Out of warranty swollen battery

[Deamos]

I will call CR for sure and I told them in the shop also that I will try again. The battery is completely bloated the inner casing is no longer in place and fell off. The battery still holds charges though and was working in its bloated state but for obvious security concerns I removed it and it will only fit back in place if I forcibly push it.

I probably wouldn't mind a dead battery after this time but this? And to tell me it is normal??? Duh? So it's normal to expect a battery driven Apple device to explode under your hands at any given time then and it is also normal to throw away your battery after 2 years or whenever the swelling occurs? OK, so the swelling is apparently a required chemical reaction in order to prevent explosion? Can anyone confirm or explain this further?

In any case, a 2 year life cycle for a battery driven Apple product sic MacBook seems awfully short and not very competitive to say the least, not talking about the price.

edit: on the phone with CR, they tell me i can buy a new one... no replacement since the notebook wasn't damaged and the battery is just swollen which is to prevent explosion. I can buy a refurbished one for 104 € though!!! Hooray!

That still doesn't sound right. I had the same issue and they gave me mine for free...

 

[mckyvlle]

This sucks! The replacement battery Apple gave me is starting to bulge again.

I have a late 2007 black MacBook, the original battery started bulging and got it replaced under warranty in late 2009. Now the replacement battery is bulging. This battery only has 38 cycles on it, but down to 74% and System Profiler reports it's condition as "Check Battery".

Gave a call to AppleCare (UK), and was told that I am expected to buy my own battery. Think the situation will be better if I took a trip down to an Apple Store?

 

[Nobita]

This sucks! The replacement battery Apple gave me is starting to bulge again.

I have a late 2007 black MacBook, the original battery started bulging and got it replaced under warranty in late 2009. Now the replacement battery is bulging. This battery only has 38 cycles on it, but down to 74% and System Profiler reports it's condition as "Check Battery".

Gave a call to AppleCare (UK), and was told that I am expected to buy my own battery. Think the situation will be better if I took a trip down to an Apple Store?

Try to calibrate the battery. Laptops are meant to be used by discharging battery every once in a while. If your laptop is four years old and only has 38 cycles, it probably only needs a few calibrating and it should be better.

 

[mckyvlle]

Try to calibrate the battery. Laptops are meant to be used by discharging battery every once in a while. If your laptop is four years old and only has 38 cycles, it probably only needs a few calibrating and it should be better.

No, it's on its second battery now, which is just over a year old. True, 38 cycles for a year old battery still isn't much. I doubt that calibrating the battery will do anything to the bulge though.

 

[Nobita]

No, it's on its second battery now, which is just over a year old. True, 38 cycles for a year old battery still isn't much. I doubt that calibrating the battery will do anything to the bulge though.

I have a macbook 2008, one year younger than yours. I missed the new battery design just by a few months. It's ok though. It's still a very very good laptop. But yesterday the battery indicator says need service too. The battery cycle is around 450.

I won't buy a new one though... I guess I'll just use this one on my desk and maybe just use the two hours that the battery gives me when needed. Once it's our turn to buy a new laptop, I'll definitely go for the 9 hours +1000 cycles one =)

 

[mckyvlle]

Got back from the Genius Bar today, the Genius gave me a new battery for free. Explained as although batteries have a finite life, a swollen battery is not normal, and Apple will swap them without charge, regardless on whether the warranty status. Nice!

 

[Bwilky]

During the summer my Battery crapped out and stopped charging at 298 cycles. I called the US apple care whom after 20 minutes decided I was entitled to a battery replacement, but I had to call apple canada and re explain the entire issue again. Bleh, So I did. The guy there pulled out a BS story and tried to rip me off. I told him Policy is Policy and that the US Apple Care said I could have one. After a little bit of fighting, and throwing in some lines like "You know, my power cord gets really really really hot sometimes. I think I could cook an egg on it. Is that normal???" he finally gave in.

And I thought us Canadians were the friendliest.

 

[GGJstudios]

Try to calibrate the battery.

Calibrating will never solve the problem of a swelling battery. Swelling is a sign of defect that cannot be corrected; the battery must be replaced.

 

[iMouse]

Yep...same issue

My wife's 2008 aluminum Macbook battery is bulging as well. I didn't really notice it until the trackpad was beginning to feel a little on the tight side. The bottom cover never really fit well to begin with (always a mm or two gap), but now I realize that it was more than likely an issue with the battery that began a year after I purchased it.

I bought a new battery from an online retailer other than Apple (too expensive) and both the trackpad and bottom cover work/fit as intended. I wonder if Apple will still replace this battery as it appears to be a defect in the materials or the design itself.

 

[Apple OC]

Apple has replaced swollen batteries out of warranty before ... key point to make is you feel it is a safety issue

 

[fuzznoggin]

Battery Swell and Replacement

I had the 'swollen battery syndrome" happen to me 2 nights ago. Called Apple support but couldn't really reach any resolution except for an appointment at the local Genius Bar. Went to the Apple Store, politely presented the issue to them, and they replaced the battery - free, no charges whatsoever! Macbook is 3 years old and out of warranty too. You'd never see such service with a PC.

** By the way, the tech said the replacement battery was made up using a different chemical that was traced to the swelling issue; so I shouldn't see this one swell like the original did. We'll wait and see I guess. **

 

[insearchof]

Remove swollen battery

Guys, a little help please! I have a 13 inch late 2009 White MacBook. Battery swelled. Out of warranty. I've removed the battery but are there any issues with using the MacBook without the battery? I'm a bit worried that dust will get into the exposed compartment now. I don't want another issue in the making while I deal with trying to get the battery replaced. Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[GGJstudios]

Guys, a little help please! I have a 13 inch late 2009 White MacBook. Battery swelled. Out of warranty. I've removed the battery but are there any issues with using the MacBook without the battery?

It won't damage your Mac to run on AC power without the battery, but your processor speed will be throttled as a result. This should answer most, if not all, of your battery questions:

Apple Notebook Battery FAQ​