Wifi card not detected? (Early 2008 MacBook Pro)

[weezin]

I've recently taken my early 2008 MacBook Pro 15 part to make some component replacements and diagnose a few things. This included taking the fans out, the logic board out, and the screen out.

After putting it all back together and booting it up, the system is not detecting the wifi card (the wifi icon in the menubar has an X in it, and clicking it says "No hardware found"). I did a PRAM reset and still not detecting it. I then swapped in a different wifi card from a different early 2008 MacBook Pro (that I know has working wifi) and it still didn't detect it.

Can anyone help me troubleshoot what might be wrong and how to fix?

 

[weezin]

Quick bump - any idea where to start diagnosing or if this is even relatively common?

 

[bobesch]

Either broken antenna-cable or a defective Airport-Card socket on the left i/o-board.

Or maybe just mixed-up antenna-cables...? [Step 14]

https://guide-images.cdn.ifixit.com/igi/m6rwRRXdwy22I2SX.large

 

[weezin]

Thanks for the reply. I have the antenna cables plugging in correctly, so that's not the issue (unfortunately!).

Broken antenna cable necessitates a display replacement, I'm assuming (unless I want to take the display apart, which I probably don't).

The thing is - I know that wifi was working before I took it apart, so it seems to me like it might be the antenna cables, considering I removed the display at one point. I'm not sure how I wold have killed the socket, but you never know...

Thanks!

 

[B S Magnet]

Quick bump - any idea where to start diagnosing or if this is even relatively common?

Check the contacts on the Airport card itself. They may need a gentle manual cleaning with an eyeglass cleaning cloth.

Separately, if available, grab a soft brush (an old, very soft toothbrush might also work) and gently clean out the PCIe socket — with gentle strokes parallel with the length of the socket. You’re not trying to be abrasive with it, but you are trying to move out any dust accumulation which could have dislodged itself when you took it apart previously.

After doing all of that and inspecting the socket area, take especial care to re-insert the card evenly and completely. Also, while you’re down there, try to inspect with a bright light and a magnifying glass to see that the PCIe socket’s connection points to the board look OK (and no hairline fractures or places where the solder appears frayed):

That you’re seeing no hardware connected, according to both System Profiler and also according to the menubar item, doesn’t parse as a bad antenna cable for either the Airport or the Bluetooth connectors. If it were just that, your system would detect the hardware but you wouldn’t be getting reception.

EDIT to add: An additional thing comes to mind. Was the flat I/O cable between the left I/O riser board and the main logic board properly reconnected/seated on both ends when you reassembled everything (steps 20–22 here)? If not, does the Mac see when you’ve plugged in a USB device into one of the USB ports next to the MagSafe port? If not, the seating on either end of this I/O cable could be a culprit, with the underside connection point being tough to see easily if it came loose during disassembly.

 

[weezin]

Well look at that - I disconnected and reconnected (carefully) the flat I/O cable to the main board and now wifi is working properly. I had disconnected and reconnected that cable so many times when taking this thing apart that I must not have been as careful as I should have. Franky, I should have thought to check that as well.

Thanks for the tip there, I really appreciate it. Wifi is up and working as intended!

 

[bobesch]

Check the contacts on the Airport card itself. They may need a gentle manual cleaning with an eyeglass cleaning cloth.

Separately, if available, grab a soft brush (an old, very soft toothbrush might also work) and gently clean out the PCIe socket — with gentle strokes parallel with the length of the socket. You’re not trying to be abrasive with it, but you are trying to move out any dust accumulation which could have dislodged itself when you took it apart previously.

After doing all of that and inspecting the socket area, take especial care to re-insert the card evenly and completely. Also, while you’re down there, try to inspect with a bright light and a magnifying glass to see that the PCIe socket’s connection points to the board look OK (and no hairline fractures or places where the solder appears frayed):

View attachment 1930246

That you’re seeing no hardware connected, according to both System Profiler and also according to the menubar item, doesn’t parse as a bad antenna cable for either the Airport or the Bluetooth connectors. If it were just that, your system would detect the hardware but you wouldn’t be getting reception.

EDIT to add: An additional thing comes to mind. Was the flat I/O cable between the left I/O riser board and the main logic board properly reconnected/seated on both ends when you reassembled everything (steps 20–22 here)? If not, does the Mac see when you’ve plugged in a USB device into one of the USB ports next to the MagSafe port? If not, the seating on either end of this I/O cable could be a culprit, with the underside connection point being tough to see easily if it came loose during disassembly.

Great hint!
The iFixit-guide only talks about "Disconnect the hard drive and ExpressCard connectors from the left side of the logic board." at step 13 but not about the i/o-board connetor & flat-cable.
Good to know, the Airport-card also need that very same cable and quit strange, that only WLAN may be afflicted whild the rest of the i/o-board is still fine!
Thanks!
👍👍👍