Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

32

Time Required

                          55 minutes

Sections

9

  • RAM
  • 5 steps
  • Optical Drive
  • 1 step
  • Keyboard
  • 5 steps
  • Palm Rest Assembly
  • 5 steps
  • Battery
  • 2 steps
  • Hard Drive
  • 3 steps
  • Wireless Mini Card
  • 4 steps
  • Motherboard
  • 4 steps
  • Fan
  • 3 steps

Flags

0

  • BackDell Inspiron 14z-5423

  • Full Screen

  • Options

  • History

  • Save to Favorites

  • Download PDF

  • Edit

  • Translate

  • Get Shareable Link

  • Embed This Guide

  • Notify Me of Changes

  • Stop Notifications

Introduction

What you need

Step 1

              RAM
  • Close the display and turn over the computer.
  • Make sure your device is powered down and unplugged before beginning the replacement.

Close the display and turn over the computer.

Make sure your device is powered down and unplugged before beginning the replacement.

1024

Step 2

  • Use a J0 bit tipped screwdriver to unscrew the one 6 mm Phillips screw on the RAM cover.

Use a J0 bit tipped screwdriver to unscrew the one 6 mm Phillips screw on the RAM cover.

Step 3

  • Lightly lift the RAM cover up and at an angle, away from the computer.

Lightly lift the RAM cover up and at an angle, away from the computer.

Step 4

  • Use your fingers to carefully pull the securing clips on the RAM away from each other.
  • The RAM should pop up when the clips are released.

Use your fingers to carefully pull the securing clips on the RAM away from each other.

The RAM should pop up when the clips are released.

Step 5

  • Remove the popped up RAM by pulling it away from the connection.
  • If it does not pop up pry it out in a steady and straight direction.

Remove the popped up RAM by pulling it away from the connection.

If it does not pop up pry it out in a steady and straight direction.

Step 6

              Optical Drive
  • Slide the CD/DVD drive on the side of the laptop out using your fingers.
  • Using a J0 bit screwdriver, unscrew the one 2 mm Phillips screw.
  • You only need to unscrew this screw if you are using this as a prerequisite guide.

Slide the CD/DVD drive on the side of the laptop out using your fingers.

Using a J0 bit screwdriver, unscrew the one 2 mm Phillips screw.

You only need to unscrew this screw if you are using this as a prerequisite guide.

Step 7

              Keyboard
  • Lift the plastic yellow flap on the system board.
  • Use the J0 Bit screwdriver to remove the one 6 mm Phillips screw in center of the system board that is connected to the keyboard.

Lift the plastic yellow flap on the system board.

Use the J0 Bit screwdriver to remove the one 6 mm Phillips screw in center of the system board that is connected to the keyboard.

Step 8

  • Flip over the computer and open the display.

Flip over the computer and open the display.

Step 9

  • Insert a spudger next to the plastic indents located at the top of the keyboard and gently pry to release the securing clips.
  • Lift the keyboard off of the computer.
  • Be careful not to tear the ribbon that attaches the back of the keyboard to the computer when lifting it.

Insert a spudger next to the plastic indents located at the top of the keyboard and gently pry to release the securing clips.

Lift the keyboard off of the computer.

Be careful not to tear the ribbon that attaches the back of the keyboard to the computer when lifting it.

Step 10

  • Flip the keyboard over onto the palm-rest assembly.

Flip the keyboard over onto the palm-rest assembly.

Step 11

  • Flip the little black securing bar near the base of the ribbon with a spudger to release the ribbon from the computer.

Flip the little black securing bar near the base of the ribbon with a spudger to release the ribbon from the computer.

Step 12

              Palm Rest Assembly
  • Close the display and turn over the computer.

Step 13

  • Remove all 7 rubber screw caps with tweezers.
  • Use a J0 Bit tipped screwdriver unscrew the seven 6 mm Phillips screws on the back casing of the laptop.

Remove all 7 rubber screw caps with tweezers.

Use a J0 Bit tipped screwdriver unscrew the seven 6 mm Phillips screws on the back casing of the laptop.

Step 14

  • Flip the computer over and open the display.
  • Pull on the blue tabs to disconnect the palm rest assembly from the computer.

Flip the computer over and open the display.

Pull on the blue tabs to disconnect the palm rest assembly from the computer.

Step 15

  • Use J0 Bit screwdriver to remove all four 6 mm Phillips screws.

Use J0 Bit screwdriver to remove all four 6 mm Phillips screws.

Step 16

  • Gently wedge the nylon spudger underneath the palm-rest assembly to release the latches.
  • Continue this process on all sides of the computer edges until the assembly pulls off.
  • Remove the palm rest assembly.
  • If you have difficulty lifting up the assembly, you might not have taken out all 7 screws on the bottom of the computer.

Gently wedge the nylon spudger underneath the palm-rest assembly to release the latches.

Continue this process on all sides of the computer edges until the assembly pulls off.

