Does Apple still replace the battery on a 2015 MacBook Pro

[turbineseaplane]

I think some of this usage is Apple Music...
Which on this machine is refusing to operate without the dGPU on all the time...

 

[iMacDragon]

If it's triggering the dgpu on that will indeed massively reduce battery life, sounds like a bug though.

I've long kept my dgpu intels forced to igpu on battery in all instances ( though this does prevent external display ), so keep them as managed as possible, I can't recall the exact pmset command to do that off top of head though.

 

[turbineseaplane]

If it's triggering the dgpu on that will indeed massively reduce battery life, sounds like a bug though.

I've long kept my dgpu intels forced to igpu on battery in all instances ( though this does prevent external display ), so keep them as managed as possible, I can't recall the exact pmset command to do that off top of head though.

gfxcardstatus is refusing to do that with Apple Music running, unfortunately

You think a pmset command could do it even if gfxcardstatus is refusing to?

Love to have my dGPU totally off.
I honestly wish I had one of these that didn't come with a dGPU to begin with.

(I don't do external monitors with this thing -- we already have other hair dryers in the house LOL)

 

[iMacDragon]

I gave up with gfxcardstatus years ago as too unreliable, pmset command worked fine for me, or at least used to, I last set it a few years ago

sudo pmset -b gpuswitch 0 was possibly the command, to set it to always igpu just for battery

How to force your MacBook Pro to use its discrete graphics card when…

The solution is to use the machine’s discrete graphics card instead.Because the discrete GPU uses more energy, I don’t want to use it when I’m on battery…

nathansnelgrove.com

 

[kdanielps]

Oh no! I replaced the stock SSD with a Samsung one.... 🤦‍♂️ will I have any problems?

Possibly. I've seen it stated before that Apple will not repair any product that has been 'modified'... I'm sure Google™ can help. MacSales upgraded the SSD in mine when I bought it, at my option... but I forgot about it when I took it in for repair.

I actually received an email a couple days after dropping it off at the local Apple Store... that they 'need to hear from' me. The laptop was sent to some Apple service center by the local Apple Store.

When I looked at the reapair status it said:

Our technicians have completed the diagnosis of your product. Please sign in to the Update Your Repair website for the details. You can choose to pay for the repair or have us return the product to you. You can also contact Apple Support to discuss the options.

The repairs they listed were to replace the battery for $199 and the SSD for something like $1200. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the SSD... it was working absolutely fine when I took it in and the 'genius' in the store specifically said the only problem was the battery. Apple didn't even specify why the SSD needed to be replaced.

It is currently at a local computer shop and I'm expecting it back any day now. His price was '$350 to $400' dollars. Although I've upgraded hard drives in MacBook Pros before, ungluing and replacing this battery seems a little much to attempt. I will if that's my only option.

I WOULD RECOMMEND TO ANYONE REPLACING AN SSD - keep the original and replace it before taking it in for service. I didn't. It's a PITA but given Apple's apparent policy...

 

[RedOctober]

My MBP 15" mid-2015 battery was swollen a few years ago so badly that the bottom plate was pushed out so I decided to change it myself with an iFixit battery kit. Not really too complicated if you have the right tools and instructions but very time consuming and I didn't have a lot of patience back then.

The iFixit battery has since gone downhill very quickly 75% with only 35 cycles so I've ordered another battery from MacFixit to replace the iFixit one. All fingers crossed this new battery will be better.

 

[Tech_Mac_Man]

Here in Canada the battery replacement program has ended. Also the stain-gate issues with the clear coat peeling off the 2015 Macbook Pro's has also ended. Anything you want to replace at the Apple store you have to pay an arm and a leg for a 8 year old laptop. Now ask yourself is it worth the high price, hassle and time?

 

[bigpoppamac31]

Here in Canada the battery replacement program has ended. Also the stain-gate issues with the clear coat peeling off the 2015 Macbook Pro's has also ended. Anything you want to replace at the Apple store you have to pay an arm and a leg for a 8 year old laptop. Now ask yourself is it worth the high price, hassle and time?

Sorry to bump a slightly old thread. But I'm also in Canada and have a 2015 15" MBP. The battery says "service recommended. I was looking at OWC (Mac Sales) to consider getting one of their batteries and doing it myself. I was watching their video on how to do the replacement. You basically have to take the entire inside apart. If I'm patient enough I could probably do it. But is it worth it? Still far cheaper than buying a new Mac which I cannot really afford. I think I only get 2-3 hours of battery time now. Apple claimed up to 9 hours of use on battery (according to MacTracker).

 

[minik]

A yes?
Mac Repair at apple.com and scroll down to Get an estimate.

 

[bigpoppamac31]

A yes?
Mac Repair at apple.com and scroll down to Get an estimate.

The estimate I got was $250. I assume that's in Canadian dollars. If that is all then it's not too bad. But others have mentioned about being turned away due to having a third party SSD installed. I have a non Apple SSD as well.

