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Hi everyone. I have a MacBook Pro 13" A1502 (early-2015) and I unfortunately damaged my keyboard after spilling a bit of alcohol on it. I thought on replacing only the keyboard, but since it is too hard to do without any issues, I found an used mid-2014 A1502 top case and I bought it, and it should arrive next week. What I’m planning to do is keep my battery (since it has a larger capacity than the 2014) and keep my trackpad (since it is the force touch one). Things I read so far:

  • The 2015’s force touch trackpad takes more space than the 2014’s trackpad and it won’t fit on the 2014’s top case;
  • The force touch trackpad needs to be calibrated after replacing it (If true, should it work after SMC reset? Maybe needs calibration only after replacing for a new one?);
  • Also read about some people who had a “battery not charging” after disassembly and reassembly. Are these things true? Are there any other issues I should worry about? If true, any suggestions? Thanks in advance :)

It sounds like you want to swap the 2015 battery and trackpad into the 2014 palmrest. Firstly, the batteries are glued in, so you will have to remove 2 batteries to get to the trackpads, without puncturing them. Secondly, the mounting points are different between the years, so there will be no way to secure the 2015 trackpad if it does fit (the 2015 trackpad uses a number of T4 screws around it to secure the backplate to the palmrest, the 2014 uses 12 screws at the top of the trackpad, since it moves on a hinge essentially). Also, there is no way to do a straight swap of the palmrests, since the trackpads are different, but it sounds like you know that already. Cancel the order for the 2014 palmrest, you won’t be able to make it work with the 2015 unfortunately, other than doing a botch job with the trackpad :( The keyboards aren’t that difficult to replace, as long as you remove all the outer rivets it will be very stable (even if you mess up a few in the middle). Just patience and some wire cutters are required. Either do this or find a 2015 palmrest (you can buy these with the trackpad and battery or with just the keyboard). The trackpad doesn’t need calibrating if replaced, and if done properly you won’t have battery issues.

I live in Brazil, and unfortunately things here are way more expensive than in any other country, such as US. I’ve been using a generic Bluetooth Keyboard since I damaged my keyboard - 3 weeks ago - until I decide what to do, and I’m tired of it since I can’t use my Macbook as it’s designed for. So far, I think I only have 3 options: Replacing only the keyboard myself - kind of afraid of doing it so;Find a 2015 A1502’s used and undamaged top case - which is hard around here;Replacing the top case on an AASP - for around $727 USD. Regarding replacing only the keyboard myself, I’m kinda afraid because I still have a few doubts: Do I need to take the batteries and trackpad off the top case to get to the keyboard?;Do I need to replace the rivets with screws? I’m really afraid of leaving it unstable or unflat;Are the 2014 and 2015 keyboards the same? Is there anything in particular I should pay attention before buying it and would it be a good idea to buy the backlight as well?

2014 case not compatible with force touch trackpad. The best value is to replace the keyboard. here is a guide for the keyboard MacBook Pro 13" Retina Display Late 2013 Keyboard Replacement here is the part you will need. http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Original-APP… battery removal here- How to replace MacBook Pro battery in A1502 MacBook Pro Retina 13" you will need these pliers https://www.amazon.com/FastCap-PLIERS-FL…

All done, after 5 hours. Thanks for the answers and the help :) Got 2 issues: Trackpad’s haptic feedback stopped working after the disassembly and reassembly. The force touch works, recognizing pressure and etc, but the feedback doesn’t;Backlight is weaker and uneven. I’ll ask for a new one on the store I bought the keyboard + backlight. I bought another backlight because I was afraid to make my original one unusable, and maybe I did. About the trackpad’s haptic feedback: tried restart, shutdown and power on again, SMC reset. Nothing.