High Fan speeds and draining battery

Question

Have any of you experienced this? Plug in the MPB when the battery is close to drained (10%). From that point onwards, till it charges to about 30% (some times beyond that to about 50%), the fans roar (literally) at close to 6000 rpm (and most of the time it is more than 4500 rpm). The laptop becomes an embarrassment to use, particularly because I use it (most of the time) in front of customers (typically CxOs). When this happens, the health of the battery is sharply eroded, and I need to replace the battery every 4-6 months.
Support from Apple is whole different story.
Thank you!

Answer 1

See KB Article: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1411 Apple Portables: Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC)
*Yes, tried that. Does not help.*
That is unacceptable. Have you been calibrating your battery per your user manual instructions? See KB Articles: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1490 Apple Portables: Calibrating your computer's battery for best performance
*Yes, I have tried this. I was asked to do this at the Genius Bar after the first battery was replaced.*
*Battery Information. Please note that this is a 4 month old battery. I got this as a replacement from the Apple store.*
*Model Information:*
*Manufacturer: SMP*
*Device name: ASMB012*
*Pack Lot Code: 0002*
*PCB Lot Code: 0000*
*Firmware Version: 0110*
*Hardware Revision: 0500*
*Cell Revision: 0200*
*Charge Information:*
*Charge remaining (mAh): 3076*
*Fully charged: No*
*Charging: Yes*
*Full charge capacity (mAh): 4962*
*Health Information:*
*Cycle count: 155*
*Condition: Normal*
*Battery Installed: Yes*
*Amperage (mA): 1548*
*Voltage (mV): 12260*
*Details please. Need to know what tech support had you do so that the users here in trying to help you do not get the "been there, done that" type of responses from you. The more information/details you provide in what you have done in trying to solve your problem, the better the knowledgeable users here can better serve you.*
*This is a problem I have experienced for about 18 months now. AppleCare expired late last year (2010). When it was in warranty, Apple replaced 3 batteries (from what I first reported the problem till AppleCare expired). Lots of parts (logic board, heat sensors etc., apart from the battery) changed. Things I have tried:*
*1. System Controller Reset as described above.*
*2. Battery use best practices (as described above)*
*3. Complete system diagnostics run by Apple*
*4. Reinstall OS on multiple occasions*
*Other Observations:*
*1. Finder consumes more than 80% CPU when this happens, please note reinstall of OS does not help*
*2. CPU Temp is upwards of 70 deg C when this happens. My normal CPU tep is upwards of 60 deg C.*
*3. GPU diode temp is above 70 deg C as well. My normal GPU diode temp is usually close to or above 70 deg C.*
*4. No other applications running. So, Firefox, Office for Mac etc are all closed. Only apps open are usually Activity Monitor and Adium. Adium does not seem to make any difference.*
*Finally, how does one connect with Apple Customer Relations? I see just Customer Service, which is support. I do not see any escalation point beyond that.*
*Regarding Support:*
*1. Apple Store support has been cosmetic in this instance. Replace battery was the solution on the first two occasions.*
*2. Replace a lot of parts in the computer was the next option. See above for what was replaced.*
*3. Over the past few weeks, it has been get Capture Data information.*
*4. This problem started about 18 months before the AppleCare expired. Now, AppleCare has expired, but I do get help from Apple because it was a problem I reported when in warranty.*
*However, I am not sure any one ever did a root cause analysis on this issue to start with. The result is a frequent trip to the Apple store, not to mention hours spent trying to get a solution.*