 

[iMacDragon]

I replaced the batteries in my old 2015 15", if being very careful it is possible to do it without really removing anything inside other than the battery itself, it's more caution to ensure can't damage anything else by accident when working to remove the glued in cells than absolute necessity.

 

[bigpoppamac31]

I replaced the batteries in my old 2015 15", if being very careful it is possible to do it without really removing anything inside other than the battery itself, it's more caution to ensure can't damage anything else by accident when working to remove the glued in cells than absolute necessity.

I watched this video yesterday from OWC. They basically take out everything inside.

 

[iMacDragon]

yes, they are being ultra cautious against potential clumsyness, basically.

The ifixit it full guide says to remove everything, but has a note that depending on how removing the batteries, most of it can be skipped by choice.

I was only using isopropyl and blunt levering tools and such.

MacBook Pro 15" Retina Display Mid 2015 Battery Replacement

Use this guide to safely remove the glued-in battery from your MacBook Pro with the help of an iFixit battery replacement kit. The adhesive remover...

www.ifixit.com

 

[bigpoppamac31]

yes, they are being ultra cautious against potential clumsyness, basically.

The ifixit it full guide says to remove everything, but has a note that depending on how removing the batteries, most of it can be skipped by choice.

I was only using isopropyl and blunt levering tools and such.

MacBook Pro 15" Retina Display Mid 2015 Battery Replacement

Use this guide to safely remove the glued-in battery from your MacBook Pro with the help of an iFixit battery replacement kit. The adhesive remover...

www.ifixit.com

I think I'd rather have some professional do the job. I don't want to damage anything and I cannot afford a new Mac right now.

 

[pshufd]

I think I'd rather have some professional do the job. I don't want to damage anything and I cannot afford a new Mac right now.

We had a 2014 done last month. It cost $130 and turnaround was two days. Just find a good shop to do it.

 

[120FPS]

I replaced the battery on my 2017 model with an iFixit battery, and it's worth doing. I had to remove the entire logic board I replaced the dried thermal paste with a PT7950 thermal pad. The adhesive is a real annoyance to remove with acetone, but it runs almost like new again without fans going on while interacting with the basic interface. If you will do it and pay that much, ask to get your CPU and GPU repasted.

 

[bigpoppamac31]

I replaced the battery on my 2017 model with an iFixit battery, and it's worth doing. I had to remove the entire logic board I replaced the dried thermal paste with a PT7950 thermal pad. The adhesive is a real annoyance to remove with acetone, but it runs almost like new again without fans going on while interacting with the basic interface. If you will do it and pay that much, ask to get your CPU and GPU repasted.

Is there a specific kind of thermal paste I should look for? I see some options on Amazon. I don't mind doing the replacement myself if it saves some money. I've done things like replace a hard drive or ram in my laptops before so I'm not opposed to opening my laptop to tinker. But battery replacement is much more hands on. Apple has made it simple to replace the battery before. For example their first Macbook (non pro) which came out late 2006. Even the ram and hard drive were easy to replace. So Apple knows how to make it easy but they just choose not to.

 

[SahinaTom]

Oof

I love my 2015, but I'd honestly pass on most anything for it past that $199 battery replacement at this point.

This is another benefit that Apple is having from Steve Job's vision of end to end control.

 

[120FPS]

Is there a specific kind of thermal paste I should look for? I see some options on Amazon. I don't mind doing the replacement myself if it saves some money. I've done things like replace a hard drive or ram in my laptops before so I'm not opposed to opening my laptop to tinker. But battery replacement is much more hands on. Apple has made it simple to replace the battery before. For example their first Macbook (non pro) which came out late 2006. Even the ram and hard drive were easy to replace. So Apple knows how to make it easy but they just choose not to.

I used a PT7950 thermal pad as it lasts longer and I justified the elevated cost to myself since I didn't want to have to replace it again and I can cut up the larger sheet I bought for other computer builds. It's a phase change material but I guess you can use any normal thermal paste like Thermal Grizzly or Arctic. Just don't use the Liquid Metal one as that eats away at certain metals (it would damage the copper heatsink) and is conductive.

Make sure you have a look at the tutorials online to see if you are comfortable with it. I don't want to push you to do something you might not be ready to do, but it's more to show that it can be done. I don't think it's too bad just the adhesive removal is a pain in the butt and removing the battery is a bit tricky as the adhesive was quite stuck on mine and I was a bit worried if I would damage something with too much acetone.

Also, discharge the battery and make sure you have a backup before starting.

MacBook Pro 15" Retina Display Mid 2015 Battery Replacement

Use this guide to safely remove the glued-in battery from your MacBook Pro with the help of an iFixit battery replacement kit. The adhesive remover...

www.ifixit.com

(I've posted this video, but it may not be the best example so have a look around for others)

 

[bigpoppamac31]

This is another benefit that Apple is having from Steve Job's vision of end to end control.

