LG Gram Keyboard Replacement Guide
The Gram's keyboard is part of the top case assembly area: you work from underneath - bottom cover off, battery disconnected first - and the keyboard itself is fixed inside the palmrest. On many Gram generations the keyboard is held by plastic rivets, which is why a complete palmrest (top case) swap is often the cleaner repair. This guide walks through both routes.
Watch: Gram keyboard replacement (16Z90SP)
A full replacement on a 16-inch Gram (PCWhoop Electronics), including the compatibility trap the author ran into when ordering - check your part number twice on these models, as the video shows. Our steps below summarise the job.
Before you start
- Shut down and unplug. The Gram battery is internal: disconnecting it is the first job once the cover is off.
- Tools: small Phillips screwdriver, plastic spudger, tweezers. Keep screws grouped - Gram covers mix lengths.
- Confirm the replacement matches on three points: model generation (for example 16Z90P vs 16Z90R are different machines), layout/language, and backlight. The part number on the underside of the old keyboard settles it - how to find it.
Steps
- Remove all bottom-cover screws (check under the rubber feet) and pry the cover off gently around the seam.
- Disconnect the battery connector first. Then photograph the inside layout before touching anything else.
- Release the keyboard's ribbon cable(s) at the mainboard - flip the ZIF locking flap up, never pull the cable against a closed flap. Backlit models may have a second, smaller cable.
- Remove whatever sits over the keyboard frame for your generation (battery, speakers or brackets, occasionally more).
- Keyboard fixing: if it is screwed in, work through the screws patiently. If it is plastic-riveted, weigh the options: cutting and re-forming rivets is slow and unforgiving - replacing the whole palmrest assembly with the keyboard pre-fitted is usually faster and neater, and it is the route most repair shops take on Grams.
- Test before closing: reconnect the battery, power on with the case still open, and press every key. Only then reassemble in reverse order.
General connector technique and troubleshooting: How to Replace a Laptop Keyboard.
Only one key broken?
A single missing or wobbly keycap is a two-minute fix with the right cap and hinge - no teardown. Our own video shows the job on an LG 15Z950:
Individual keycaps and hinges are coming to our keycaps section; in the meantime ask us about the key you need.
LG keyboards we stock
Browse LG Gram keyboards (14/15/16/17-inch, Z90N through Z90R generations and more, US and international layouts) or all LG keyboards. If your generation is not listed, send the part number from your old keyboard and we will check stock.