Battery expanding on late 2014 mac book pro

[sartos]

Hi,

As the title says the battery on my late 2014 MB Pro retina has started expanding. It is no longer flat when rested on a table and the track pad is getting tough to click on. It may have been like this for some time as it is used mostly as a desktop on a stand and I use it mostly with external keyboard and mouse so only noticed this fairly recently.

It has 112 battery cycle count.

Now, this is out of warranty (I didn't get the extended Apple Care), and see that in the UK the cost of a 'battery service' is £199 for this laptop. I am ok with paying this if that is the total cost, but I notice that consumer laws in the UK allow for statutory rights to claim for up to 6 years for a defective product. I am presuming that the cycle count is relatively low so would this be on Apple to resolve, or is it just bad luck and I would need to cover the cost?

Thanks in advance.

 

[leman]

You can always ask them, maybe they will do it for free. Cycle count is not the only parameter though, battery age is a factor as well. As is environment etc.

 

[Fishrrman]

leman's advice is good.
But the important thing is ... DON'T WAIT.
Take it back AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. That means January 2nd.
A swollen battery is a safety hazard.

 

[ZapNZs]

I agree with Fishrrman. Stop using the machine immediately and do NOT plug it in to AC power.

The reason the battery has pillowed is because it released gas. This gas is both toxic and flammable. The battery's containment liner is preventing this from escaping. However, continued usage can make the problem worse, and eventually the containment layer will fail. Catastrophic failure (vent-with-flame) with modern Apple batteries is practically unheard of, but with LiCo cells there is IMO no justifiable reason to risk this given the potential harm a failure can cause (when a lithium cell vents with flame, it almost always destroys the device, and it's not unusual for it to also set things surrounding it on fire.)

The low cycle count suggests this system spent most of its life charged...this actually correlates with a shorter service life and, in some cases, can be a contributing factor to the changes to internal conditions that can increase the odds of failure. As noted, numerous factors can contribute to failure. Apple may replace this free of charge as they have been known to do this in the event of pillowing batteries. Under consumer protection laws, batteries may be considered a consumable item.

When you take it in for service, take your charger(s) with you and request they be tested as well. (Specifically, once the battery is replaced, what you will want to know is, when using your own charger(s), that the charging terminates at the correct voltage, as overcharging leads to overvoltage, and overvoltage eventually leads to failure.)

 

[AmazingRobie]

This is a primary reason batteries in laptops should be replaceable. I would go into the Apple store and raise a huge stink about this right now. A three year old "luxury" priced laptop which is now out of warranty and the chimps in the store will tell you its too old and needs to be replaced with a newer model. Good job Apple. Good job Cook. Right on time. I dare someone to say this is not planned obsolescence. Non user replaceable batteries equals repair costs or pressure to upgrade. Period.