Ridiculously bad battery life...

Hello, I have a (almost) two year old MBP 2.16ghz Core Duo setup (got it sept. '06) and I have replaced the battery in it about this time last year because the original failed. Now my replacement battery is going south. REALLY far south. It has only 33 cycles on it and the health is about 17%, or 954 out of the original 5500mHa or so. Kind of sad considering that I calibrated it when I first got it and only used it lightly every other week or so on battery power (my MBP is a desk queen). It's not buckling out or oddly hot at all, but my question is can I still get a free replacement or do I need to dish out $80 for a new one, and has anyone else had this happen to theirs? Thanks!

I'd suggest contacting the company you purchased it from and telling them calmly/nicely what happened. They generally don't like to help yelling people, but are willing to be nice to people that are talking nice. Imagine that, eh? When did you buy it? It still may be under manufacture warranty.

The original battery was replaced under warranty through my local Apple service center. I'm not really that ticked, just surprised really; I mostly use my laptop at my desk and it rarely ever leaves its perch since I have it wired up like a Christmas tree with an eSATA drive via expresscard, an external monitor, mouse, and DVD burner as well as ethernet. I sometimes use it when is sit in my bed on wifi, but that's a very rare occasion.

So to stay on topic, I didn't purchase my last replacement as it was under warranty, but would my replacement battery also carry a warranty? Thanks!

It should if its within the time limit of warranty. They replaced it because your other one was faulty. It wouldn't make any sense to not have a replacement of a faulty battery under the same warranty... as it is the same model and can have the same problem. How old is it?

Not sure about the warranty length, I'll probably just call and ask them, but it's around the one year marker right now (the battery that is).

from what apple has told me in the past, a replacement battery has the rest of the "first year" as its warranty, or 90days, whichever is longer.

after that, thats it. It wont hurt to give them a call, see what they say.

Did you purchase applecare mine was taken care of under that plan.

Got the same problem with my battery for MacBook Pro 15 (got it Dec 2006). Called Apple Care and they told me that battery is consumable and is not covered under APP Terms and Condition section 1.b. (Limitation). paragraph ix. The rude lady on the other end told me to go the store and buy another battery.
I now operate my MacBookPro without a battery and with duct tape underneath to cover the previous batteries spot. Now I don't have to worry about low battery charge. I was going to buy a new MacBook Air, but I think they lost that sale.

Oh yeah, just remove that Apple sticker off my cars!

Batteries ARE consumable, and they won't stay 100% even if you never run your unit off of them.

If it's 1yr old or older, you'll probably just have to get another one.



When you do get a replacement (however you do it), you will want to USE it, at least once in a while. Run it down (to about 20% or so) every couple weeks, and let it fully charge.

From Apple:


Standard Maintenance
For proper maintenance of a lithium-based battery, it’s important to keep the electrons in it moving occasionally. Apple does not recommend leaving your portable plugged in all the time. An ideal use would be a commuter who uses her MacBook Pro on the train, then plugs it in at the office to charge. This keeps the battery juices flowing. If on the other hand, you use a desktop computer at work, and save a notebook for infrequent travel, Apple recommends charging and discharging its battery at least once per month. Need a reminder? Add an event to your desktop’s iCal.

jerrya said:

Oh yeah, just remove that Apple sticker off my cars!

Click to expand...

How is this apples fault? Why be mad at them? Batteries are consumable and shouldn't be covered by apple care. It is unlikely that a battery would list the duration of 3 years that apple care offers so why would it be a smart thing for them to cover it?

Are you also mad when your car dealer won't replace your brake pads, wind shield wipers, or other wear items under the bumper to bumper warranty?