MBP Battery/Computer Failure?

My original (pre-unibody) MBP is giving me headaches when it comes to the battery. To make a very long story short, I am on my second battery in three years and needing to replace it once more. I would like to know if I have just been getting defective battery after defective battery or if there is any possible way my computer could be making the battery bad, or if there could be something wrong with my computer. (You can read about my previous battery woes under my profile.)
My battery health is at 34% (according to iStat Pro) and dropping almost hourly - it's only 9 months old. It won't hold a charge for more than an hour with AirPort and Bluetooth turned off doing light word processing and the display all the way down. My computer shuts off with 25% battery remaining and then when I plug in and boot up I show 4% battery, so clearly my indicator is wrong. The indicator, in both time and display modes, fluctuates wildly as well.
Recalibrating the battery does NOT help at all.
Any help would be greatly appreciated! I simply don't have the money to keep replacing batteries and am not always near an outlet.
Battery Information:
Model Information:
Serial Number: Sony --
Manufacturer: Sony
Device name: ASMB012
Pack Lot Code: 0000
PCB Lot Code: 0000
Firmware Version: 0110
Hardware Revision: 0500
Cell Revision: 0303
Charge Information:
Charge remaining (mAh): 748
Fully charged: No
Charging: No
Full charge capacity (mAh): 1910
Health Information:
Cycle count: 90
Condition: Check Battery
Battery Installed: Yes
Amperage (mA): -1253
Voltage (mV): 11491
Message was edited by: Daiyu

Hi Daiyu,
Your battery is definitely not well and needs replacing.
I'm afraid the batteries in the pre-unibody MBPs often fail well before you would hope they would.
If you bought this battery less than 12 months ago (rather than having it replaced under an "exchange program") then it is still covered under warranty, and would seem to comply with the other requirements for free replacement (under warranty, with less than 80% of original charge capacity and under 300 cycles).
Despite the fact that few of these batteries seem to make it to anywhere like 300 cycles with 80% capacity in most cases people only discover this after the warranty period has expired and therefore don't receive free replacement. In your case, however, there seems to be a good chance that you will. Take it in to an AASP or Apple Store for testing.
Cheers
Rod

Similar Messages

How Many Cycles Should A MBP Battery Last?

Any idea how many cycles a MBP battery should have?

Expected life is 500 cycles, but your mileage may vary. See the following:
About Batteries in Modern Apple Laptops
Apple - Batteries - Notebooks
Extending the Life of Your Laptop Battery
Apple - Batteries
Determining Battery Cycle Count
Calibrating your computer's battery for best performance
Battery University

MBP battery crapped out, now fan running loudly

While I am waiting for my replacement MBP battery (which I ordered yesterday) it looks like my current battery finally crapped out, as my computer shut down again automatically last night while I was on a plane and I'm getting a big "X" where the battery charge indicator is located. This appears to have caused my fan to run at a higher rate or something of that nature because the fan is now very constant and loud. Everything else on the computer seems to be working fine however, so long as I am plugged in. The question is, is it OK to be using the MBP with the fan running like this until the replacement battery comes in, or should I try to change to setting on the fan? And when I get the new battery in, will THAT make the fan go back to normal?

I do think it's normal. Keep in mind that batteries vary - the "health" is determined with a nominal value as the denominator (5500 mAh for a 15" MBP, which is actually rounded down from the calculated full charge capacity of a new battery, 5555 mAh), but the actual full charge capacity of a new battery varies within a range around that nominal value. So, if you happen to get a battery with a full charge capacity higher than 5500 mAh, iStat or CoconutBattery will report your health as 100% for some time, even though the full charge capacity is dropping - you started from >100%, but the utilities will just show 100%, not a value like 107% even if your battery started with a capacity of 5900 mAh.
The bottom line is that a rechargeable battery starts with a certain capacity, and over time that capacity can only decrease. The decrease is non-linear, and how rapidly it decreases is influenced by a variety of conditions (charging pattern, temperature, etc.).

I recently bought 13" mbp 2012 and I noticed that I only got 2HRS max and the only thing Im doing is watch movies on VLC and surf the net. How long does you mbp battery last?

I recently bought 13" mbp 2012 and I noticed that I only got 2HRS max and the only thing Im doing is watch movies on VLC and surf the net. How long does you mbp battery last?

That listed 7 hours is with very limited use. Low screen brightness, low keyboard backlight, No WiFi or bluetooth.
Most I have ever gotten from my 15" 2011 model is around 5-6 hours and that was with very light use. Just Web, Chrome, and email, thunderbird, and Wifi.

