Is my MBP dying?

[SuperFreak]

This has only recently started happening (as far as I know).

Basically, only after turning my MacBook Pro on, I normally always look at the battery percentage, and twice, including just now, it'll say something like 50% or so, and then after a couple of minuets it just turns off.... As if I've let the battery run out... I have to plug my charger in and wait about 10 minuets for it to charge up and turn back on...

Now it's alarming, because this has only happened previously when I've seen the battery percentage on red and something below 5%, and forgot to charge it and its just konked out, as expected.

But recently, a couple of times it has just turned off, when I have blatantly seen that it has about 60% or something...

Is this a known issue where MacBook Pros show that there is a certain percent of battery when there is indeed only a small % and just about to die?

I'm sure as well that when this happens, it seems to take a much longer amount of time to actually charge back up and turn on...

Hope someone can shed some light, thank you.

 

[GGJstudios]

This has only recently started happening (as far as I know).

Basically, only after turning my MacBook Pro on, I normally always look at the battery percentage, and twice, including just now, it'll say something like 50% or so, and then after a couple of minuets it just turns off.... As if I've let the battery run out... I have to plug my charger in and wait about 10 minuets for it to charge up and turn back on...

What year and model is your MBP? Removable or built-in battery?

Try resetting the SMC.

The link below should answer most, if not all, of your battery/charging questions. If you haven't already done so, I highly recommend you take the time to read it.

Apple Notebook Battery FAQ​

 

[Macman45]

As GGJ suggests try an SMC re-set...we don't know the age of your Mac, but you could have a dying battery...If you do need to replace it, don't be tempted by the cheap knock offs....Get a genuine Apple replacement.

 

[James_C]

GGJStudios has posted some really useful information in the link.

It is mentioned in the Link, but I have found Coconut Battery to be helpful in looking at the battery condition.
May not be 100% accurate- but it will give you an indication if your battery has had it.

I had a similar problem to you on a 2008 MacBook Pro, and the battery needed to be replaced.

 

[SuperFreak]

@GGJStudios - My MBP is late 15" Late 2008 model, removable battery, aluminum/black keys, 0S X 10.6.8.
I'll look up on the internet on how to reset the SMC and also check the link your provided, cheers mate.

@Macman45 - I brought it about roughly 1/2 - 2 years ago! okay yeah, I have been tempted by the cheap ones, but paying 100pound for a genuine one is worth it.

@James Craner - Checking your link now dude, thanks. Yeah i have a late 2008 one too, i hope it isnt on its way out, ufff :-(

Thanks for the help guys, checking your links as we speak!

 

[SuperFreak]

Okay, downloaded coconutbattery, and the image attached is what's come up. Is this good/bad?

Alos, resetting the SMC, should i do any back-ups first or? Or is it okay to jsut quit everything and then just follow the steps..?

Ta.

EDIT: I don't know if this is any help, but the fella i brought my mbp from, said he had "over-clocked" it, in order the make it run faster, made the Ghz higher, my MBP is currently 2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo.
It is also (guy in apple store told me) a "scandinavian" MacBook, as the keyboard is different form UK ones.....

 

[James_C]

I suggest you open the battery compartment and check the battery for any signs of swelling, as it may also indicate that the battery is about to fail.

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Well it is saying that the battery is only capable of holding 65% of its original design capacity. Apple indicate that a battery is designed to last for 1000 cycles so it is pretty much at the end of its life.

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Resetting SMC is pretty safe, I don't think you need to do a specific backup, as long as you have something pretty recent.

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Well if it has been over clocked it will place a higher power drain on the battery, which may have caused some issues over time.

 

[GGJstudios]

@GGJStudios - My MBP is late 15" Late 2008 model, removable battery, aluminum/black keys, 0S X 10.6.8.

When is the last time you calibrated your battery? The instructions are in the CALIBRATION section of the Battery FAQ.

I'll look up on the internet on how to reset the SMC and also check the link your provided, cheers mate.

No need to look up the instructions, as the link I posted takes you directly to them. There's no need to backup before resetting the SMC, as it doesn't affect data stored on your drive.

Okay, downloaded coconutbattery, and the image attached is what's come up. Is this good/bad?

Your battery still has some life left in it, but after 4 years and only 65% health, it's getting close to time to replace it.

 

[SuperFreak]

I suggest you open the battery compartment and check the battery for any signs of swelling, as it may also indicate that the battery is about to fail.

