2009 MBP Battery Having Some Issues

[atticus18244fsa]

I have a June 2009 15" Macbook (5,4). I've had it for approximately 26 months now and in that time have accumulated 462 battery cycles. The thing is my battery health is at around 66% (4321/6500). I find this a little troubling after reading about people online have 80%+ after 500 cycles. According to the Apple website a replacement battery would run me $200+tax in Canada.

I only seem to get about 2-2.5 hours of battery life compared to the 4-5+ I used to get. Is this behaviour a little odd or is it normal and should I pull the trigger and get a new battery (the MBP is used throughout the day on campus and 2.5 hours is just not long enough). Also is there any way Apple could replace it for free if this behaviour is not normal.

 

[GGJstudios]

You can try calibrating to make sure your readings are accurate. If they are, however, your battery health should be 80% or higher up to 1000 cycles. If you have AppleCare, they will replace a defective battery. Without AppleCare, you'll have to pay to replace it. This should answer most, if not all, of your battery questions:

Apple Notebook Battery FAQ​