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My rMBP Battery Could Have Exploded

A

aufh3bung

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jun 13, 2012
12
0
As I mentioned in a recent thread, my rMBP battery was only lasting about 2 hours on a full charge and my computer indicated that the battery needed to be serviced. I took it to the Apple store a few days ago and, after running a quick diagnostic program, the tech said that the battery would need to be replaced (along with the entire top case, as is the standard procedure) and it would take a day or two for the part to arrive. This morning, I dropped my rMBP off at the store for repairs and hoped for the best.

This evening, I received a call from a store manager who told me that upon disassembling my rMBP, they discovered that my stock battery had expanded and started to "rip." They immediately placed it in a fire box "in case it might explode overnight" and described the battery's condition as a "safety issue" (her words exactly). After replacing the parts and putting everything back together, the techs discovered that the new battery was also faulty. They ordered yet another top case and battery assembly, which may not arrive until after Labor Day. I'm a bit concerned that the battery is not the actual source of the problem, since two faulty batteries in a row seems like extraordinarily bad luck, and I'm also a bit worried about any damage the first battery might have caused to nearby parts. I suppose time will tell.

Any thoughts?
 
Speak to a manager and insist (in a nice way) on replacing the unit completely. I had a similar situation with a MBA about 2 months ago and they ultimately gave me a new machine.
 
Not sure about any of the specifics, but I would just advise you to be patient and allow them to do their job - it's understandable that situations like this can be irritating (probably an understatement) but try to keep a level head as they update you on the situation of your repairs. It's not worth it to stress yourself out with thoughts like "maybe it's something more than the battery," etc - I am sure it will get fixed and it will be working correctly and efficiently as soon as possible. Good luck to you in getting this resolved.
 
Dark Void said:
Not sure about any of the specifics, but I would just advise you to be patient and allow them to do their job - it's understandable that situations like this can be irritating (probably an understatement) but try to keep a level head as they update you on the situation of your repairs. It's not worth it to stress yourself out with thoughts like "maybe it's something more than the battery," etc - I am sure it will get fixed and it will be working correctly and efficiently as soon as possible. Good luck to you in getting this resolved.
Click to expand...

I would argue that I'm being quite patient. I bought a $2k+ computer less than 3 months ago and the battery has already had a meltdown. Even though I think asking for a complete replacement is within the realm of reason given the circumstances, I haven't made such a request because I'm "allowing them to do their job" first and waiting to see what happens.

But if your new expensive MBP were sitting in pieces on an Apple genius's workbench right now, I think you'd be pissed, too. And justifiably so.

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RMSko said:
Speak to a manager and insist (in a nice way) on replacing the unit completely. I had a similar situation with a MBA about 2 months ago and they ultimately gave me a new machine.
Click to expand...

I'm considering this approach, but at this point I figure I'll let them try another top case/battery assembly and go from there.
 
aufh3bung said:
I would argue that I'm being quite patient. I bought a $2k+ computer less than 3 months ago and the battery has already had a meltdown. Even though I think asking for a complete replacement is within the realm of reason given the circumstances, I haven't made such a request because I'm "allowing them to do their job" first and waiting to see what happens.

But if your new expensive MBP were sitting in pieces on an Apple genius's workbench right now, I think you'd be pissed, too. And justifiably so.

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I'm considering this approach, but at this point I figure I'll let them try another top case/battery assembly and go from there.
Click to expand...


The chances of two faulty batteries in a row is slim but it can happen. Its very unlikely that there was another issue that would cause another battery to fail so quickly. Just give this repair a shot and if it does end up going bad, then i would ask for a full replacement.
 
aufh3bung said:
I would argue that I'm being quite patient. I bought a $2k+ computer less than 3 months ago and the battery has already had a meltdown. Even though I think asking for a complete replacement is within the realm of reason given the circumstances, I haven't made such a request because I'm "allowing them to do their job" first and waiting to see what happens.

But if your new expensive MBP were sitting in pieces on an Apple genius's workbench right now, I think you'd be pissed, too. And justifiably so.
Click to expand...

I was not implying that you were being impatient or what have you at all, I was just offering my sentiments as I know that these situations can cause people to worry and the like. I don't think anything in my post would make you assume that I was being negative. Sorry if it came across as such.
 
Update: I got my computer back from the Apple geniuses this afternoon and charged it up to 100%. I soon realized that even though I had a brand new battery, I was still on track to only be getting around 2 or 3 hours on a full charge. I opened up my Activity Monitor and, lo and behold, Kies was running automatically in the background and using 96% of my CPU!!! I don't even recall installing Kies on this computer, and I've looked at my Activity Monitor many times before and never noticed Kies listed, but now I'm wondering if the app hasn't been eating up 96% of my CPU for months resulting in an overheated computer and destroyed battery. I killed and uninstalled the app and am now getting 7+ hours on a full charge.
 
aufh3bung said:
Update: I got my computer back from the Apple geniuses this afternoon and charged it up to 100%. I soon realized that even though I had a brand new battery, I was still on track to only be getting around 2 or 3 hours on a full charge. I opened up my Activity Monitor and, lo and behold, Kies was running automatically in the background and using 96% of my CPU!!! I don't even recall installing Kies on this computer, and I've looked at my Activity Monitor many times before and never noticed Kies listed, but now I'm wondering if the app hasn't been eating up 96% of my CPU for months resulting in an overheated computer and destroyed battery. I killed and uninstalled the app and am now getting 7+ hours on a full charge.
Click to expand...

Now _I'm_ concerned for you.

Kies is Samsung Android software which must be deliberately installed. It's not something anyone would have done by accident, nor "stumbled" upon it while surfing the web.

If you are the original owner (it sounds like you are) then I would take it back & firmly request a new one. If they say no, return home, call AppleCare and be courteous but very demanding. A replacement is clearly the appropriate solution.
 
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