Macbook Pro Battery Life...Pretty Sad...

[slider78]

I know for a fact that this has been discussed all over the web but I thought I'd post the specifics of my problem in hopes that I am perhaps an acception to the norm of just needing a new battery.

Today I unplugged my Macbook and it died within 15mins. Battery stats: 2% Health with only 55 cycles. Am I wrong in assuming that this is a pretty sad life span for the LiPo batteries which are coming with these laptops?

The computer is only 2 years old and the cycle count is due mostly to the monthly exercising of the battery as specified. Only in the last few months has the laptop been used regularly off the power adapter.

Is there possibly a software glitch here? Or a hardware issue other then the battery itself?

Thanks.

 

[GGJstudios]

First, calibrate your battery to make sure the readings are accurate. Second, you should have many more cycles than that on a 2 year old battery. Batteries need to be used regularly, to keep electrons moving. Apple doesn't recommend leaving it plugged in all the time.

This should answer most, if not all, of your battery questions: Apple Notebook Battery FAQ

 

[ZebOfMac]

I know for a fact that this has been discussed all over the web but I thought I'd post the specifics of my problem in hopes that I am perhaps an acception to the norm of just needing a new battery.

Today I unplugged my Macbook and it died within 15mins. Battery stats: 2% Health with only 55 cycles. Am I wrong in assuming that this is a pretty sad life span for the LiPo batteries which are coming with these laptops?

The computer is only 2 years old and the cycle count is due mostly to the monthly exercising of the battery as specified. Only in the last few months has the laptop been used regularly off the power adapter.

Is there possibly a software glitch here? Or a hardware issue other then the battery itself?

Thanks.

I would have the battery looked at and placed in another unit to verify the problem. The batteries are supposed to last 1000 cycles at least, 55 cycles I would say it is defect or a software read problem.

 

[GGJstudios]

I would have the battery looked at and placed in another unit to verify the problem. The batteries are supposed to last 1000 cycles at least, 55 cycles I would say it is defect or a software read problem.

That only applies to the newer built-in batteries. For removable batteries, it's 300 cycles.

 

[codyst]

I've got a late 2008 unibody Macbook Pro with 138 cycles.. my battery lasts around 2-3 hours depending on what I am doing.

 

[ZebOfMac]

That only applies to the newer built-in batteries. For removable batteries, it's 300 cycles.

Yup, but still 55 out of 300 is not a good life cycle, that is not ever 25% used.

 

[slider78]

"AppleCare support recommends that if you leave your Mac plugged in most of the time, unplug it every 2 or 3 days and run on battery down to somewhere around 50%, then plug it back in. That keeps the electrons moving."

That is the dumbest thing I have ever read...(well maybe not the dumbest) Lithium Polymer batteries are not supposed to suffer from what they are suggesting as becoming stale. NiCad perhaps but not LiPo...

I will try the calibration, and let the comp remain dead overnight. Thanks.

 

[GGJstudios]

Yup, but still 55 out of 300 is not a good life cycle, that is not ever 25% used.

Exactly. The battery wasn't properly cared for, because it wasn't cycled enough. However, it's all moot unless the OP has AppleCare coverage, since it's out of warranty. Unless you find someone to bend (break) the rules, Apple does not replace defective batteries on Macs that are out of warranty. Read the FAQ link I posted for more information.

"AppleCare support recommends that if you leave your Mac plugged in most of the time, unplug it every 2 or 3 days and run on battery down to somewhere around 50%, then plug it back in. That keeps the electrons moving."

That is the dumbest thing I have ever read...(well maybe not the dumbest) Lithium Polymer batteries are not supposed to suffer from what they are suggesting as becoming stale. NiCad perhaps but not LiPo...

I will try the calibration, and let the comp remain dead overnight. Thanks.

It's not dumb. Read Apple's statements on battery care. It's not a matter of a battery memory, like NiCads, but rather keeping electrons moving. Read the links provided in the Battery FAQ for more details.

 

[ZebOfMac]

"AppleCare support recommends that if you leave your Mac plugged in most of the time, unplug it every 2 or 3 days and run on battery down to somewhere around 50%, then plug it back in. That keeps the electrons moving."

That is the dumbest thing I have ever read...(well maybe not the dumbest) Lithium Polymer batteries are not supposed to suffer from what they are suggesting as becoming stale. NiCad perhaps but not LiPo...

