Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Older 17" Macbook Pro battery got fat.

D

defektion

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jan 29, 2010
141
3
I have a late-2007 ? Maybe 2008 17" Macbook Pro with a bloated battery.

What's the normal procedure for such events?

Also, I don't plan on spending any $$$ on a new battery because it's an old discontinued laptop that my company bought few years back for one of our web devs.
 
defektion said:
I have a late-2007 ? Maybe 2008 17" Macbook Pro with a bloated battery.

What's the normal procedure for such events?

Also, I don't plan on spending any $$$ on a new battery because it's an old discontinued laptop that my company bought few years back for one of our web devs.
Click to expand...

You'll want to remove the battery ASAP if that's within your capabilities and you'll either want to just use the laptop on AC or buy a new battery.
 
The battery will need to be replaced, or you will need to run on AC power. You need to remove the battery. It will continue to expand and eventually cause internal damage to other components. It may even leak corrosive chemicals if the case is bad enough. New batteries for old MBPs are just over $100 from Apple. There are third party vendors, but I've heard stories about the batteries not having the same life expectancy.
 
defektion said:
I have a late-2007 ? Maybe 2008 17" Macbook Pro with a bloated battery.

What's the normal procedure for such events?

Also, I don't plan on spending any $$$ on a new battery because it's an old discontinued laptop that my company bought few years back for one of our web devs.
Click to expand...

Take it to Apple. This is a safety hazard, and there's a chance they'll replace it because of the potential fire risk.
 
defektion said:
I have a late-2007 ? Maybe 2008 17" Macbook Pro with a bloated battery. .
Click to expand...
This is the only major problem I've ever had with any of the vast number of new Apple laptops I've owned.

Mine was six months out of it's 3yr AppleCare warranty when the battery expanded. I called tech support, and had the usual friendly conversation with the specialist. Much to my amazement and without hesitation, they volunteered to send me a new MBP.

It was that experience that convinced me to always buy AppleCare with my new laptops. It's also one of many reasons I remain fiercely loyal to Apple.
 
This happens to me about every 1.5 years. I have a late 2007 C2D MBP. It really makes me angry.

I just ordered the rMBP and I'm extremely nervous about the bad luck I had with my 17 MBP (this is just one of them).
 
poppe said:
This happens to me about every 1.5 years. I have a late 2007 C2D MBP. It really makes me angry.

I just ordered the rMBP and I'm extremely nervous about the bad luck I had with my 17 MBP (this is just one of them).
Click to expand...

Do you leave it plugged in even when the battery is fully charged? If so, don't do that. It is bad for your battery and may very well be contributing to your issues. My mom had to change a few habits like that, because of the way she was going through batteries on her '07 MB.

Also, did you get AppleCare? If so, you should be covered for repair or replacement in the event that your battery goes bad in 1.5-2 years.
 
defektion said:
I have a late-2007 ? Maybe 2008 17" Macbook Pro with a bloated battery.

What's the normal procedure for such events?
Click to expand...
Get it replaced before it damages your MBP.
gokart mozart said:
Do you leave it plugged in even when the battery is fully charged? If so, don't do that. It is bad for your battery and may very well be contributing to your issues.
Click to expand...
That is false. If you leave your Mac plugged in after it's fully charged, it stops charging. It will not overcharge or damage the battery in any way. It's only bad for the battery if you only use it plugged in, as the battery needs to be used regularly to stay healthy.

This should answer most, if not all, of your battery/charging questions:
 
gokart mozart said:
Do you leave it plugged in even when the battery is fully charged? If so, don't do that. It is bad for your battery and may very well be contributing to your issues.
Click to expand...

My 2008 MBP stayed plugged in a LOT after it reached 100% and it never caused a problem. The information you're giving out isn't true. The battery won't charge past 100%, so it's not something that the OP needs to worry about.
 
sweetbrat said:
My 2008 MBP stayed plugged in a LOT after it reached 100% and it never caused a problem. The information you're giving out isn't true. The battery won't charge past 100%, so it's not something that the OP needs to worry about.
Click to expand...

Jeeze, I got it already. I'm only going by what a service tech told me once after I replaced a 2007 MB battery a year ago. I was apparently misinformed.
 
Keep in mind that the MacBook Pros from that age only run at half CPU speed with no battery installed. Unfortunately, there's no good way around needing to replace the battery if you want the computer to run at a reasonable speed.
 
gokart mozart said:
Do you leave it plugged in even when the battery is fully charged? If so, don't do that. It is bad for your battery and may very well be contributing to your issues. My mom had to change a few habits like that, because of the way she was going through batteries on her '07 MB.

