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MacBook battery dead?

I

iCode

macrumors newbie
Original poster
I just came back from a holiday, and booted up my MacBook, which had been shut down (or so I thought at least). When I started the computer, it booted as if from safe sleep (with blurred screen and progress bar) and then shut down immediately. When I tried to start it again, it booted normally, but it didn't recognize the battery (shows only an 'X' on battery meter). The charger led glows green and none of the lights on the battery are on, neither when the battery is connected nor when the charge-checking button is pressed.

I've tried removing the battery a few times and resetting the PMU, but neither worked. Any advice on this? Should I just contact a dealer for a new battery?
 
iCode said:
I just came back from a holiday, and booted up my MacBook, which had been shut down (or so I thought at least). When I started the computer, it booted as if from safe sleep (with blurred screen and progress bar) and then shut down immediately. When I tried to start it again, it booted normally, but it didn't recognize the battery (shows only an 'X' on battery meter). The charger led glows green and none of the lights on the battery are on, neither when the battery is connected nor when the charge-checking button is pressed.

I've tried removing the battery a few times and resetting the PMU, but neither worked. Any advice on this? Should I just contact a dealer for a new battery?
Click to expand...

http://www.coconut-flavour.com/coconutbattery/

Download Coconut Battery, open it, and tell us what it says about your battery.
 
_Matt said:
http://www.coconut-flavour.com/coconutbattery/

Download Coconut Battery, open it, and tell us what it says about your battery.
Click to expand...
battery.png
 
gauchogolfer said:
It's time to return that crappy battery, my friend.
Click to expand...

That VERY crappy battery! 😱

But then again my PowerBook battery capacity is at 9% so it's not that much better. 😱
 
I suspect there's something badly wrong with the power circuitry (either in the battery itself or the PMU) rather than the battery cells themselves, given the negative readings for everything including number of loadcycles.
 
jbusc said:
I suspect there's something badly wrong with the power circuitry (either in the battery itself or the PMU) rather than the battery cells themselves, given the negative readings for everything including number of loadcycles.
Click to expand...


Good point. OP, have you tried a PMU reset as well?
 
MacBook Battery Concerns

Replying to Matt in particular as I have downloaded the Coconut Battery App.

As I am a bit concerned as to whether my MacBook battery was playing up.

I have attached a grab of the coconut results for anyones opinion.

I have had the machine for 5 weeks not 3 months.

It just seems to go flatter or even very quickly especially when it’s turned off.

This grab is roughly 15 mins after a full overnight charge.

Any help and or opinions much appreciated.


Wingnut
 

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Is there a chance that what ever quality issue the Macbook Pro batteries had, is afflicting the Macbook batteries as well? After switching to the new battery, and 12 load-cycles, my max charges is still with in 99% of OEM. Big difference from my old one which was 25 or so load-cycles in and at about 91%, and would consistantly drop about every 2 or 3 load-cycles.

Just a thought, but I'd try that PMU reset and if that doesn't work send that battery back, because its a dud.
 
battery life

What do you think Apple class as acceptable battery power reduction.

I have had my MacBook for 5 weeks and I have charged it 20 times and the battery max capacity has dropped to 94% or 4924 thingy majigs!

Should I worried about this? It seems in the last few days it has been dropping 1% percent which seems a lot.

I am very tempted to push for a replacement as I think it sounds quote a lot to lose in capacity in such a short time.

I also had a problem with it not starting from the battery even if it was reasonablt well charged. THis has been rectified or do it seems for now by forcing the PMU to restart. Apple Tech support advised me to do this.

Any opinions/cooments much appreciated.



wingnut
 
Any news iCode? It sounds like the MB ate it too... otherwise you would have been able to run without a battery. (?)
 
wingnutrolfe said:
What do you think Apple class as acceptable battery power reduction.

I have had my MacBook for 5 weeks and I have charged it 20 times and the battery max capacity has dropped to 94% or 4924 thingy majigs!