Apple employee: Does AppleCare covers a short-lifed MBP battery?

If AppleCare does cover, to what extent ? for example, will apple replace my MBP battery for free if it drops to 80% of the original capacity, in one year? any restrictions on the replacement, such as 300 battery load cycles?
Thank you, i hope to see definitive answers!

You're not very likely to get an Apple employee to answer here, as these are user-to-user forums. (It does happen on rare occasion, but it truly is rare.)
From watching the notebook forums here for a few years, I'd say this: Apple is vague on this subject. Your best bet, if you feel your battery isn't working as it should now or some months down the road, is simply to call AppleCare and negotiate what you can. Reports vary, and your mileage may vary based on who you talk to and how you present your case. (You can at least change who you talk to if you're not satisfied with the initial answer. Ask to speak to a supervisor or, if necessary, to Apple Customer Relations if you feel you're not getting the warranty service you deserve.)
Sorry I can't give more definitive answers, but it's one of those issues that doesn't have a definitive answer, unfortunately. You'll get a variety of responses from people here, all reporting different experiences. Ultimately, the answer is simply, "Call Apple and find out."
All that said, if the situation is extreme and obviously points to a defective battery, such as only getting one hour of charge from a calibrated battery that is only a month old, you shouldn't have a problem getting it replaced under warranty. But your question of where Apple draws the line in less extreme cases is what can't really be answered by people here.

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.

MBP battery dropping fast

Hi,
had been browsing hte forum for days and cant really find the answer to my query.
i had my MBP for 6 mth, i'm displaying my batt status in %.
what happen is the % of the battery drop very fast, like less then a min drop to 1%.
In 10 min , it can dropped to 100% to 88% while i'm just browsing the net.

..... and I have a similar problem with my new replaced battery. My Apple reseller replaced my old 17" MBP battery on last Saturday but I noticed a strange effect today. Yesterday I shut down my MBP by 50% and I only had 43% this morning.... yes I alreday calibrated the new battery as described in the Apple Manual. Furthermore, I lost about 20% while I was importing 4 Audio CD's in iTunes. Do I need to replace the battery again? Or do I need to calibrate my battery again?

MBP battery capacity at 59%

Hi,
My MBP battery has suddenly decided to go from its original capacity at 5500 mAh to 3256 mAh.
I've tried draining the battery completely and charging it up again but this has not solved the problem.
Further to the problem, the OSX battery indicator drains to 0% and then goes to sleep, but you can just hit a key and it wakes up again and will continue to work for a while but when it genuinely hits 0% battery life it just shuts off cold. No warnings or Sleep mode.
Is this a hardware or software issue?
I just wanted to know if anyone else has had this problem before I have to ring Apple support up, which based on several past occasions I hate doing.
Don't get me wrong, I love using my Mac and always have from the start but this is the 4th time I've had a serious issue with it.

Hi !
I have exactly the same issue with my Macbook Pro (purchased on Dec.2007).
Only 3770 mAh capacity and nothing helped (3 x Battery calibration, PMU Reset, PRAM Reset). I just called Apple Care and after 50 Minutes explaining and listening to music on hold I will finally get a replacement battery via UPS in the next few days. I hope, that solves the problem. Stay tuned, I will report on the progress.
Any feedback of similar problems is appreciated !
Bye Wayne
Macbook Pro 2,16 C2D Mac OS X (10.4.8)
Mac OS X (10.4.8)
Mac OS X (10.4.8)

I have my MBP since Sept 2011. I noticed two days ago that when I close my MBP, battery does not go to sleep but continues working as if computer was in use, and it drains my battery unnecessarily. What to do?

I have my MBP since Sept 2011. I noticed two days ago that when I

First, use the pilot light up front to determine the true state of the "sleeping" Mac: http://support.apple.com/kb/TS4167
If it is beset with terminal insomnia, maybe a runaway app is the cause: http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1473

New MBP battery won't charge unless closed

I've had my 17' MBP for 3 months and I'm having more issues with it than my last 2 macbooks combined. My problem now is that the battery won't charge unless the laptop is closed, and yes, I use only Apple authentic chargers. I first thought it was a bad charger, so I ordered a new one from Apple and it still won't charge while I"m using it. Any ideas on what to do? Or why this would happen. I'm also having problems with trying to restart it after software updates, it tells me that Mail won't close so I can't restart, even when I quit mail prior to initiating the restart.
I have a feeling I'll get my money's worth out of Apple care this time around and I like the removable/replaceable battery on the older laptops, I wish they wouldn't have changed that.
Thanks!
Kara

