Macbook battery puzzle, please help

[puzzledmac]

I have a 2008 Macbook and ive never had any problems with it until recently and i cannot find anything similar on any website, I am in desperate need of some help. My Macbook charges when it is shut, in standby or shutdown but when in use and open the battery slowly declines and then turns itself off after about 2 hours. The light is green when open and declining and amber when closed and charging. I have replaced the charger and tried different sockets etc. I have tried loads of different things but nothing works. Please help, I cant afford to have it fixed/replaced.

 

[Gav2k]

Checked the battery cycle count and charge capacity?

Your battery is designed to maintain 80% life upto 300 cycles

 

[puzzledmac]

thanks for the reply, this is how my system profiler looks:

http://imgur.com/2uuyWU9

 

[GGJstudios]

thanks for the reply, this is how my system profiler looks:

http://imgur.com/2uuyWU9

You've gotten more than your money's worth out of your battery, and it's time to replace it. Batteries are consumable items, and they are not expected to last forever.

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​

 

[puzzledmac]

this may sound stupid but i dont want to buy a new battery and it not fix the problem. the battery charges absolutely fine when its shutdown or in standby but is says "Battery is not charging" when it is running and slowly goes down. I still get the same battery life i used to but it just wont charge whilst i use it. is it definitely the battery or could it be the charger or the laptop itself? thanks

 

[GGJstudios]

this may sound stupid but i dont want to buy a new battery and it not fix the problem. the battery charges absolutely fine when its shutdown or in standby but is says "Battery is not charging" when it is running and slowly goes down. I still get the same battery life i used to but it just wont charge whilst i use it. is it definitely the battery or could it be the charger or the laptop itself? thanks

The other possibility, while remote, is that you have some process consuming system resources when your Mac is awake, that causes your battery to drain. Launch Activity Monitor and change "My Processes" to "All Processes" and see if anything stands out as a resource hog.

 

[BrettApple]

Another possibility is that the MagSafe isn't providing enough power to charge and use it simultaneously. Thus why it charges in standby and not while in use.

If you have access to another charger or an apple store of some sort, I'd try that first.