battery issues... apple wont replace though

[lbjandai]

I have applecare for another year and I called Apple today telling them my battery was not working well.

However, they could not replace it because under power in the system profiler the cycle count of the battery is at 570, and it has to be at 300 or less for them to replace it free of charge.

I am seeing significantly worse battery length than I was a year and a half ago when I bought the computer... what should I do?

 

[miles01110]

Buy a new battery.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

I have applecare for another year and I called Apple today telling them my battery was not working well.

However, they could not replace it because under power in the system profiler the cycle count of the battery is at 570, and it has to be at 300 or less for them to replace it free of charge.

I am seeing significantly worse battery length than I was a year and a half ago when I bought the computer... what should I do?

That is more than a charge a day. Why are you surprised battery life is now sapped? Your battery isn't defective (what AppleCare covered) it's used up.

 

[lbjandai]

That is more than a charge a day. Why are you surprised battery life is now sapped? Your battery isn't defective (what AppleCare covered) it's used up.

i'm not suprised, i'm just pissed that they won't cover it.

my computer even brand new needed more than a charge a day. Batter lasted like 4-5 hours brand new, that's not all day. So i'm not sure why it matters that i may have been charging it more than once a day.

 

[theappleguy]

Have you tried calibrating the battery? After a certain number of cycles your battery will wear out - I've been quite lucky and managed to get 700 cycles out of my Air's battery and its still just under 90% of original capacity. While I would have thought you would have been able to get over 570 cycles without a significant drop off in battery life, I think its at that point at which it is hard to argue you had a defective battery, rather it has just worn out slightly faster than expected (kind of like with a car, your brake pads may wear out faster than expected, or the filter in your air conditioning etc).

 

[SaaGua]

570!

Wow, my Powerbook of 8 years only has a 160 cycle.

I guess that's why I still get almost 3 hours of battery life. Nobody believes me when I say that my 8 year old battery still gets almost 3 hours.

 

[La-vida227]

i'm not suprised, i'm just pissed that they won't cover it.

my computer even brand new needed more than a charge a day. Batter lasted like 4-5 hours brand new, that's not all day. So i'm not sure why it matters that i may have been charging it more than once a day.

Are you serious?

batteries don't last forever and you have used your battery enough that you have shortened its life, despite the fact that you have only had it for 1.5 years.

 

[lbjandai]

Are you serious?

yea im serious. I bought the computer with applecare. So far, applecare can't cover anything because I use/charge my computer a lot? That's ********, sorry.

 

[La-vida227]

yea im serious. I bought the computer with applecare. So far, applecare can't cover anything because I use/charge my computer a lot? That's ********, sorry.

I believe applecare will warranty a battery if it displays characteristics of being defective, i.e., showing decreased capacity while having less than 300 charges. Your battery has more than 300 charges and is therefore no longer their responsibility. Had you taken it to apple while it still had less than 300 charge cycles and shown them that it was defective... then you would have had a point. Otherwise you can't just assume that you are entitled to a new battery because you bought applecare.

 

[theappleguy]

I know you must be somewhat frustrated lbjandai, but the fact is that batteries wear out. If it had been a part that shouldn't have worn out (eg. the screen, motherboard, fans, iSight, keyboard) then I would say they probably would have replaced it.

However, like every device with a battery (including cellphones, digital cameras), one must always consider that they may need to replace the battery if their usage is going to exceed the lifespan of the battery. I thought I would have had to have replaced my battery by now and have been pleasantly surprised that I haven't had to, but in the back of my mind when I bought it I always knew that at some point that battery probably will need to be replaced (and it probably still will at some point).

Wow, my Powerbook of 8 years only has a 160 cycle.

I think its fair to say that your usage is exceptionally low.

 

[cluthz]

yea im serious. I bought the computer with applecare. So far, applecare can't cover anything because I use/charge my computer a lot? That's ********, sorry.

Batteries get worn out, and the previous technology would give you roughly 300 charges before battery was wearing out. Thats the reason they cover 300 charges on the warranty. The new machines do have 1000 charges, due to design changes.

Same with a car, if you drive a lot, your tires will wear out faster.

You can disagree, but the same goes for every manufacturer that uses batteries, they have a given max number of charges before they count a battery as worn out.

 

[MacManiac76]

yea im serious. I bought the computer with applecare. So far, applecare can't cover anything because I use/charge my computer a lot? That's ********, sorry.

Applecare is to cover defective hardware. Nothing you have described would constitute being defective. A battery will hold less charge over time and can only hold a certain number of charges before it completely dies. Nothing is wrong with your battery, you have just used it excessively and thus shortened its life at a faster rate. Your only option will be to buy a new battery if you want to get maximum battery life again. Sorry to tell you this but I totally agree with Apple in this case. If Applecare replaced every overused battery it would end up costing all of us more for Applecare to begin with.

 

[miles01110]

yea im serious. I bought the computer with applecare. So far, applecare can't cover anything because I use/charge my computer a lot? That's ********, sorry.

Too bad AppleCare doesn't replace batteries that show normal behavior after prolonged use.

http://www.apple.com/batteries/replacements.html

Notebook Owners

Your one-year warranty includes replacement coverage for a defective battery. You can extend your replacement coverage for a defective battery to three years from the date of your notebook purchase with the AppleCare Protection Plan. However, the AppleCare Protection Plan for notebook computers does not cover batteries that have failed or are exhibiting diminished capacity except when the failure or diminished capacity is the result of a manufacturing defect. Apple offers a battery replacement service for MacBook Air and all MacBook Pro notebooks with built-in batteries. You can purchase replacement batteries for late models of Apple notebooks directly from the Apple Store.

