Please Help! Battery Problems

[Baldrick0712]

My battery started playing up a few days ago and now it is showing the [X] symbol for "Battery not available". I almost always work off mains power using the power adaptor so the battery has not been drained of power for ages. I think maybe this is the problem and the battery needs replacing.

However, there are some odd things about it that make me wonder if the battery is really dead. First, I tried booting from the mains adaptor and pulling the power lead out of the macbook as it booted and it actually continued to boot for a while. I think it got as far as the desktop screen, then it shut down. So, there must presumably be some power in it?

In addition, I pressed alt and clicked the batttery [X] icon and it showed this (screenshot below). How can my battery's condition be "Normal" and yet the battery is not recognised? I don't want to pay for a new battery only to discover that the battery is fine and there is some other problem. Any assistance would be much appreciated.

 

[ProducerP]

Looks very strange!

It might be booting up, then shutting down, as I'd imagine it's booting up with what 'little' power the battery appears to have, then when it does get to the desktop screen, I'd imagine the processors etc would drain the battery a bit more.

Strange how it's showing an X, yet says the condition is normal. I would advise you take it to Apple, or perhaps a reseller, who might be able to help. Depending on your Macbook, you might be able to buy a new battery, or they might even be able to advise with what is up with it.

 

[DeltaMac]

...now it is showing the [X] symbol for "Battery not available". I almost always work off mains power using the power adaptor so the battery has not been drained of power for ages. I think maybe this is the problem and the battery needs replacing.

... How can my battery's condition be "Normal" and yet the battery is not recognised? I don't want to pay for a new battery only to discover that the battery is fine and there is some other problem. Any assistance would be much appreciated...

I think the important points are: condition normal, BUT no battery is available.

Does your System Information report any info about the battery (under the Power tab)?

If your battery is the removable type, you could try a battery calibration: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1490

I would suggest that, assuming a removable battery, shut down, disconnect the power adapter, and remove the battery. Press the power button for 5 seconds, then release.
Reinsert the battery. Do NOT attempt to turn on, but do plug in your power adapter.
The light on the adapter plug should be green for a few seconds, then change amber/orange, indicating charging. Leave it for at least 10 minutes. Start up then. If your battery is now registering (no X in the menu), check in system information for the Power/battery information. Continue with the calibration, as listed in the article.
A service shop would try a known-good battery as a test. That might be a good option for you, too, if possible.

How old is your laptop? is that the original battery?

 

[Baldrick0712]

Thanks for the suggestions. The battery does not show up in system profile or using the coconutbattery checker I downloaded. It's as if there's no battery at all inside, though I know there is one. And yes, it's the original battery in a machine that is 41 months old (reported age given by coconutBattery, which seems about right). CoconutBattery just showed NA in all the battery info fields.

Some other clues for you. About a week before this happened I took the back off and installed 8 GB of RAM in place of the 2GB already there. Maybe I knocked something or the 8 GB I installed killed the already quite old battery?

In desperation I installed OS X Mavericks this afternoon, with no real issues, but the battery indicator is still showing the [X] icon and Normal condition text. Interestingly the installer said I was running off the battery and should connect the power adaptor, even though it was already connected. I ignored it and did the install with no problems, being careful of course not to disconnect the adaptor/charger otherwise the machine would have shut down during the install.

 

[Baldrick0712]

A quick update on this. I have ordered a new battery as I am convinced that the "Condition: Normal" being reported by the macbook is a spurious false reading. All other indicators suggest that the battery is dead, or near dead, and it's over 3 years old and has not been regularly calibrated as it should have so it is most definitely an unhealthy battery in my opinion. I will let you know if the new battery fixes the problem.

 

[Baldrick0712]

In case anyone else encounters this issue, I replaced the battery and this resolved the problem.

 

[Kimpan]

Can you please tell me where you bought your battery? I need one and am unsure where to buy from. There is a huge price difference depending where you look.

 

[Baldrick0712]

Can you please tell me where you bought your battery? I need one and am unsure where to buy from. There is a huge price difference depending where you look.

I live in the UK and bought it here...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Battery-Unibody-A1331-A1342-661-5391/dp/B009K1GL4O

The main thing that swayed me is that the seller includes both of the screwdrivers you need to install the thing, which saved me at least an extra few pounds as one is not a standard type.