Late 2008 15" MBP battery bulging

The battery on my unibody Late 2008 15" MBP is bulging and stretching the case. The battery won't sit flat on a table. I'm not that close to an Apple Store... what do people think my results would be if I took it in? My AppleCare has expired; does Apple usually replace bulging batteries even out of warranty? Or will I have to buy a new one?

I know this is an old thread, but I thought people would like to know about an interesting Genius Bar visit. So I decided to make a genius appointment for my late 2008 unibody Pro's bulging battery, just to see if I could possibly get a discounted replacement. The genius at first told me that he'd offer me a new replacement for $99, since the battery is out of warranty, and bulging was a normal trait of lithium batteries. That was fine with me, since a new battery off the shelf is around $140. He then scanned my Pro and informed me that there was a service bulletin on the battery, it was replaced for free. So I recommend users with removable battery unibody Pros make a Genius Bar appointment.

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Fan noise/overheating issue? I have a late 2008, 15'' MBP and I'm having a lot of fan noise while just running safari. I don't think this is normal but perhaps it is? Thanks for any and all help!

Fan noise/overheating issue? I have a late 2008, 15'' MBP and I'm having a lot of fan noise while just running safari. I don't think this is normal but perhaps it is? Thanks for any and all help!

Runaway applications can increase fan activity

Macbook Pro Late 2008 not recognizing battery and not charging

Hello
i really need some help please
i have a Macbook pro 15" Late 2008 running os x 10.7.4
i will say briefly how did the problem begin and what is the problem
it stopped charging for some reason the magsafe light was (and still is) dim green and at the battery icon it said not charging but after a couple of hours that it was turned off and connected i found out it is charging really slowly
later on that week
i was using an app called DSLR remote connected to my camera i left my macbook on the table outside connected via usb to my camera waited on it and came back
when i came back my mac was out of battery
i took it in hook it up to the magsafe nada nothing not charging dim light
so what i did i knew my magsafe charger is ready to be changed so i bought a new one
tried it same problem
later on did an smc reset
it did turn on biw the fans are really loud the battery icon (x) and it said no batteries available
so i tried my old fastly drained battery it used to hold up about 1-2 hours then i bought another battery but that was in the past
so i tried both batteries smc reseting with both same result
the smcfancontrol app says fan speed 000 rpm and temoerature 0 C
and one more thing when the mac is off and not connected to the magsafe i click on the battery indicator light on the left side i get a flashing light (battery empty needs to be charged) when i connect the magsafe it stops working even when its off and while its just connected
so it is and SMC problem
it has been like that for the past 4 weeks or so
i really need some help
and im from israel so no apple genius bars around =_= and i have a good technical knowledge
Sincerely, Sari Hassoun

its not about solving or not its about trying to
i understand nobody wants to make any harm to my macbook
thats reasonable
anyway its a hardware faliure of some sort i'll need to check it my self but now im almost sure its not software because i've tried many things
my other option is to run it off a battery
the thing is my battery is out so when its attached the battey indicator lights do work (they are controled by the SMC) that might solve it too
thanks for replying really
its appreciated

Late 2008 MacBook unibody battery replacement.

Hi guys
I have a Late 2008 MacBook unibody in need of a battery replacement. Can anyone recommend a good alternative aftermarket battery replacement?
Thanks in advance!

Hi,
Go to this page
http://store.apple.com/uk/browse/home/shop_mac/mac_accessories/power
Find the battery you want and the address of your nearest Apple Dealer or buy online.
good luck,
Alan

2008 Refurb MBP battery capacity

Hi all...I recently had to return my mbp battery when it crapped out, and i'm currently using the replacement (thanks apple)...I've been regular with calibration etc. (did it as soon as the battery was installed)...What I didn't do was check the initial capacity. my current cycles/capacity is 52/4742.
Based on what I've been reading around here with people having 5500-6000 mAh full charge capacity, am I wrong in thinking mine seems low, or is it ok for the charge cycles?
Thanks for any help!