Looks like next time you should read the terms of the warranty.

 

[gnasher729]

i'm not suprised, i'm just pissed that they won't cover it.

my computer even brand new needed more than a charge a day. Batter lasted like 4-5 hours brand new, that's not all day. So i'm not sure why it matters that i may have been charging it more than once a day.

Battery is like tyres on your car. They wear out. Wear and tear is not covered by warranty.

Did you know that you can use a MacBook connected to the charger, and when you do that it doesn't put any wear on the battery at all?

 

[lbjandai]

gnasher, my macbook is often connected to its charger. But I did take it to class a lot, and big lecture halls don't often have outlets nearby. My point was, one of the posters above acts like more than one charge a day is terrible.

By the way, this computer is going on almost two years... so i figured since I got extended apple care it would extend longer. For example, To me, if I have extended applecare shouldn't my battery be covered up to 600 charges? guess not, just one more thing applecare won't cover.

Also, i didn't know the "cycle count" actually meant how many full charges it had been through. Makes a little more sense now, but yea I didn't know that they only covered up to 300 charges.

everyones making the tire comparison... tires do have warranties. I got all 4 of my tires replaced last year for free.

Anyways, what if my battery just completely fails and i'm still under applecare- can I get a new battery for free that way? Is there any other way I can get a battery for free (AKA covered under applecare)?

also, i have my macbook pro plugged in right now and it just says "finishing charge" and has been saying that for 30 minutes.

 

[Vanarak19]

gnasher, my macbook is often connected to its charger. But I did take it to class a lot, and big lecture halls don't often have outlets nearby. My point was, one of the posters above acts like more than one charge a day is terrible.

By the way, this computer is going on almost two years... so i figured since I got extended apple care it would extend longer. For example, To me, if I have extended applecare shouldn't my battery be covered up to 600 charges? guess not, just one more thing applecare won't cover.

Also, i didn't know the "cycle count" actually meant how many full charges it had been through. Makes a little more sense now, but yea I didn't know that they only covered up to 300 charges.

everyones making the tire comparison... tires do have warranties. I got all 4 of my tires replaced last year for free.

Anyways, what if my battery just completely fails and i'm still under applecare- can I get a new battery for free that way? Is there any other way I can get a battery for free (AKA covered under applecare)?

also, i have my macbook pro plugged in right now and it just says "finishing charge" and has been saying that for 30 minutes.

Without committing some sort of small fraud? No.

Your thinking on the subject would only be relevant if you were within your 300 cycles, end of story. It sucks yea, but batteries are "consumables" and you have certainly consumed. Good for you for using it so much though, I know people that are scared to unplug!

 

[Eddyisgreat]

Anyways, what if my battery just completely fails and i'm still under applecare- can I get a new battery for free that way? Is there any other way I can get a battery for free (AKA covered under applecare)?

also, i have my macbook pro plugged in right now and it just says "finishing charge" and has been saying that for 30 minutes.

Applecare only replace a battery if it's under 300 cycles and under 80% health. After that the battery is considered spent, period.

Just buy a new one.

 

[diablo2112]

tires do have warranties. I got all 4 of my tires replaced last year for free.

A fairly recent phenomenoa is a recognition that a small minority of customers can cause the majority of issues and costs to a business. Basically, the adage that "the customer is always right" has limitations and exceptions. The trick is finding those customers that are likely to be more trouble than they're worth.

The only "issue" with your battery is that you've used it up. It's an expendable, wear item and you've gotten a useful service life out of it. Period. To expect someone else to provide you a replacement for "free" is unreasonable.

Are you the kind of customer that's more trouble than your business is worth? For a small fraction of the constant complainers on this board, I'd like to say, this isn't the brand of computer for you, so sorry it hasn't worked out. Probably better for all involved to move along and find a different laptop/desktop. Not saying this is you, but I'm sure we've all identified the few that fit this description...

 

[Benjones-KY]

Isn't one of Apple's bullet points 7 hour battery and such and such retainment after 1000 charges or w/e. My new i7 Macbook is reading less than two hours with 45% charge in OSX. No video running, brightness at 40%. Should I have it checked out? That is a far cry from the 8-9 hour promise.

 

[Eddyisgreat]

Isn't one of Apple's bullet points 7 hour battery and such and such retainment after 1000 charges or w/e. My new i7 Macbook is reading less than two hours with 45% charge in OSX. No video running, brightness at 40%. Should I have it checked out? That is a far cry from the 8-9 hour promise.

From Apple - Batteries - Notebooks:

Battery Lifespan
.......

The built-in battery in the new 13-, 15-, and 17-inch MacBook Pro is designed to retain up to 80% of its original capacity at up to 1000 full charge and discharge cycles.

If your notebook came with a built-in battery, you should have the battery replaced only by an Apple Authorized Service Provider.

You can confirm your stats by using coconutBattery. If your load cycles are < 1000 and your capacity is < 80% then you can probably get a replacement.

 

[Benjones-KY]

Just read a thread on programs that activate your 330m. I had skype running. Feel silly for worrying now. Wish there was graphics switching in windows though. I have to use windows quite often and the cut in battery life really hurts.