I will try the calibration, and let the comp remain dead overnight. Thanks.

Depeletting the battery every few days if not daily is the best option. Mine gets plugged in at night and unplugged at the start of the work day. If the battery runs low it gets plugged back in and stays that way till the next morning. The only other time it stays plugged in, is during known heavy days. The electrons do need to be kept moving over time. Just like you and I a stale battery doesn't do much except die.

 

[Aatos.1]

Battery run times for mine are excellent.

 

[wct097]

It's not dumb. Read Apple's statements on battery care. It's not a matter of a battery memory, like NiCads, but rather keeping electrons moving. Read the links provided in the Battery FAQ for more details.

It's dumb? If you're trying to 'keep the electrons moving" to prevent the battery from losing capacity, you're hedging against a battery memory effect. Charging is what kills this type of battery, not lack of use.

These type of batteries suffer more from exposure to heat than anything else. IMO, the issue is likely heat related more than anything else.

 

[docal97]

Why not just take it in? Alot of times they will just replace it for free. Or at least do a diagnostic on your machine, which will reassure you that the problem is only a battery issue and not something else.

 

[newdeal]

...

could be the battery or could be the logic board. sometimes when the battery seems faulty its actually the logic board that has gone bad. Regardless I would take it in. If it is actually the battery that is bad its likely because you ran it plugged in all the time which is very bad for the battery. They need to be exercised in order to stay strong

 

[rawCpoppa]

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It may sound dumb but you really do lose battery capacity by leaving it plugged in too much. I had a mid 09 Mbp that I used to leave plugged in all the time and my battery stats began to drop after 4 months of it being plugged in most of the time.

As soon as I began letting the battery run down more and then charging the battery stats went back up. Apple actually recommends a bit of battery cycling...

 

[Sankersizzle]

my ex girlfriend had over 650 cycles on her 13" and it still got a good 3-4 hours of juice out of a single charge. she ran it down to empty almost twice a day.

i've got 71 on mine (since may) and my battery health reads at 71%, but I've never ever calibrated my battery. According to my battery bar indicator, as soon as i take my magsafe out i drop to 70% within 5 minutes and stay there for the next 4 hours, lol. i regularly have 10 hour sessions while i'm sitting in lecture just typing notes/facebooking.

 

[acidfast7]

I have a unibody MacBook from Feb 2009 (user-replaceable battery) with 504 cycles and it still has a capacity of 3982 mAh out of the original 4500 mAh.

You need to move the electrons more often to keep the battery capacity up to spec.

 

[acidfast7]

That only applies to the newer built-in batteries. For removable batteries, it's 300 cycles.

No, it's 80% original capacity remaining after 300 cycles, for removable batteries.

edit: And, 80% original capacity after 1000 cycles, for "non-serviceable" batteries.

 

[aCondor]

I would suggest taking it in to your local Apple store. They may be able to look over it quickly and give you some good advice. Be prepared to buy a new battery, though, if you don't have Apple Care.

 

[Eddyisgreat]

Why would you think 15 minutes is acceptable and that this is the norm?

Your battery is defective. If you have Applecare, bring it in and get a new one.

 

[slider78]

So you think that a battery going from 97% health to 2% health within a couple months after operating the laptop the same way for the last 2 years is a result of not exercising the battery on a daily basis? Sorry but I have to disagree...I could see it if the health were to decline over the course of the last year, but 95% in 2 months is a little ridiculous.

Anyways I do have Applecare, too bad I don't have a local apple store to just stop by and talk to them. Believe me, I wouldnt be here wasting my time nor yours asking about this if I did.

I thought rguardless of warranty time the batteries were only covered for a year...

 

[Eddyisgreat]

I thought rguardless of warranty time the batteries were only covered for a year...

Nah.

Your one-year warranty includes replacement coverage for a defective battery. You can extend your replacement coverage for a defective battery to three years from the date of your notebook purchase with the AppleCare Protection Plan. However, the AppleCare Protection Plan for notebook computers does not cover batteries that have stopped working or are exhibiting diminished capacity except when it is the result of a manufacturing defect.

Your battery is considered 'worn' when you have > 300 cycles or > 1000 cycles on the nonremovable models. It's defective when it's capacity is < 80% and cycle count is < 300 || < 1000.