Went over my laptop with an Apple Genius today and did two things, one or both of which contributed to resolving this issue. The first thing was actually shutting the computer down and restarting it. I typically don't do that for weeks or months at a time and this can help some of the internal power settings establish a baseline.
The 2nd thing, which I think had the most impact, was to take the 980+ items on my desktop and move them into a single folder on my desktop. Each file icon on your desktop in OS X gets drawn using the same procedure as the one that renders an open Finder window. So each desktop icon is a separate object that gets managed, rendered and displayed by your graphics card and that means my graphics card was doing the work it would take to display over 1000 different Finder windows. That work is shouldered largely by the GPU, so it does not show up as CPU core activity in the Activity Monitor graphical plots, but it does seem to show up as part of the percentage of Finder CPU time that is reported in the list of running processes in Activity Monitor. That Finder CPU percentage was spiking a lot, as different events triggered a refresh of my desktop. I think it was this extreme overtasking of the GPU that was driving my laptop's power needs beyond what the adapter could supply. This would explain the correlation some people see with this problem and watching video, as well as a strange 25 second hang that I would see in the Finder after using Quick Look. This would also explain why people report having this problem recur after having their entire laptop or power adapter replaced. This is an easy fix to try, at least. YMMV.

2010 MBP battery life (and hot power pack)

Hi All.
2010 MBP here and I am finally getting around to troubleshooting very short - like 2 hour - battery life. The battery pack gets /very/ hot as well. I do let it run down to nothing once in awhile.
Supposedly (acconrding to experts on the list) the fact that the MBP gets /very/ hot to the touch on the bottom is not an issue based on the specs I posted (I forget the name of the software I used to generate these specs).
Can anyone help me with whether I should bring this in or if there is anything I can do to troubleshoot this further? I basically can't take if from my office to the living room without bringing the charger which is sort of annoying.
Can anyone offer this new mac user any help while I reasearch this further...?
- Jon

best bet is apple store. they will help you fix the problems you are having with your mac. It may also help if you don't run intens applications which use a lot of CPU and RAM. also running a lot of apps at once drains battery and strains the computer. Macs tend to get hot because of the aluminum, but it keeps the internal components cool. Battery life, I cannot help you there. Let me know if that was helpful

MBP Battery Maintenance Using Cinema Display

When using MBP in clamshell mode I read many report no easy way to discharge the battery monthly to preserve it as recommded.
I find without the power supply connected I use my 2011 MBP & Cinema Display in mirror mode with the MBP cover ajar. If wanted the MBP screen brightness can be turned down also.
Using the MBP & Cinema Display in mirror mode without the power supply connected will run down the battery in not so many hours.

Pulgee wrote:
When using MBP in clamshell mode I read many report no easy way to discharge the battery monthly to preserve it as recommded.
NO, youre NOT supposed to do that!
There is no calibration of current Apple portable Macbooks with built-in batteries.
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1490
There is no battery calibration with current Apple portable Macbooks with built-in batteries. Lithium batteries have essentially a 0-‘memory’, and all such calibration involve the estimations fed to the system controller on the SOC (state of charge) of the battery over long periods of time as the battery degrades. The software based battery controller knows the battery's characteristics, or SOC and adjusts itself. This is why there is both no need and purpose to periodically deeply drain your macbook battery, since it doesn’t affect the characteristics of the battery, and further still deep discharges are something you should not do on purpose to any lithium battery.
Portables with built-in batteries
Current Apple portable computer batteries are pre-calibrated and do not require the calibration procedure
MacBook (13-inch, Late 2009) and later
General consideration of your MacBook battery
Contrary to popular myths about notebook batteries, there is protection circuitry in your Macbook and therefore you cannot ‘overcharge’ your notebook when plugged in and already fully charged.
However if you do not plan on using your notebook for several hours, turn it off (plugged in or otherwise), since you do not want your Macbook ‘both always plugged in and in sleep mode’.
A lot of battery experts call the use of Lithium-Ion cells the "80% Rule", meaning use 80% of the full charge or so, then recharge them for longer overall life. The main quantified damage done in the use of Lithium Ion batteries are instances where the internal notebook battery is “often drained very low”, this is bad general use of your notebook battery.
All batteries in any device are a consumable meant to be replaced eventually after much time, even under perfect use conditions.
If the massive amount of data that exists on lithium batteries were to be condensed into a simplex, helpful, and memorable bit of information it would be:
1. While realistically a bit impractical during normal everyday use, a lithium battery's longevity and its chemistry's health is most happy swinging back and forth between 20% and 85% charge roughly.
2. Do not purposefully drain your battery very low (10% and less), and do not keep them charged often or always high (100%).
3. Lithium batteries do not like the following:
A: Deep discharges, as meaning roughly 10% or less. Avoid this in all instances if you can. This is hard on your battery.
B: Rapid discharges as referring to energy intensive gaming on battery on a frequent basis (in which case while gaming, if possible, do same on power rather than battery).
C: Constant inflation, as meaning always or most often on charge, and certainly not both in sleep mode and on charge always or often.
From Apple on batteries:
http://www.apple.com/batteries/notebooks.html
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1446
"Apple does not recommend leaving your portable plugged in all the time."