Well it would cost me almost $400 (Canadian) for the battery replacement. It would include the top case, keyboard and trackpad even though those all are perfectly fine on my MBP.

I used a PT7950 thermal pad as it lasts longer and I justified the elevated cost to myself since I didn't want to have to replace it again and I can cut up the larger sheet I bought for other computer builds. It's a phase change material but I guess you can use any normal thermal paste like Thermal Grizzly or Arctic. Just don't use the Liquid Metal one as that eats away at certain metals (it would damage the copper heatsink) and is conductive.

Make sure you have a look at the tutorials online to see if you are comfortable with it. I don't want to push you to do something you might not be ready to do, but it's more to show that it can be done. I don't think it's too bad just the adhesive removal is a pain in the butt and removing the battery is a bit tricky as the adhesive was quite stuck on mine and I was a bit worried if I would damage something with too much acetone.

Also, discharge the battery and make sure you have a backup before starting.

MacBook Pro 15" Retina Display Mid 2015 Battery Replacement

Use this guide to safely remove the glued-in battery from your MacBook Pro with the help of an iFixit battery replacement kit. The adhesive remover...

www.ifixit.com

(I've posted this video, but it may not be the best example so have a look around for others)

Okay thanks. Yeah I've checked out some videos already. Doesn't seem overly complicated.

You mean something like this? https://www.amazon.ca/100x100mm-Eff...190&sprefix=pt7950+thermal+pad,aps,179&sr=8-6

 

[120FPS]

Well it would cost me almost $400 (Canadian) for the battery replacement. It would include the top case, keyboard and trackpad even though those all are perfectly fine on my MBP.




Okay thanks. Yeah I've checked out some videos already. Doesn't seem overly complicated.

You mean something like this? https://www.amazon.ca/100x100mm-Efficient-Conductivity-Resistant-Silicone/dp/B096ZNHY8F/ref=sr_1_6?crid=2X4JN2P7MJX00&keywords=PT7950+thermal+pad&qid=1681426190&sprefix=pt7950+thermal+pad,aps,179&sr=8-6

*Edit: This one linked below, the one you linked is a silicon thermal pad which works better for an SSD and I am not 100% sure how well a silicon one works on a CPU

Honeywell PTM7950 SP Super Highly Thermally Conductive PCM Pad

Buy Honeywell PTM7950 SP Super Highly Thermally Conductive PCM Pad for $5.99 with Free Shipping Worldwide (In Stock)

www.moddiy.com

8.82US $ 30% OFF|Honeywell PTM7950 8.5W Conductive Phase Change Silicone Thermal Pad Sheet Laptop Grease CPU Thermal Paste Cooling pad| | - AliExpress

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

www.aliexpress.com

I bought mine from Aliexpress so it's likely an off-brand one but it seems to be working well for me. Since your 2015 model makes it easier to access the heat-sink and CPU/GPU you can happily use regular thermal paste if you want, my 2017 model required the board to be completely removed (I needed to replace the battery too) so I wanted a long-term solution as I think I will use this as a secondary computer till it dies.

Linus did a video about the Honeywell pad:

 

[bigpoppamac31]

Apple wants $383 for the new battery which would also include a new top case, keyboard and trackpad. OWC sells a new battery for $115 (Canadian). But if I'm not completely comfortable in doing it myself I don't know of any pro shops which would do it. Plus as I noted before I could likely use a new round of thermal paste on the CPU and GPU. I'm sure it wouldn't hurt.

 

[Fishrrman]

bigpoppa wrote:
"Apple wants $383 for the new battery which would also include a new top case, keyboard and trackpad."

This is really up to you.
If you intend on keeping it for another 2 years or more, might be worth spending the money, since it includes new top case and keyboard.

If you intend on replacing it within the next year, perhaps that's too much.

 

[bigpoppamac31]

bigpoppa wrote:
"Apple wants $383 for the new battery which would also include a new top case, keyboard and trackpad."

This is really up to you.
If you intend on keeping it for another 2 years or more, might be worth spending the money, since it includes new top case and keyboard.

If you intend on replacing it within the next year, perhaps that's too much.

So I ended up going the Apple route and replacing the battery because it was bulging. I rarely close my laptop so I didn't notice it until Monday morning when I tried to close it and it would not close completely. It sucks to pay that much but because it was bulging I felt it was better to be replaced by a professional. Turn around time was only one day which was surprisingly quick. But everything seems to be working fine so that's a good thing. Now to figure out my Airport Extreme router issue. It's dual band as we all know but rarely can I connect to the 5Ghz band. Plus my iPhone always has issues connecting at home to the AE.

 

[leitzcam]

A yes?
Mac Repair at apple.com and scroll down to Get an estimate.

Looks like 15" Mid 2015 is no longer available as a option to select. Strangely, 13" Early 2015 is still available. Anyone recently get their battery replaced for the 15" Mid 2015 MacBook Pro? Has anyone tried Best Buy or Micro Center?