The nominal Full Charge Capacity of your battery is about 4650mAh, and it's currently indicating more than that — which is commonplace. The battery in my own 5,1 was still pretty consistently above its nominal capacity after nearly 100 cycles and a full year of use, averaging out the normal small up-and-down fluctuations from one day or week to another. So you've got a good battery.

Late 2008 Unibody MBP issues with SSD

I have a late 2008 MacBook Pro running lion and recently upgraded my primary drive to a sandisk extreme 240GB SDD, i put by original HDD in the optical bay using a OWC caddy. I was hoping my macbook pro would become very fast after the installation of my SDD but instead it constantly freezes with the rainbow colored wheel spinning. Every 2 min it freezes for 30 seconds or so and then resumes. Any ideas on what i might be doing wrong? Is there any settings i need to change or something?

its old laptop more than 4 years I think so sure fan dirty if you didn't cleaned it before so i recommend you to check the fan and make sure its clean by open your laptop and clean it with compressed air the you will find it on hardware store if this didn't help I think your fan need to be replace with new one please check the below video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apn3j3mAR1k
I hop this will help you

Late 2008 macbook pro battery swelling?

my battery would not hold a charge and I noticed that it had swelled and forced the battery cover to bulge. I replaced the battery and after about 3 full charges, guess what?, the new battery started to swell and will not keep the computer running for more than 10 - 15 seconds. Then it shuts down. I am forced to keep the AC adapter plugged in, kind of defeats having a laptop.
I've read multiple postings of similar problems that seem to be due to the new operating system!
What is Apples stance on this? Is there a fix? Will they replace the battery that their programming error ruined?
<Edited By Host>

What is Apples stance on this? Is there a fix? Will they replace the battery that their programming error ruined?
why not contact where you bought it and find out their stance?

I dropped my Late 2008 15" MBP.

So i was putting away my mac into my incase sleeve at college... at the edge of a desk. I slipped, and it fell. Luckily the incase sleeve did help relieve the impact, but i still ended up with an inward dent in the corner. I examined the machine, and it had slightly folded in the corner of the screens case aswell. It fell in the corner where the hard drive is so i took the battery cover off and noticed it popped out its connector from impact. Managed to get it back in, and the computer is functioning fine. I have been talking to apple and obviously i am going to have to pay for the upper case to replaced if i want it, but will they buff out the dent for me because i cannot afford this part replacement (student etc). Any response appreciated, if anyone else has done something like this and had their uppercase replaced if you wouldnt mind telling me a figure for the cost it would also be appreciated. Thanks, stu

"... but will they buff out the dent for me because i cannot afford this part replacement (student etc). Any response appreciated, if anyone else has done something like this and had their uppercase replaced if you wouldnt mind telling me a figure for the cost it would also be appreciated."
Sorry to hear about your accident. This is a user to user forum. So to answer your query you will need to talk to the folks who will be doing the repair not us.

Edge RAM fails on late 2008 MBP Unibody

I recently decided to upgrade my late 2008 unibody MBP (2.53 GHz) by adding a 7200 RPM drive and bringing the RAM up to 6 GB, the total this machine will hold. The drive upgrade went fine, but the Edge RAM kept throwing kernel panics. I finally put back the original 2 GB stick and everything returned to normal.
I don't actually think there is anything defective about the Edge stick, I just think it's just not compatible with this computer even though it is labeled that it should work. I'd like to know if anyone has successfully upgraded the RAM on their 2008 MBP that's the same model as mine (see above) and if so, what they used.
In advance, thanks!

