[Macworld]

Post your comments for MacBook Pro and the bad battery here

[cphoffman42]

Thanks for the info - my MBP's battery has recently decided that it only wants to hold 30 minutes worth of charge. I knew about the software update, but not the extended warranty - had assumed I was SOL, since I did not buy Apple Care (which still would have been much more than a new battery - Apple Care is really way too expensive for MBPs).

[Ventzi_Zhechev]

That all sounds great, but what happens if you experience these exact symptoms, but System Profiler claims your battery to be “Good”?
Well, I did call Apple Support and they were happy enough to tell me that if I sent my machine for a week or two to them, they’ll check the issue and I might get a new battery.
You can imagine, how nice it is to part with your main workhorse for a week or two… So now I’ve just ordered a new battery from PowerBookMedic and I’ll see if I can send only the problematic battery to Apple for a replacement.

[davekriss93]

With "service" like that, I don't understand why Apple is so highly rated in customer service. I am a long-time Apple user and fan, but I do not like the way they are doing business these days.

[wardoggie]

How timely! My MBP 2.16-GHz C2D has had some strange battery behavior lately. The level (as reported in the menu bar) seems to fluctuate about 10-20% after about 20 minutes on battery power. I assumed it was because I hadn't calibrated the battery since I bought it almost two years ago, so I did that this weekend. But I'll check the system profiler when I get home.

[wardoggie]

Seems like a reasonable response to me. How would the Apple Care rep know what's really going on over the phone? The only way to know for sure is to examine the laptop and battery.

[MajikalMan]

I was having similar issues with my MBP C2D 2.1, which was out of warranty. The battery would last for about an hour and then it shuts off even though the meter reported about 50% charge remaining. After exhausting all possible solutions and doing some research, I came across the document regarding the faulty batteries and went to an Apple store to see if it could be replaced. Unfortunately they refused, stating that my battery was not covered even though it exhibited the symptoms of a faulty battery. I then asked to speak to the manager, who finally decided to replace the battery, free of charge.
I would recommend that anyone experiencing these issues to go to a local Apple store, refer to the web page about the faulty batteries, and if that does not work, ask to speak to the manager. Be firm, but nice. Also mention that Apple's own site states that the batteries should be 80% health after 300 cycles (mine was about 70% health after 100 cycles).

[mithrandir]

I've had my 17-inch (C2D 2.33) mbp's batt bloat on me, when i sent it to the service centre, they tried to have it replaced under the replacement program but claimed Apple rejected it twice, and suggested i buy a new one.
My batt has under 150 charge cycles and its swollen off form, clearly matching the symptoms of a defective batt. On top of that I have APP, with which neither side proceeded to make the proper corrections and process a replacement under that. Now they tell me they're all out of batteries and I'm chained to my desk for the last 10 days. Odd how they don't run out of AppleCare.
I am deeply disappointed with Apple's batteries (just try reading apple store reviews), customer service and in this case, supply chain. And as a long time apple customer I am certainly pissed at either ignorance or fraud.

[derkathon]

I appreciate this article. My battery has been averaging about an hour an a half during light web use and I just assumed that the battery was getting old. After checking the document on the Apple Support pages, it turns out I bought my laptop right in the middle of the affected date range. System Profiler also shows the condition of my battery as "Check Battery" after 139 charges.

[mrmaddog]

I think I may also have an affected battery, roughly 30 minutes of use after a full charge, and 221 cycles. iStat gives my battery a 34% for health.
However, I do not see a "Condition" or "Health Information" entry anywhere in the System profiler. I am under Hardware->Power. Am I missing something?

[mrmaddog]

Apparently that information is only available to leopard users (10.5). Tiger provides a lot less information about the battery:
Battery Installed: Yes
First low level warning: No
Full Charge Capacity (mAh): 1924
Remaining Capacity (mAh): 1859
Amperage (mA): 0
Voltage (mV): 12370
Cycle Count: 221
I guess I will have the apple store take a look.

[SpiceLMF]

This happened to me a few months ago. My MacBook Pro was nearly 2 years old and when I took it to the Apple Store the Apple employee told me that although I had AppleCare that the batteries are only covered up to a year or x amount of cycles. He said that my battery would need to be replaced to the tune of 100+ bucks. Luckily I didn't have the money at the time so I said I'd come in again another day when I did. He said I could exchange my old battery for the new to lower the price.
Just by chance I googled 'MacBook Pro Battery Replacment' when I got home and this link came up: http://support.apple...ange/index.html
In the end, it turns out my battery was defective and it took nearly 2 years to manifest any symptoms but Apple promptly mailed me a replacement for free. I was a bit annoyed that even though I made it clear when my laptop was purchased, the Apple employee at my local store didn't make me aware of this. In fairness though, that's the only time I've been disappointed in their customer care and they promptly remedied it.

[MatthewCathell]

I'm very disappointed. I have a MacBook Pro, purchased just when the Core 2 Duo models came out. I have 133 charge cycles, and my battery only lasts 20-25 minutes. I called Apple support and they told me tough luck -- the rep said that the update only applied to those running BatteryUpdate v. 1.2 (I have v. 1.3).
Any thoughts on this? I'd appreciate hearing if anyone in my situation has had any luck getting their battery replaced. My email is cathell@gmail.com.

[tmedia1]

MY MBP exhibited these signs for months before I discovered Apples memo on this, Took mine to the Apple store in Costa Mesa and got a barnd new battery, no charge. :)