Relatively new battery-computer at 51%

I received my computer in August of 07 and have been using it consistently since then.
I recently read in the manual that for ideal battery performance, one should unplug their computer ('discharge' it) until around 50%, then plug it back in. As it was in the Apple manual (and not just someone's recommendation), I followed that, and have periodically unplugged and plugged back in my adapter.
Problem: since starting this, about a month ago, my battery capacity has dropped from around 80% to 51%, according to Coconut Battery.
I've seen elsewhere that the battery is supposed to be at around 80% (or so) for 300 cycles, yet I have only 89 load cycles.
Is this something that I should be concerned about, i.e. take it into my local Apple store to have replaced?
Thanks in advance,
Eve

Eve,
Yes, it is a good idea to unplug and discharge your battery every now and then (once a week or so for maintenance purposes). You need not discharge it much; 50% is good, but maybe more than it really needs.
If your battery's "health" has dropped that much with only 80 or so cycles, it should probably be replaced. Do take it to an Apple Store to have it checked out. If they replace it (they should, based on what you have posted), the process will be quick and easy.
Beyond this current issue, I would suggest not worrying too much about how you use your battery. It is only at the extremes that one needs be concerned. If you always run your Macbook Pro on the adapter, an occasional discharge will help to prolong its life. In most cases (for most people), the adapter will usually be kept in one location; the MBP will mostly be used in that location and connected to the adapter, but it will occasionally be used in other rooms or locations. The time that it spends off the adapter (again, for most users, in most cases) will usually suffice for good battery health. If you fit in this category, there's no need to make extra accommodations.
For the other extreme, when the Macbook Pro is almost always used off the power adapter, not much can be done, except to charge the battery all the way to 100% as often as possible, and to keep it calibrated. In cases such as this (very heavy battery use), the battery should probably be considered a "commodity" to be used as long as possible, then discarded (well, recycled). After all, that's how we traditionally think of most batteries, anyway.
Scott

Can't remove MBP battery

My MBP has been shutting down randomly (I'll be working on something and then the screen will go black and I have to restart to the chime with the power button), so I am trying to take out the battery to see if it's been recalled, but I can't get the battery out. I pull the latches up and nothing happens. Even if I turn the computer over and jiggle it a bit, it only comes out about a millimeter. How can I get it out?

Can you tell if it seems warped or bulging? If it's distorted, that may be why it is difficult to get out. But if it is bulging, there's a good chance you can get it replaced at no cost, since that is a recognized defect. If you have access to an Apple Store, try taking it in and see if a genius can get it out. Keep in mind that a bulging battery can cause other problems and potential damage, especially with the trackpad.
Good luck!

13" 2010 MBP battery issues

Yesterday I spilled some water on my MacBook Pro. It worked fine afterwards but I shut it off just in case. This morning it wouldn't start up. The battery LEDs said the battery was fully charged and my charger's light was green. I unplugged the power cord and took the bottom cover off (my warranty is up). Then I unplugged the battery and plugged it back in. My computer then automatically started up. However, the battery icon has an "x" over it and the computer shuts down as soon as I try to log on. Since I did that the charger no longer lights up and the battery LEDs also refuse to light.
WIll replacing the battery solve this problem, or is my MBP done for?

Take the MBP to an Apple store genius bat for a FREE evaluation. They should be able to diagnose it properly and then your question will be answered. Anything said here would only be speculative.
Ciao.

MBP Battery/Computer Failure?

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for