Some people here will tell you to buy only "X" brand, but actual reliability studies have shown that it doesn't really make that much difference. The failure rates are pretty much the same regardless of manufacturer. It's OK to shop for price rather than paying higher prices for a so-called well known brand. The key is to buy from a vendor you know is reliable and provides a reasonable return policy in case you get a bad piece. It happens. And only buy a product with a lifetime warranty. Stay away from so-called "economy" RAM that only has a 90-day warranty.
Macs are not that finicky in my experience. I've bought lots of different kinds of RAM for more than a couple dozen Macs. I've never had a problem. But sometimes problems do arise. You get a marginal module that won't pass the system's POST test.
If you want a reliable source I recommend Data Mem. I've dealt with them for 20 years. I've no complaints. I always buy computers with a minimum RAM configuration and do my own upgrading. Thus far I've upgraded the RAM in seven Intel Macs without incident, and I've never bought "brand" RAM. But then that's me. If you prefer the "brand" crowd they usually recommend Crucial. Apple mostly uses Samsung in the new computers. And there's Hynix which is also a big brand manufacturer like Samsung. But the big memory manufacturers also sell unbranded RAM or RAM that is OEM branded.

Late 2008 Unibody MacBook Pro Battery Bulging

Hi,
As of a few months ago, I noticed that my MacBook Pro felt as though no matter which surface it was on, it would never sit there straight. Upon further inspection, I have noticed that the casing which covers both the battery and hard drive is being pushed out of its ordinary position.
Taking the battery out reveals that it is beginning to swell and bulge which is causing this problem. While it isn't an enormous bulge like some I've seen on the Internet, I still consider it a safety issue and would rather not continue using it in the event it continues to develop and potentially explode.
I called Apple support today to ask them what I can do about getting it replaced. Given that I bought this machine when it first came out in late 2008 without any additional warranty, I am a few months out of warranty.
After being diverted to three different people from various departments and being put on hold for at least 45 minutes, a customer relations woman told me that Apple could not cover it. As a gesture of good will, she offered a discount coupon for my next purchase from Apple. I'm yet to receive such a coupon, but that isn't the point of this post.
I want to know if there's anything I could possibly do for Apple to replace this battery - I know it's a long shot, but I'm currently a student and I don't really have $199 lying around to replace a battery which shouldn't be preparing to explode on me.
Any suggestions would be appreciated!

I'm copying my message from another thread, since this one is more "specialized".
Thanks for understanding.
Not so good news here (Croatia).
I own a late 2008 MBP unibody. Bought in December 2008, so now 5 months out of warranty.
I had the same battery bulge issue as described earlier, along with the trackpad not working problem (when I remove the battery, the trackpad works normally).
A few days ago I contacted the Apple authorised reseller and distributor for Croatia, and got the answer which can be roughly described as "Buy yourself a new battery, we can't do anything".
I was persistent and the person in the Croatian Apple Service department, after having an online chat with "someone from Apple", gave me the "case number" and said I could try contacting Apple directly (although they ARE Apple's distributor/reseller) - but still, they can't and won't do anything about replacing the battery free of charge.
Of course, I mentioned the safety issue, and I was really polite and calm - but still nothing.
Thanks to this thread, I called the Apple UK's Customer Service.
I spoke to 3 different persons there (they had a completely different approach than the Croatian ones, congrats!), tried to reach the Customer Service directly, and finally spoke to someone. But, the answer was still - we can't help you. I got the new case number, but still - nothing, no offer for the replacement battery or anything similar.
Yes, I will pay for that 1.5 hour long conversation.
When I finally asked: does this mean that Apple oficially claims that bulging "good, healthy" batteries is a normal thing to happen, I got no response.
My battery's health is GOOD, it has around 33 (yes, 33!) cycles since the machine was mostly used at home with external Cinema display/keyboard/mouse attached. When I try to put the battery back in, the trackpad is pressed from beneath so it's unusable; and I even can't close the back lid since the battery is deformed.
Yes, every time, I did mention the fact that I am a loyal Apple customer since 1992, and I own exclusively Apple computers, currently in posession of 9 Macs and 3 iPhones and responsible for many people "switching" to Apple (friends, colleagues etc). This is the FIRST time I have ever had any technical issue with an Apple product and I am really disappointed now.
The only useful information I got was from the last person over the phone in UK, and that is - that I should write a letter (not an email) to the Customer Relations - Apple Operations Europe, located in Hollyhill, Cork (Republic of Ireland).
Finally, I contacted the Service Manager from Apple Croatia, who was extremely unconcerned about the whole thing and said "You can call the newspapers, you can call whoever you want, we won't do anything until Apple says we should replace it".
So, NO battery replacement exception code.
At least not until I write that letter to Ireland.
P.S. I did, as asked from the UK's Customer Support, e-mail the System Profiler info, clear photos of the swelling battery, and iStat screenshot showing the battery's status/health. It didn't help to resolve this issue.

