Lenovo ThinkPad T16 Gen 3 WWAN Card Replacement

Written By: Nick Schultz
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Lenovo ThinkPad T16 Gen 3 WWAN Card Replacement

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

11

Time Required

20 - 30 minutes

Introduction

Follow this guide to replace the WWAN card in your Lenovo ThinkPad T16 Gen 3 laptop.

The WWAN (Wireless Wide Area Network) card allows you to connect to the internet using a cellular connection. If your computer has a WWAN card installed and you're having trouble using cellular, you may have a faulty WWAN card.

If you are having trouble accessing a local Wi-Fi connection, you may have an issue with your WLAN card, which cannot be replaced independently of the motherboard on this laptop.

The Lenovo part number for the WWAN card is 5W11H85459 for the 5G model and 5W11H85427 for the LTE model. This guide works for both, with the exception of antenna count (two for LTE and four for 5G as shown in this guide).

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    • For your safety, discharge your battery below 25% before disassembling your laptop. A charged battery may catch fire if damaged. If your battery is swollen, take appropriate precautions.

    • Completely shut down your laptop (don't just put it in sleep mode) and disconnect all cables.

    • Flip the laptop upside-down, and rotate it so the screen hinge faces towards you.

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    • Use a Phillips screwdriver to fully loosen the seven captive screws securing the base cover.

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    • Insert your fingernail or an opening pick into the gap between the base cover and keyboard deck, next to one of the screen hinges.

    • Pry up the base cover until the clips unfasten.

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    • Grasp the base cover along the screen hinge edge and lift slowly to unfasten the remaining clips.

    • Lift and remove the base cover.

    • During reassembly, lay the base cover into the frame, inserting it into the tabs along the battery edge. Press down firmly around the perimeter to reengage all the clips.

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    • Because of the battery connector's design, the only way to disconnect the battery is by physically removing it.

    • Use a Phillips screwdriver to fully loosen the two captive screws securing the battery connector.

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    • Lift the edge of the battery with the connector to disconnect it.

    • You may feel a little resistance from the battery connector as it disconnects—that's normal.

    • Remove the battery

    • During reassembly:

    • Slide the plastic tabs on the long edge of the battery into their recesses in the frame.

    • Lower the battery into place so the connector goes over its socket.

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    • Insert one arm of your angled tweezers under the metal neck of one of the antenna coaxial connectors on the WWAN card and lift straight up to disconnect it.

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    • Repeat the process to disconnect the remaining antenna cables from the WWAN card.

    • During reassembly, use tweezers to hold each connector in place over its socket and gently press down with your finger or a spudger—the connector should "snap" into place. If you're having trouble, reposition the head instead of using more force.

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    • Use a Phillips screwdriver to remove the 4 mm‑long screw securing the WWAN card to the motherboard.

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    • Use your fingernail to lift up the WWAN card enough to grasp it with your fingers.

    • Pull the WWAN card away from its socket.

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    • Remove the WWAN card from your laptop.

    • Check the condition of the thermal pad under the SSD and replace it if damaged. It is 20 x 30 mm and 0.5 mm thick. The Lenovo part number is 5M20Z56333. If the pad remained intact but is stuck to the bottom of the old WWAN card, carefully transfer it to its spot on the board in between the WWAN card connector and its nearest screw hole.

Conclusion

Compare your new replacement part to the original part—you may need to transfer remaining components or remove thermal pad backings from the new part before you install it.

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

Take your e-waste to an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler.

Repair didn’t go as planned? Try some basic troubleshooting, or ask our Answers community for help.

Author

Nick Schultz

Member since: 24/03/24

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