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Jeremy Dillon

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Sep 30, 2017
3
1
Problem: My 2011 11" Macbook Air battery has expanded a little.

However, it has also stopped holding a charge, and the computer will only run plugged in.

Does this mean my battery is disconnected and will not expand further/explode/wreck my computer? Is there any way of knowing?

Thanks guys.
 
Swelling and no longer holding a charge means you should disconnect from power immediately.
 
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Disconnected! I'll figure out how to remove the battery before plugging it back in again. Thanks a million, glad I didn't detonate the thing.
 
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There is no way of knowing. In an ideal world, the protection mechanisms would stop the charging before the pillowing becomes significant - but in practice that isn't always the case.

To reduce the chance of the battery further expanding, and possibly eventually 'venting' with flame (i.e., what many people interpret to be an explosion), you should NOT continue to use the computer, you should not plug it in to the charger, and make it a priority to replace to the battery. And, whatever you do, DO NOT LEAVE THE SYSTEM PLUGGED IN WHEN UNATTENDED. If you have one, store it in a large LiPo charge bag until you can get it serviced away from combustable materials. If you service it yourself, wearing eye protection is always good practice. (The odds of the pouch actually rupturing or venting with Apple batteries seems exceptionally low - it's almost unheard of - but IMO it is still worth taking precaution)
 
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There is no way of knowing. In an ideal world, the protection mechanisms would stop the charging before the pillowing becomes significant - but in practice that isn't always the case.

To reduce the chance of the battery further expanding, and possibly eventually 'venting' with flame (i.e., what many people interpret to be an explosion), you should NOT continue to use the computer, you should not plug it in to the charger, and make it a priority to replace to the battery. And, whatever you do, DO NOT LEAVE THE SYSTEM PLUGGED IN WHEN UNATTENDED. If you have one, store it in a large LiPo charge bag until you can get it serviced away from combustable materials. If you service it yourself, wearing eye protection is always good practice. (The odds of the pouch actually rupturing or venting with Apple batteries seems exceptionally low - it's almost unheard of - but IMO it is still worth taking precaution)

Very thorough, thanks. I'll be sure to follow your advice.
 
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