I just picked up a 2009 13" White Unibody MacBook from a friend for $50. It looks like the battery needs to be replaced and then it'll be a solid running machine. It looks like the battery for this isn't the easiest to find so I can swap it myself, should I just drop it off at the Apple store and have them do it instead?
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Late 2009 White MacBook Battery Replacement
- Thread starter LumbermanSVO
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
It is not hard to do but if you are uncomfortable then you can have Apple do the repair. Is the bottom panel peeling by chance? If so there is a recall out currently that they will replace the bottom panel when they have the battery replacement.
Its finding the part that is difficult. The repair is just a few screws and a connector plug. I scoured the web for genuine parts but i didnt find any. Sent back four batteries that were supposed to be genuine but wasnt. My current battery pretty good tbh, in spite of 420 cycles it does 8-9 hours. But like you i have a dead one too. Wanted to put a new battery i my main rig and move the old one into th refurb macbook.
iFixit has a replacement battery available for $99.95. It is a non-OEM replacement part, but I have always had great luck with the quality and selection of their parts. You may pay a little more than a seller on eBay or Amazon, but I have never had a failed part from iFixit.
That being said, I think the cost with Apple is $129. With that you get a full 1 year warranty on the battery, no risk of doing the work yourself, and they usually swap the bottom case and screws in one repair. It is also a legitimate Apple part which is important to some.
That being said, I think the cost with Apple is $129. With that you get a full 1 year warranty on the battery, no risk of doing the work yourself, and they usually swap the bottom case and screws in one repair. It is also a legitimate Apple part which is important to some.
Maybe you can get an original, used battery from a defective unibody white macbook. Replacing the battery is pretty easy, though.
I downloaded coconutBattery and the battery is definitely on it's last legs. 730 cycles, maximum charge 3230 mAh, original capacity 5450 mAh. I get about 30-40 minutes before the laptop just shuts down, no warning.
I ordered the iFixIt battery and required tools, it should be here by the end of the week. If it dies prematurely, I'll have Apple replace it. The bottom cover on the laptop is in great condition. Overall, the laptop is in great condition except for the battery an occasion click from the hard drive.
I also ordered a SSD, 8GB RAM and a Data Doubler from OWC, that stuff should be here by the end of the week too. I have a bare 1TB drive sitting around that I can drop in place of the current drive while I have the laptop open.
By the end of the week I should have pretty good running machine for about $300, not too shabby!
I ordered the iFixIt battery and required tools, it should be here by the end of the week. If it dies prematurely, I'll have Apple replace it. The bottom cover on the laptop is in great condition. Overall, the laptop is in great condition except for the battery an occasion click from the hard drive.
I also ordered a SSD, 8GB RAM and a Data Doubler from OWC, that stuff should be here by the end of the week too. I have a bare 1TB drive sitting around that I can drop in place of the current drive while I have the laptop open.
By the end of the week I should have pretty good running machine for about $300, not too shabby!
I was just heading out the door and found my new battery on the front step, so I swapped it out real quick. coconutBattery is reporting a 5800mAh capacity and a maximum charge of 5911 mAh. It's charging now, so when I get back I'll see what the full charge actually is.