Should I worried about this? It seems in the last few days it has been dropping 1% percent which seems a lot.

I am very tempted to push for a replacement as I think it sounds quote a lot to lose in capacity in such a short time.

I also had a problem with it not starting from the battery even if it was reasonablt well charged. THis has been rectified or do it seems for now by forcing the PMU to restart. Apple Tech support advised me to do this.
Click to expand...

See this is what I'm saying. That battery is acting like my first MBP battery did. Which makes me believe that the MB batteries might have the same problem. If that PMU reset doesn't work and explain the entire situation. If they won't replace it, at the very least ask them to document the situation. Because if enough people call, we get a recall like we did on the MBP batteries.
 
Ever decreasing batteries

Resetting PMU resolved a problem I had with the MacBook not booting from a non 100% charged battery. Apparently static can build up which causes the problem.

Did nothing to change the capacity of my battery.

In the process of running another calibration of the battery, this will be the second time in 5 weeks.

Does anyone think this will restore capacity to my battery?????

wingnut
 
Works for me, but i'm only seeing a drop of like 20mwh. I think i'd start to freak if the battery went below 5400mwh!
 
battery exchange?

Did sort of hint to Apple Tech that I would like a replacement battery - but they didin’t bite.

Time will tell. Might try an Apple Store genius if I still am concerned.

Seems a lot people are experiencing the same reduction in capacity as me or then again maybe we all have duff batteries.

Thanks for your input gothicx00

Wingnut.
 
Same Situation

I had the same thing happen this morning. I've been scouring blogs finding similar issues and thought I would add my two cents. I've had my Macbook for about a month. I used the coconut program and this is the results.

I've tried removing the battery but no dice.
 

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This is kind of unrelated to the topic, but I just downloaded coconut battery for the first time.

I've had my macbook (white 2.0) since early july and this is what it tells me about my battery:

so can my actual currect capacity be higher than original? if so i'll keep treating it how i'm treating it, 😉
 

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i have exactly same problem in my MBP
i already order the replacement battery as my MBP battery is the one afected in the recall.
Actually i was thinking to keep the old battery for back up instead of returning it to apple 😛 hehehe but i guess my evilness wont take place because few days ago the old battery just suddenly stop functioning, and the battery indicator say no battery attached and same result with -1 in coconut battery.

when i get he replacement battery it works okay, so i guess the problem is in the battery it self rather than on the MBP or MB.

so goodbye my "FREE" back up battery , i guess i'll just send it back to apple to dispossed it safely.
 
not all batteries are created equal. In manufacturing all batteries are in some ways subtlely different. When they spec the shipping batteries, in some industrial engineering sense, they decide that some large percentage (say, 95%) of shipping batteries' capacity are within some acceptable tolerance of 5200 mAh. Statistically, some will have higher and some will have lower within that tolerance. And some will be extrema and have capacity much higher and much lower than the spec'ed batteries; however good quality control keeps most shipping batteries within the tolerance.

So likely the battery did not "mature", it has always had a higher capacity (by accident). The "original" capacity is just how much Apple expected the battery to have when manufactured.
 
jbusc said:
not all batteries are created equal. In manufacturing all batteries are in some ways subtlely different. When they spec the shipping batteries, in some industrial engineering sense, they decide that some large percentage (say, 95%) of shipping batteries' capacity are within some acceptable tolerance of 5200 mAh. Statistically, some will have higher and some will have lower within that tolerance. And some will be extrema and have capacity much higher and much lower than the spec'ed batteries; however good quality control keeps most shipping batteries within the tolerance.

So likely the battery did not "mature", it has always had a higher capacity (by accident). The "original" capacity is just how much Apple expected the battery to have when manufactured.
Click to expand...

Thanks. That makes a lot of sense and removes the "?" from my head 🙂
 
*snickers*

Just be glad its not a Li-Ion battery made by Sony. 🙄

The age of your Mac is based on the ACTUAL date of manufacture built inside of the machine itself, not when you bought it.
 
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