GGJs has all this in his faq lol good reads.

 

[codyst]

Nah.



Your battery is considered 'worn' when you have > 300 cycles or > 1000 cycles on the nonremovable models. It's defective when it's capacity is < 80% and cycle count is < 300 || < 1000.

GGJs has all this in his faq lol good reads.

You're the man Eddy!

 

[GGJstudios]

If you're trying to 'keep the electrons moving" to prevent the battery from losing capacity, you're hedging against a battery memory effect. Charging is what kills this type of battery, not lack of use.

No, there is no memory effect in lithium-based batteries, but they do need to be used regularly to keep electrons moving.

For proper maintenance of a lithium-based battery, it’s important to keep the electrons in it moving occasionally. Apple does not recommend leaving your portable plugged in all the time. An ideal use would be a commuter who uses her notebook on the train, then plugs it in at the office to charge. This keeps the battery juices flowing.

Lithium ion batteries were developed in the 1970s and became commercially available at the end of the 1990s and quickly became ubiquitous in many mobile electronic devices. Their popularity grew because of their smaller size and the fact that they had no memory effect, unlike other rechargeables of the time, most notably nickel metal hydrides.

These type of batteries suffer more from exposure to heat than anything else. IMO, the issue is likely heat related more than anything else.

Again, you're wrong. You're talking about lithium-ion batteries, which do have heat issues, unlike Apple's lithium-polymer batteries, which don't have the same heat issues.

Lithium Polymer Chemistry
Lithium polymer batteries have the same basic chemistry as lithium ion batteries. However, the polymer cells use a porous separator that, when exposed to the electrolyte, turns to a gel. Because the gel isn't flammable, lithium polymer batteries have a different architecture, with the anode and cathode developed as a plate and stacked on top of each other. Lithium polymer batteries do not need a metal shell the way that lithium ion batteries do. In fact, the shell of lithium polymer batteries is often plastic.

Dangers
Lithium ion batteries do have issues, mainly due to their potential to overheat. Because of this, lithium ion batteries have an active protection circuit--essentially an onboard computer--that prevents the battery from overheating and potentially bursting into flame. Lithium polymer batteries do not need the active protection circuit, which is why it is possible to manufacturer them in sizes as small as a credit card.

i've got 71 on mine (since may) and my battery health reads at 71%, but I've never ever calibrated my battery.

If you've never calibrated it, you have no idea if the health reading is accurate. Why not calibrate it?

No, it's 80% original capacity remaining after 300 cycles, for removable batteries.

edit: And, 80% original capacity after 1000 cycles, for "non-serviceable" batteries.

That's exactly what I said.

 

[aristobrat]

Again, you're wrong. You're talking about lithium-ion batteries, which do have heat issues, unlike Apple's lithium-polymer batteries, which don't have the same heat issues.

In regards to the lithium-polymer batteries used in iPods/iPads/iPhones, Apple says otherwise. Why would that not also hold true with the lithium-ion batteries used in notebooks?

Paying attention to just a few commonsense pointers will pay off with a longer battery lifespan and battery life for your iPod. The most important thing is to keep your iPod out of the sun or a hot car (even the glove box). Heat will degrade your battery’s performance the most.

http://www.apple.com/batteries/ipods.html
http://www.apple.com/batteries/ipad.html
http://www.apple.com/batteries/iphone.html

 

[GGJstudios]

In regards to the lithium-ion batteries used in iPods/iPads/iPhones, Apple says otherwise. Why would that not also hold true with the lithium-ion batteries used in notebooks?

Paying attention to just a few commonsense pointers will pay off with a longer battery lifespan and battery life for your iPod. The most important thing is to keep your iPod out of the sun or a hot car (even the glove box). Heat will degrade your battery’s performance the most.

http://www.apple.com/batteries/ipods.html
http://www.apple.com/batteries/ipads.html
http://www.apple.com/batteries/iphones.html

That's the heat of the environment (out of the sun or a hot car (even the glove box)), not the heat generated by use. Even the notebooks have a recommended environmental temperature range that's recommended, but that's not the same thing:

Operating temperature: 50° to 95° F (10° to 35° C)

If the OP was operating their notebook in a 120F room, of course they're likely to have problems. Assuming the notebook is being operated in a normal environment, heat generated by normal operation is not an issue.