Also, did you get AppleCare? If so, you should be covered for repair or replacement in the event that your battery goes bad in 1.5-2 years.
Click to expand...

why are you telling him something thats wrong? at least know what you're talking about.
 
Zeov said:
why are you telling him something thats wrong? at least know what you're talking about.
Click to expand...
That's already been pointed out twice and they acknowledged that they were misinformed. No need to keep harping on it.
 
Lol. This isn't even my laptop it's the companies laptop. 9 0% of the time it was plugged in. The Health of the battery was about 60%. If this was my laptop I would have taken better care of it ;)
 
gokart mozart said:
Do you leave it plugged in even when the battery is fully charged? If so, don't do that. It is bad for your battery and may very well be contributing to your issues. My mom had to change a few habits like that, because of the way she was going through batteries on her '07 MB.

Also, did you get AppleCare? If so, you should be covered for repair or replacement in the event that your battery goes bad in 1.5-2 years.
Click to expand...

I know you all ready corrected yourself on the plug in part so no reason to cover that. Even though others pointed out that it was wrong I still appreciate the advice as I was constantly looking for solutions because that many batteries seemed rather excessive.

Yes two of the batteries were covered by Applecare, but that ended after the 3 years and I still have the computer now. Plus the Topanga Canyon Westfield Mall Apple store employees have always treated me like I was trying to scam them... I've had problems with my computer since the when I first bought it (kernel panics, fried batteries, flash stopped working after the first year, and much more), and every time I tried to get help they were just awful... So even when it was in warranty I stopped going get my battery replaced for free because my day when a lot better when I didn't have to deal with them.

EDIT: To answer your question - I do leave my computer plugged in the majority of the time. The first year I wasn't leaving it plugged in that often, but because of that I was going through the cycle life of the battery too fast which was also another reason why I almost got denied a replacement under warranty.
 
defektion said:
I have a late-2007 ? Maybe 2008 17" Macbook Pro with a bloated battery.

What's the normal procedure for such events?

Also, I don't plan on spending any $$$ on a new battery because it's an old discontinued laptop that my company bought few years back for one of our web devs.
Click to expand...

The normal procedure:
Take the battery out and throw it away (ok, if possible bring it to apple or to some battery recycling station). The same happened to my battery after ~5 years, a bit annoying but what can you expect.

The alternative procedure:
Go to the Apple store and make a scene. Shout around, explain how this almost burned your house down, how you expect more from a $3000 laptop, etc. I'm too shy to do that, but I would understand if other people do so...

If you're really annoyed:
File a class action lawsuit :)
 
No, don't go the Apple store and "make a scene"… my goodness!

Go to the Apple Store with your battery and have them check to see if your serial number is on a recall list. Some of the 17" MBP batteries from 2006-2007 were recalled. Same thing happened to my battery, but mine was not on the recall list.

Quality replacement batteries by Level 8 are only $65.
 
AZREOSpecialist said:
No, don't go the Apple store and "make a scene"… my goodness!

Go to the Apple Store with your battery and have them check to see if your serial number is on a recall list. Some of the 17" MBP batteries from 2006-2007 were recalled.
Click to expand...
I believe the deadline for the recall was 4 years from date of purchase of your Mac. This is the only battery recall I'm familiar with:
According to the Apple 15-inch MacBook Pro Battery Exchange Program (they don't call it a "recall") the only people that need to be worried about the bad batteries are those that purchased 15-inch MacBook Pros between February and May 2006.
Click to expand...
Apple recalls early MacBook Pro 15-inch batteries | ZDNet
 
Last edited:
this happened to me last year with my late 2008 17". i was already well over the applecare coverage so I just brought it in to see what they would say. the apple genius said that it would cost xxx amount to replace the battery (i can't remember how much), i conceded and we went through the process of giving them the mbp and drafting up the paperwork, only to find out at the end that she ended up not charging me for it (intentionally) and got a free battery.

so doesn't hurt to take it in and see what they say, although ymmv.
 
terraphantm said:
You said it's not unhealthy for a battery to stay fully charged. Reality is simply staying above 85% for extended periods shortens the life. If you intend not to use it for a while, it's best discharge it a bit.
Click to expand...
No, I said it's not unhealthy to use a Mac portable on AC power with the battery fully charged. You don't have to unplug it as soon as it's charged, because it will not overcharge. It stops charging when it's full, even if it remains plugged in. Go back and read my posts. I always say it's not good to run exclusively on AC power, as the battery needs to be used to stay healthy. Read the Battery FAQ for details.

My exact quote:
GGJstudios said:
If you leave your Mac plugged in after it's fully charged, it stops charging. It will not overcharge or damage the battery in any way. It's only bad for the battery if you only use it plugged in, as the battery needs to be used regularly to stay healthy.
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back