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Macbook Pro (Late 2009) 13'' Battery Issues

S

sick z33

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Sep 20, 2008
295
4
My battery is only lasting 2 hours at the most on a full charge. My battery cycle count is at 140, And I try to cycle the battery at least 1-2 times monthly. The condition reads normal. I am using dim brightness on monitor, with no bluetooth enabled. Only casual internet browsing, and checking email. I used to be able to leave my Macbook on coffee table and use it for 1-2 hours a day and it would last the whole week by just putting it to sleep in between those times I use it.

Anyone have recommendations? I'm pretty sure its a faulty battery, but it seems like it would be too soon to already have to replace the battery. Based on the cycle count and battery health as "normal", would this be covered under Applecare?
 
Thanks for the info! I forgot to mention that I have already properly calibrated the battery. :(
 
GGJstudios said:
Read the FAQ, especially the BATTERY LIFE FROM A CHARGE section. Also, do you have Parallels installed?
Click to expand...

Thanks :) I'm reading up on the information now. And yes I do have Parallels installed, although I hardly use it anymore. Could that be an issue?
 
www.batteryuniversity.com is a good read. They recommend:

Do not discharge Li-ion too low; charge more often.

A random or partial charge is fine. Li-ion does not need a full charge.

High heat and full state-of-charge, not cycling, cause short battery life in laptops.

I think everyone calibrates too often. Once every quarter is fine. Discharging a Li-Ion battery completely is bad for the battery in the long run.

Use your MacBook on battery a little every day and it will last a long time.
 
sick z33 said:
Thanks :) I'm reading up on the information now. And yes I do have Parallels installed, although I hardly use it anymore. Could that be an issue?
Click to expand...
Mac Dock consuming 100% of CPU core after upgrade to Mac OS X 10.6.8
Maxpilot said:
www.batteryuniversity.com is a good read.
Click to expand...
It's a good read, but it's generic and isn't as relevant as the information Apple provides on the specific battery technology they use. It's better to follow Apple's recommendations since Apple, not batteryuniversity.com, is liable to replace batteries that are faulty.
 
GGJstudios said:
Mac Dock consuming 100% of CPU core after upgrade to Mac OS X 10.6.8

It's a good read, but it's generic and isn't as relevant as the information Apple provides on the specific battery technology they use. It's better to follow Apple's recommendations since Apple, not batteryuniversity.com, is liable to replace batteries that are faulty.
Click to expand...

Actually it's the other way around. Apple is providing basic generic guidance on how to charge and maintain the batteries used in their products. I don't see any contradictions to what Batteryuniversity and Apple are saying.

I do have a problem with you telling everyone to calibrate their battery every time it falls short of Apple's stated times. Calibrating does nothing to make a battery last longer. Calibrating only adjusts the digital fuel gauge. Deep discharging a Li-Ion battery will cause more harm than good (little by little).
 
Maxpilot said:
Actually it's the other way around. Apple is providing basic generic guidance on how to charge and maintain the batteries used in their products.
Click to expand...
No, batteryuniversity info applies to lithium ion batteries in general. They do not have specific information about the lithium polymer batteries used in Apple notebooks. Apple's specific application of charging technology, the batteries and the MagSafe adapters, is not generic and is not discussed on batteryuniversity.com.
Maxpilot said:
I do have a problem with you telling everyone to calibrate their battery every time it falls short of Apple's stated times. Calibrating does nothing to make a battery last longer. Calibrating only adjusts the digital fuel gauge. Deep discharging a Li-Ion battery will cause more harm than good (little by little).
Click to expand...
Calibrating doesn't make a battery last longer. It makes the readings more accurate. That's clearly stated in the Battery FAQ, which you would do well to read instead of batteryuniversity.com. Most people look at the estimated time remaining or their battery health as indicated and freak out, thinking their battery life is much less. Calibration is a first step to make sure their readings are as accurate as possible. Do yourself a favor and read the Battery FAQ, so you have the whole story.
 
Maxpilot said:
Actually it's the other way around. Apple is providing basic generic guidance on how to charge and maintain the batteries used in their products. I don't see any contradictions to what Batteryuniversity and Apple are saying.

I do have a problem with you telling everyone to calibrate their battery every time it falls short of Apple's stated times. Calibrating does nothing to make a battery last longer. Calibrating only adjusts the digital fuel gauge. Deep discharging a Li-Ion battery will cause more harm than good (little by little).
Click to expand...

He states that in his FAQ.
 
GGJstudios said:
No, batteryuniversity info applies to lithium ion batteries in general. They do not have specific information about the lithium polymer batteries used in Apple notebooks. Apple's specific application of charging technology, the batteries and the MagSafe adapters, is not generic and is not discussed on batteryuniversity.com.

Calibrating doesn't make a battery last longer. It makes the readings more accurate. That's clearly stated in the Battery FAQ, which you would do well to read instead of batteryuniversity.com. Most people look at the estimated time remaining or their battery health as indicated and freak out, thinking their battery life is much less. Calibration is a first step to make sure their readings are as accurate as possible. Do yourself a favor and read the Battery FAQ, so you have the whole story.
Click to expand...

I don't know why you are getting all defensive about this.
 
Maxpilot said:
You told the OP to go calibrate his battery and Apple's guidance says it does not need calibrating... so you sir are the one who should do yourself a favor and educate yourself.
Click to expand...
I'm not defensive at all. Calibration isn't a one-time event. That's clear, since Apple recommends calibration every month or two. Pre-calibrated models don't need the initial or regular calibration, but if a user suspects readings may be inaccurate, calibration is quite appropriate. I didn't recommend calibration as the only step. I referred them to the Battery FAQ, which gives a lot more information about their issue.
 
Thanks for all the help GGJstudios. I went ahead and got rid of Parallels since I hardly used it anymore. I also installed ClicktoPlugin and doing a calibration now.

Battery Health currently shows as 87% on iStat.
 
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