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Well it is saying that the battery is only capable of holding 65% of its original design capacity. Apple indicate that a battery is designed to last for 1000 cycles so it is pretty much at the end of its life.

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Resetting SMC is pretty safe, I don't think you need to do a specific backup, as long as you have something pretty recent.

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Well if it has been over clocked it will place a higher power drain on the battery, which may have caused some issues over time.

Okay ill check the battery then, and ohh damn i didnt know that, i couldnt understand coconutbattery well.
Is there any way to 'under' clock it lol? Like to not put such a strain on the battery? just clock it back to how it originally supposed to be? Cheers.

@GGJStudios - I dont believe i have ever calibrated my battery dude, i havent ever even taken it out i don't think..

I have just ran into another problem..... Last night, i went to plug my charger into my MB, as the battery was on 8% or something, and i got a loud buzzing noise come out of my studio monitors, (which are connected to an audio interface i have, and that interface is USB to my MBP)

and then my mmp turned off again... after a couple of seconds making a kind of buzzing noise that u get from loose wires etc... this is really worrying... as it's not happened before.... i just tried putting the charger into my mbp while the usb got my interface was plugged in and it made the same buzzing noise again, but didn't turn off this time, as i took it out a second after.


and i have just tried again, and it didn't turn off this time, i gave it about 10 seconds, but the buzzin noise is still coming out of my speakers, just noise as loud this time... Crikey, im so worried that my macbook is fried

If it helps, recently i just noticed that my macbook charger seems to have some kind of burn mark on it.. which i assume is an electricity shock burn maybe, ive attached two pictures, one of the normal side of the charger and one with the light brown burn mark, when i run my finger over the mark its actually dented as well, so this might be serious, its not a massive mark tho, u can roughly see in the picture, this may have cased some problems? :-(


EDIT: the 1st image (with the yellow sticker on my mac in it, is the okay one, and the 2nd picture, just along where the plug part of the charger is, is the light brown "burn" line.. u can probabaly see it dents in too,)

 

[GGJstudios]

@GGJStudios - I dont believe i have ever calibrated my battery dude, i havent ever even taken it out i don't think..

You should have been calibrating your battery every month or two, to keep your battery readings accurate. I recommend you follow the calibration instructions I posted.

 

[Cergman]

Okay ill check the battery then, and ohh damn i didnt know that, i couldnt understand coconutbattery well.
Is there any way to 'under' clock it lol? Like to not put such a strain on the battery? just clock it back to how it originally supposed to be? Cheers.

@GGJStudios - I dont believe i have ever calibrated my battery dude, i havent ever even taken it out i don't think..

I have just ran into another problem..... Last night, i went to plug my charger into my MB, as the battery was on 8% or something, and i got a loud buzzing noise come out of my studio monitors, (which are connected to an audio interface i have, and that interface is USB to my MBP)

and then my mmp turned off again... after a couple of seconds making a kind of buzzing noise that u get from loose wires etc... this is really worrying... as it's not happened before.... i just tried putting the charger into my mbp while the usb got my interface was plugged in and it made the same buzzing noise again, but didn't turn off this time, as i took it out a second after.


and i have just tried again, and it didn't turn off this time, i gave it about 10 seconds, but the buzzin noise is still coming out of my speakers, just noise as loud this time... Crikey, im so worried that my macbook is fried

If it helps, recently i just noticed that my macbook charger seems to have some kind of burn mark on it.. which i assume is an electricity shock burn maybe, ive attached two pictures, one of the normal side of the charger and one with the light brown burn mark, when i run my finger over the mark its actually dented as well, so this might be serious, its not a massive mark tho, u can roughly see in the picture, this may have cased some problems? :-(


EDIT: the 1st image (with the yellow sticker on my mac in it, is the okay one, and the 2nd picture, just along where the plug part of the charger is, is the light brown "burn" line.. u can probabaly see it dents in too,)

If it were me, I would try a new charger. That one doesn't look so good.

 

[nickoras]

Yeah... mine is horrid as well.

Says "Service Battery" for the last year or so.

I just keep mine plugged in now.

It'll probably last 20-50min on a full charge now.

 

[James_C]

If it were me, I would try a new charger. That one doesn't look so good.

Yeah I would get a new charger if the charger has got so hot, to cause burn marks and deform the plastic, I would not recommend to continue to use it, as it is a potential fire hazard. If you are getting audio interference when you use it as well, it is a further indication that it is failing.