Remove the palm rest assembly.

If you have difficulty lifting up the assembly, you might not have taken out all 7 screws on the bottom of the computer.

Step 17

              Battery
  • Use a J0 Bit screwdriver to remove the two 6 mm Phillips screws securing the battery located near the bottom of the laptop.

Use a J0 Bit screwdriver to remove the two 6 mm Phillips screws securing the battery located near the bottom of the laptop.

Step 18

  • Lift the tiny black tab and pull the battery out at a slight angle.

Lift the tiny black tab and pull the battery out at a slight angle.

Step 19

              Hard Drive
  • Lift up the bottom of the hard drive which is located at the bottom of the laptop.
  • Gently pull the drive out at an angle using your fingers.

Lift up the bottom of the hard drive which is located at the bottom of the laptop.

Gently pull the drive out at an angle using your fingers.

Step 20

  • Using a J0 bit tipped screwdriver, remove the four 3 mm black screws on both sides of the hard drive bracket.

Using a J0 bit tipped screwdriver, remove the four 3 mm black screws on both sides of the hard drive bracket.

Step 21

  • Slide the hard drive out of the bracket.

Slide the hard drive out of the bracket.

Step 22

              Wireless Mini Card
  • Locate the wireless mini card at the top of the laptop.
  • It is next to the place where the optics drive used to be.

Locate the wireless mini card at the top of the laptop.

It is next to the place where the optics drive used to be.

Step 23

  • Using a J0 tipped screwdriver, remove the 4 mm Phillips head screw.

Using a J0 tipped screwdriver, remove the 4 mm Phillips head screw.

Step 24

  • Gently, unlatch the black and white wires from the wireless mini card.

Gently, unlatch the black and white wires from the wireless mini card.

Step 25

  • At an angle, slide out the wireless mini card.

At an angle, slide out the wireless mini card.

Step 26

              Motherboard
  • Gently pull the the blue ribbon upwards to disconnect the computer from the motherboard.

Gently pull the the blue ribbon upwards to disconnect the computer from the motherboard.

Step 27

  • Using a plastic opening tool, gently detach the coin cell battery from the foam glue.
  • The coin cell battery is underneath the optical drive.

Using a plastic opening tool, gently detach the coin cell battery from the foam glue.

The coin cell battery is underneath the optical drive.

Step 28

  • Using a J0 tipped screwdriver remove the 6 mm Phillips head screw located at the center of the laptop on the motherboard.

Using a J0 tipped screwdriver remove the 6 mm Phillips head screw located at the center of the laptop on the motherboard.

Step 29

  • Remove motherboard at an upward angle.
  • The coin cell battery and fan will be removed with the motherboard.

Remove motherboard at an upward angle.

The coin cell battery and fan will be removed with the motherboard.

Step 30

              Fan
  • Flip the motherboard over.
  • Locate the red and yellow wires attached to the fan and gently detach them from the motherboard.

Flip the motherboard over.

Locate the red and yellow wires attached to the fan and gently detach them from the motherboard.

Step 31

  • Using a J0 tipped screwdriver remove the three 5 mm Phillips head screws that attach fan to the motherboard.
  • The fan base is labeled 1, 2, 3. Make sure you unscrew the screws in this order.
  • The screws are attached to the fan and will fully unscrew.

Using a J0 tipped screwdriver remove the three 5 mm Phillips head screws that attach fan to the motherboard.

The fan base is labeled 1, 2, 3. Make sure you unscrew the screws in this order.

The screws are attached to the fan and will fully unscrew.

Step 32

  • Remove the fan from the motherboard by lifting upwards.

Remove the fan from the motherboard by lifting upwards.

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

Cancel: I did not complete this guide.

                                                                                      3 other people completed this guide.

Author

                                      with 3 other contributors 


                    john

Member since: 09/12/2016

197 Reputation

                                      1 Guide authored                  



                       Badges:
                       7







                                                        +4 more badges

Team

                       CSU Fullerton, Team 2-2, Bruce Fall 2016                        

                                                  Member of CSU Fullerton, Team 2-2, Bruce Fall 2016 



                    CSUF-BRUCE-F16S2G2                     


                                            5 Members                     


                                            11 Guides authored

Tanya Cowan - Jan 24, 2017

Reply

Hurrah, just used these instructions to replace my fan and have a beautifully silent working laptop again - thanks! I skipped steps 20-23, and it would have been useful to have a mention that thermal compound was necessary to make a good connection when replacing the heat sink - but all in all great clear instructions. One happy good-as-new laptop owner!

waluilli - Apr 12, 2021

Reply

This guide was bloody marvellous! This was the first time I’ve opened a laptop by myself and it was quite a ride but a fun one the only struggle that I had was the bloody blue ribbon connecting to the motherboard other than that the rest was really easy to follow. Thank you so much for the guide and I hope I can some day be a contributor just as great as you random internet person ^^