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Battery Replacement

J

JLH81

macrumors regular
Original poster
May 10, 2016
234
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I have a 2010 MB PRO that is telling me the battery needs to be serviced. Would you all recommend that I take the computer to an Apple Store to have that replaced, or is it simple enough to have an independent shop do it for me?

Also, what price range do you think Apple will charge to replace the battery?

Thanks!
 
I have a late 2016 MB pro that needs a battery replacement. Took it in last year and Apple wants $199, but I've been holding off. I need to get it replaced soon though, the battery won't go past 1% even plugged in all day. As soon as I take if off it dies so I just keep it plugged in until I am ready to spend the money for a replacement, which will be soon.
 
Ouch! The independent shop around here wants $125 to do it, but I fear that they might not do something correctly. I may just shell out the $199 for Apple to do it. Any idea how long it takes for them to replace it? I am assuming you can just make an appointment at the Genius Bar and have them do it while you wait?
 
Ouch is right, that's why I took my MBP and went home, LOL. Could take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2-3 days, but with the pandemic situation who knows. Check with apple and see what they say.
 
Replace the battery yourself. All you need to do is remove the bottom panel, remove the battery screws and disconnect the battery from the logic board.
 
Typically Apple declares a system as being “vintage” five years after a system was last sold. Apple will not work on vintage systems nor do they stock parts for them.

Having said that, they have begun to make some exceptions to this rule somewhat recently...
 
fauxtog said:
I have a late 2016 MB pro that needs a battery replacement. Took it in last year and Apple wants $199, but I've been holding off. I need to get it replaced soon though, the battery won't go past 1% even plugged in all day. As soon as I take if off it dies so I just keep it plugged in until I am ready to spend the money for a replacement, which will be soon.
Click to expand...

I just replaced the battery on my MBP 15" Late 2013. Was going to be several hundred bucks at an authorised service centre. Instead I picked up a replacement battery online and followed the iFixit guide here (iFixit actually sell the battery if you are in the US). Took 1-2 hours (mainly because of the adhesive tape), but works perfectly!

JLH81 said:
I have a 2010 MB PRO that is telling me the battery needs to be serviced. Would you all recommend that I take the computer to an Apple Store to have that replaced, or is it simple enough to have an independent shop do it for me?

Also, what price range do you think Apple will charge to replace the battery?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

The 2010 model is super easy to replace, as the other posters have mentioned. You can find them online and it'll take you 5 mins if you have the right screwdriver. Just try to buy a battery that comes with the necessary screwdriver and you're good to go.
 
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They are super easy to replace. I've done a couple myself.

However, make sure to buy a quality brand. I've bought cheapo Amazon ones and they failed after a couple of months and the company was nowhere to be found.
 
If you are DIY battery replacement, make sure that the battery is brand new. Many have shipped old battery that dies not long after.
 
"I have a 2010 MB PRO that is telling me the battery needs to be serviced. Would you all recommend that I take the computer to an Apple Store to have that replaced, or is it simple enough to have an independent shop do it for me?"

I don't think Apple Stores will do battery replacements on Macs this old any longer.

That means you'll need to take it to an "independent" shop that works on Macs.

BUT... before you do that...
Replacing the battery on a 2010 is quite an easy task, and you can do it yourself.
All you need are a few tools, a replacement battery, and some simple instructions.
Go to ifixit.com to see what's involved.

BE SURE TO BUY THE RIGHT TOOLS (shouting intentional).
I believe you'll need
- a Phillips #00 driver (for screws on the bottom cover)
- a plastic "spudger" tool (for lifting off the connector, DO NOT USE a metal blade for this!)
- a "star" shaped drive (for removing the battery screws, sorry, I forget the size)

Be aware that buying replacement batteries is "a crapshoot".
They almost never last as long as the original battery.

One other thing...
If you're going to have the back off, you should consider replacing the original platter-based drive with an SSD. They're cheap now and easier to install than the battery!
 
clueless88 said:
Are there particular brands that are recommended or avoided?
Click to expand...
I'd go on ebay and look for a new "genuine apple oem" one. There're still lots of new old stock to be had. I've not had good experience with random brands which can be a crap shoot.
 
Fishrrman said:
a "star" shaped drive (for removing the battery screws, sorry, I forget the size)
Click to expand...
Unless they changed it between the 2010 and 2012 models it's actually a tri-lobe bit. There are 2 in the tool kits iFixit sells (the 65-piece bit driver set), I believe it's the smaller one. The iFixit guides usually include the tool list so you know what you need.

Some battery sellers include the screwdrivers needed.
 
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Yesterday I replaced a battery in my Mid 2010 MacBook Pro with a 2-power branded battery.

Screen Shot 2020-09-05 at 5.23.25 am.png
 
Hey guys,

I ended up changing the battery today. I followed the youtube video on replacing it, and it was a piece of cake. The newer models look pretty difficult with the adhesive. I think I'll leave that up to Apple to do! Any idea why they changed to the adhesive?
 
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JLH81 said:
Any idea why they changed to the adhesive?
Click to expand...
The units with the glued-in battery are thinner. The battery needed to lose the hard plastic case and the frame securing it (how the similar type battery in the MacBook Air is or was secured).
 
JLH81 said:
Any idea why they changed to the adhesive?
Click to expand...

Thinner,lighter, battery fits tight against the case, no need to at anchor points. Probably faster/cheaper to assemble. Sadly, less repairable. Hopefully, we may see a move away from the thinner/lighter/hard-to-repair designs. Not likely, but possible. If we, the consumers demand it, it could happen. But that's a whole other discussion about repairability.
 
fauxtog said:
I have a late 2016 MB pro that needs a battery replacement. Took it in last year and Apple wants $199, but I've been holding off. I need to get it replaced soon though, the battery won't go past 1% even plugged in all day. As soon as I take if off it dies so I just keep it plugged in until I am ready to spend the money for a replacement, which will be soon.
Click to expand...

Hold up!

I have the same model, late 2016. Battery was terrible, but... I took it in for the FREE keyboard replacement and they replaced the whole bottom half. Entire keyboard, battery, trackpad, even USB-C Ports, that whole top section of the bottom case. They also replaced the screen because it had some of the coating worn off, that they attributed to the keyboard rubbing (I hadn't even noticed) That came with a new top case (with the logo)

Basically the only external parts that were not replaced was the Touch ID key and the plate that screws in across the bottom. The battery and keyboard are one unit.

Keyboard Service Program for MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro - Apple Support

Keyboard Service Program for MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro
support.apple.com

I took it in for a 20 minute diagnostic on Tuesday, then brought it back yesterday for 3 hours. All I needed to to was disable FindMy. They did not need password or anything.
 
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