HT3053 Can I run my MacBook Pro Late 2008 without battery forever? Is it bad in long term or anything? Does it make the system less stable?

Can I run my MacBook Pro Late 2008 without battery forever? Is it bad in long term or anything? Does it make the system less stable?
My battery got swollen (and I unfortunately noticed it very late and might have be running with it for months, which potentially explains all the crashes everyday and the trackpad not working anymore, the Apple test also says I have a bar of ram broken...) and I had to remove it because the back pannel did not close anymore... Can I still use my MBP normally forever that way? I was planning on buying a new mac anyway but maybe waiting for the next iMac upgrade in the year... Should I wait?

Other than the system shutting down instantly if you have a power outage, whcih could corrupt the OS. Nothing else bad will happen.

Hello. I recently pieced together a late 2008 MacBook Pro 15". Everything works fine except the battery constantly goes between "not charging" and "calculating" or, rarely "charging". It does charge after a long while and will report that it is charged.

Hello. I recently pieced together a late 2008 MacBook Pro 15". Everything works fine except the battery constantly goes between "not charging" and "calculating" or, rarely "charging". It does charge after a long while and will report that it is charged.
I have reset the NVRAM and the SMC a couple of time but that didn't work so I ran an Apple Hardware Test and while testing the logic board it gives the following error:
4SNS/1/40000000 LB1T
I've done some research and found this is a temperature sensor related to the battery, but cannot find where the sensor is located in the computer. Would you know how I can find the sensor to test it? Could my battery problem be related to something else? Would a fresh install of Lion help?
Thank you!
Mike
Two pieces of information that may or may not b helpful, the hard drive is from my early 2008 MBP and the only test disc I have access to is from an iMac.

Why do you have LION installed on that older machine?
So you say you built a macbook from a bucket of parts eh? Kudos
heres a pic of the battery temp sensor

MacBook Pro Late-2008 Battery Can't Keep a Charge.

I understand I bought my MacBook Pro Late-2008 just before they upgraded the MacBook batteries; it's never held a good charge, so I've had to keep it plugged in. Lately I've been finding myself needing it when outlets might not be readily available.
After I remove the power cord, it doesn't stay charged for more than 3 minutes, 30 seconds (I've timed it more than once). Even with its age, this seems like a significant problem with the battery.
I'm really not sure it's worth it to spend $130 on a replacement battery, and I'm not in a position to simply get a new MacBook.
Are those third-party batteries actually legit? Is there a chance that an Apple Store might be able to take care of it? I'm well past the life of my Apple Care, obviously, but three minutes for the battery?
What is my best option? Or just suck it up and deal with having to find an outlet wherever I go?
Thanks.

There are many third party batteries that are at best suspect. I have seen on Amazon what appear to be legitimate OEM Apple batteries which I suspect are graymarket products. You may try that at your own risk. If you purchase from Apple. you will know what you will be getting and with a warranty.
Ciao.
OWC has what appears to be a battery that will fit your MBP. They are a reputable vendor for Mac compatible products,
http://eshop.macsales.com/item/NewerTech/BAP15MBU54RS/
Message was edited by: OGELTHORPE

