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2018 MBP is becoming bloated, and shell has cracked

Drifty_Child

Drifty_Child

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 12, 2017
85
7
USA
I just noticed that my 15" MBP 2018 has become bloated, and its shell is popping open from the bottom. In addition, it won't close all the way anymore. Photo attached.

I have not dropped it or banged it on anything. It's done nothing but sit on my desk for months.

What should I do? Can the bloating be stopped? Is my laptop in danger? How can I help it, and what might the price look like?
 

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Drifty_Child said:
Do you know what the price could be, or have a rough idea?
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Varies. I haven't had good luck with Apple support, but others on here have had different experiences. If it's out of warranty, depot (flat rate) repair is commonly offered. Last time I used that, it was $350 to fix everything. Your results may vary. Some people have reported not paying for similar things.
 
Your battery is toast. You do have a danger if the battery is punctured or splits open; lithium ion batteries + air = nifty fires.

The other danger here is the swelling is potentially causing damage to the logic board, the keyboard, etc. You mention the laptop will not close; that is because the keyboard is pressing upwards, preventing the display from closing. You really need to contact Apple or an authorized service provider ASAP. Alternatively, iFixit has a guide up, but they do not list the battery for sale.
 
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Drifty_Child said:
What should I do? Can the bloating be stopped? Is my laptop in danger?
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  1. Get it serviced / repaired
  2. Yes, the battery needs to be replaced
  3. Yes, a battery in that condition is potentially dangerous. If it shorts/splits/etc. it will potentially catch fire and be difficult to extinguish. You'll have a Samsung Note type situation on your hands, except your MacBook Pro battery is much bigger with more material to burn.
 
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Apple will replace your battery for $199.

Mac Repair and Service - Apple Support

Need to repair your Mac? See your service options, their costs by coverage type, and how long they take.
support.apple.com support.apple.com
As you have some damage to the case, it may cost more --- but, be sure to ask Apple if the swelling battery makes a difference. Sometimes Apple covers replacement, even if you are out of warranty.
Stop using your MBPro until your get your battery replaced. It can be a safety issue, eh?
 
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Drifty_Child said:
Will my battery continue to bloat, even while my computer is shut off?
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It depends on what went wrong in the first place. Normally, when you shut off and the battery cools down, swelling should reduce. Please switch it off and keep it in an adequately ventilated area where it is clearly visible as well until you can take it for assistance.

The cable connected to the computer, that is not a standard cable. Is that cable a cable you are using to charge the computer or just for other purposes?
 
Drifty_Child said:
Will my battery continue to bloat up, even while my computer is shut off?
Click to expand...

Hard to say, but I would avoid powering it up again if possible. If your data isn't sufficiently backed up, you may want to mention that. I wouldn't personally run a machine with a battery that swollen. I have encountered the same issue, but in my case it just messed with the trackpad. It never got to this point.
 
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How many cycles on your battery? I got the one in my 2015 MBP13 replaced for free as it had <200 cycles on the battery. Worth pushing for as that should not have happened on a 2 year old machine.
 
glintoz said:
How many cycles on your battery? I got the one in my 2015 MBP13 replaced for free as it had <200 cycles on the battery. Worth pushing for as that should not have happened on a 2 year old machine.
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Definitely push for this.

Apple guarantee 1000 cycles if I recall? even if you did a full charge/discharge per day, that's only 730 cycles in two years.
 
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throAU said:
Definitely push for this.

Apple guarantee 1000 cycles if I recall? even if you did a full charge/discharge per day, that's only 730 cycles in two years.
Click to expand...

In my experience, they didn't care whenever Applecare had expired on it (even a few months out), even well below 1000 cycles. I agree he should push on it though. This is a ridiculous problem that has gone on for too many generations of batteries. It's just usually much less severe than this.

In my own experience, their batteries experience some swelling as they age regardless of cycle count. I have observed this in my own notebooks and those owned by others. Usually the only sign of this is when the trackpad becomes a bit spongy. Sometimes you can barely feel pressure along the bottom case as well. It might be influenced by usage patterns, when it's plugged in, or whatever else. I'm not sure. I have observed far less severe cases of this across a large number of hardware generations though.
 
thekev said:
In my own experience, their batteries experience some swelling as they age regardless of cycle count. I have observed this in my own notebooks and those owned by others. Usually the only sign of this is when the trackpad becomes a bit spongy.
Click to expand...

Can't say I have had any swelling yet. Including my 2011 15" MacBook Pro - battery is still "normal" condition and not swelled. I think it has about 350 cycles on it (GPU died so I don't use it any more though).
 
The swelling battery is a FIRE HAZARD. It could even explode.

You want to get that changed out as quickly as possible.
If Apple Stores are closed where you are, they'll ship you a box in which to return it (postage free to you).

For a 2018, they may offer to replace it free of charge.
Even if they don't, the replacement fee (parts and labor) is $199 (US).
That's worth the money. You don't want to keep using it like that.

Call Apple support right away, if you haven't already done that.
 
I had mine replaced by Apple at no cost, full top case as part of their replacement program. Hope you get it sorted as that’s quite bad.
 
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