove the motherboard.

Lenovo IdeaPad S340-15API keyboard is permanently attached to the top case and cannot be easily removed unless you want to try this keyboard removal hack.