MacBook pro (late 2008) shutting down even without the battery

Hello
I have a MacBook pro late 2008 model, recently it started to randomly shut down.
I have tried the following
- Reseting Pram
- Reseting the SMC
- Recalibrating the battery
- New hard drive
- Returned to original RAM (from 4 to 2Gb)
- Removed the battery and run with the MagSafe only
- Downloaded a fan control program to run it at max and verify if this was not a heating issue (although this also happens right after starting the laptop)
Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm already loosing hope on my Mac :(
Thanks for any help that you could provide

Hi V,
Even though the symptoms don't match up exactly, you may have the NVIDIA issue. First, go to System Profiler > Hardware > Graphics/Displays and see if you have the GeForce 8600M GT GPU. This is the GPU covered under the free repair program. While there, also look at PCIe Lane Width. If it says anything other than x16, the GPU has issues (but this is only one potential symptom). If you have the 8600 GPU, bring the MBP to an Apple Store or AASP for free testing. If Apple's free test confirms the issue, repair is free. Read all about it here: http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2377
Also, whether you have the 8600 or not, you should run all the updates in Software Update.

My macbook pro (late 2008) shuts down but battery is at 25-30%

My macbook pro (late 2008) shuts down but battery is at 25-30% and I don't get a low power warning box before this happens. This only happens when the power chord is not connected, and it restarts with no problems once I put the power chord in. Does this mean I need a new battery, or is it an indication of something else? Using osx 10.5.8

Mine is Unibody 15" MBP late 2008, with the exact problem as yours. It can be a sudden shut down at 25-32%, or, after upgrading to OS 10.7.2, can be hang all of sudden on battery power.
Condition on, "Replace Soon". From 4.5 - 6 hours when new, goes down to 1 - 2 hours on discrete graphics.
But after 'abusing' it for the first year in the heat of Jakarta's climate in a non AC room when doing a video editing, before moving back to a comfort AC room at home sweet home, the battery performance is still top notch comparing to other kind than Apple. Also, it caused me to replace the right fan, after a lot of hard work on that first year. Oh, and by the way, I regularly done the battery calibration, at least once or twice between 3-6 months.
Here's also an useful link about battery I found on the internet:
http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/how_to_prolong_lithium_based_batterie s
My battery condition:
Battery Information:
Model Information:
Serial Number:          6N8389BD13EB
Manufacturer:          SMP
Device Name:          bq20z951
Pack Lot Code:          0
PCB Lot Code:          0
Firmware Version:          002a
Hardware Revision:          000a
Cell Revision:          100
Charge Information:
Charge Remaining (mAh):          2192
Fully Charged:          No
Charging:          Yes
Full Charge Capacity (mAh):          2716
Health Information:
Cycle Count:          616
Condition:          Replace Soon
Battery Installed:          Yes
Amperage (mA):          254
Voltage (mV):          12392
System Power Settings:
AC Power:
System Sleep Timer (Minutes):          0
Disk Sleep Timer (Minutes):          10
Display Sleep Timer (Minutes):          15
Automatic Restart on Power Loss:          No
Wake on AC Change:          No
Wake on Clamshell Open:          Yes
Wake on LAN:          No
Current Power Source:          Yes
Display Sleep Uses Dim:          Yes
GPUSwitch:          2
PrioritizeNetworkReachabilityOverSleep:          0
RestartAfterKernelPanic:          157680000
Battery Power:
System Sleep Timer (Minutes):          10
Disk Sleep Timer (Minutes):          10
Display Sleep Timer (Minutes):          5
Wake on AC Change:          No
Wake on Clamshell Open:          Yes
Display Sleep Uses Dim:          Yes
GPUSwitch:          2
Reduce Brightness:          Yes
RestartAfterKernelPanic:          157680000
Hardware Configuration:
UPS Installed:          No
AC Charger Information:
Connected:          Yes
ID:          0x0100
Wattage (W):          85
Revision:          0x0000
Family:          0x00ba
Serial Number:          0x0063ac36
Charging:          Yes
Got the battery replacement today. Hopefully it will last for at least 3 years like it predecessor.

Late 2008 15" MBP battery bulging

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