Swollen Battery?

[zzolppari]

Hi,
I need some help. It appears that my laptop, MacBookPro5,1 15" 2008, has slightly swollen battery in it.

Replacement battery seems to be quite expensive in my country and this computer isn't covered by warranty anymore. It was bought used and the previous owner had dropped it pretty badly (there is dents on the cover where the apple logo resides), is it possible that very slight battery deformation could be caused by this drop? Alternatively, could the deformation be caused by excess heat coming from the components and/or being plugged it for too long (the laptop is pretty much always plugged in at home)?

I am aware that Lithium ion polymer batteries can be dangerous if swollen (this article has some scary pictures, but my battery isn't that bad, at least not yet):
http://www.tekrevue.com/swollen-battery/

Picture of the battery cover not quite fitting when the battery is inside the laptop:
http://i.imgur.com/7iGI7Gw.jpg

Picture of the battery itself (it is not easy to tell from this awful picture, but I can feel with my hand at least that the battery is uneven):
http://i.imgur.com/xMHjx8S.jpg

Here is coconutbattery stats:
http://i.imgur.com/1eaUY5v.jpg

Here is batterycare stats:
http://i.imgur.com/1jR8YY0.jpg
I also did Windows Battery health check which shows the same stats as batterycare.

Another strange thing I noticed is that the battery indicator is not correct: On both OSX and Windows side the computer will shut down without warnings at 37-40%.

 

[GGJstudios]

Hi,
I need some help. It appears that my laptop, MacBookPro5,1 15" 2008, has slightly swollen battery in it.

No, the swelling is not caused by heat or a drop. It is not uncommon for a battery to swell near the end of its life. You should replace the battery immediately, before the swelling damages other components of your Mac. The cost of replacing the battery is small, compared to the cost of replacing your entire MBP.

Another strange thing I noticed is that the battery indicator is not correct: On both OSX and Windows side the computer will shut down without warnings at 37-40%.

That's because your battery needs to be calibrated, assuming it hasn't stopped functioning altogether. Read the CALIBRATION section of the following link.

The link below should answer most, if not all, of your battery/charging questions, including tips for maximizing battery performance. If you haven’t already done so, I highly recommend you take the time to read it.

Apple Notebook Battery FAQ​

 

[Brian Y]

Hi,
I need some help. It appears that my laptop, MacBookPro5,1 15" 2008, has slightly swollen battery in it.

Replacement battery seems to be quite expensive in my country and this computer isn't covered by warranty anymore. It was bought used and the previous owner had dropped it pretty badly (there is dents on the cover where the apple logo resides), is it possible that very slight battery deformation could be caused by this drop? Alternatively, could the deformation be caused by excess heat coming from the components and/or being plugged it for too long (the laptop is pretty much always plugged in at home)?

I am aware that Lithium ion polymer batteries can be dangerous if swollen (this article has some scary pictures, but my battery isn't that bad, at least not yet):
http://www.tekrevue.com/swollen-battery/

Picture of the battery cover not quite fitting when the battery is inside the laptop:
http://i.imgur.com/7iGI7Gw.jpg

Picture of the battery itself (it is not easy to tell from this awful picture, but I can feel with my hand at least that the battery is uneven):
http://i.imgur.com/xMHjx8S.jpg

Here is coconutbattery stats:
http://i.imgur.com/1eaUY5v.jpg

Here is batterycare stats:
http://i.imgur.com/1jR8YY0.jpg
I also did Windows Battery health check which shows the same stats as batterycare.

Another strange thing I noticed is that the battery indicator is not correct: On both OSX and Windows side the computer will shut down without warnings at 37-40%.

Firstly, take the battery out. If it swells more it could bend the casing.

Have you looked on eBay for used batteries? Just to get you by?

 

[zzolppari]

The cost of replacing the battery is small, compared to the cost of replacing your entire MBP.

I suppose you are correct. For now, I will just have to use the laptop without the battery.

Firstly, take the battery out. If it swells more it could bend the casing.

Have you looked on eBay for used batteries? Just to get you by?

That was the first thing I did.

As for eBay, I don't really have any experience using it.

I was planning to buy a new Cameron Sino battery which would be a bit cheaper than Apple battery, unless you guys have any objections to that? I have bought Cameron Sino batteries before, for Samsung and Nokia phones and they were fine. They would also offer 1 year of warranty.

Thank you for the quick replies.

 

[Gav2k]

I suppose you are correct. For now, I will just have to use the laptop without the battery.



That was the first thing I did.

As for eBay, I don't really have any experience using it.

I was planning to buy a new Cameron Sino battery which would be a bit cheaper than Apple battery, unless you guys have any objections to that? I have bought Cameron Sino batteries before, for Samsung and Nokia phones and they were fine. They would also offer 1 year of warranty.

Thank you for the quick replies.

There are good and bad reviews online. Would I risk it? No!

The reason I'd get a genuine battery is simple. If that swells and damages my MacBook apple will look after me!

 

[GGJstudios]

I suppose you are correct. For now, I will just have to use the laptop without the battery.

If you operate your MBP with the battery removed, the CPU will be throttled and you will have degraded performance. It's not recommended. See the AC POWER section of the Battery FAQ I posted.

I was planning to buy a new Cameron Sino battery which would be a bit cheaper than Apple battery, unless you guys have any objections to that?

I wouldn't trust or recommend any non-Apple battery or adapter, due to the number of problems reported with "knockoffs". Also, there is no assurance that knockoff batteries or adapters have the same charging technology that Apple uses, involving the battery, the MagSafe adapter and the Mac's logic board. To me, it's not worth risking your $2000 Mac to save a few dollars on a replacement battery or adapter, but the choice is yours.

Battery Service and Recycling