Power failure

[ortho1121]

My MACBook AIR (2013) running Sierra 10.12.6 has a power issue. Runs perfectly when plugged in but when running on a fully charged battery the machine will just turn off after about 5 minutes of use. Screen just goes black and turns off. any thoughts

 

[pigoo3]

How many charge cycles does the battery have on it?

To find this out...go to:

1. Apple Drop Down Menu
2. About this Mac
3. System Report
4. Click on "Power" in the left margin.
5. Within the info on the right side of the window you will see "Cycle Count".

If the battery has a high number of cycles...very likely this is the issue.

Nick

 

[ortho1121]

How many charge cycles does the battery have on it?

To find this out...go to:

1. Apple Drop Down Menu
2. About this Mac
3. System Report
4. Click on "Power" in the left margin.
5. Within the info on the right side of the window you will see "Cycle Count".

If the battery has a high number of cycles...very likely this is the issue.

Nick

Can I just replace the battery?

 

[ortho1121]

Says 550 charges and below it says service battery. Can the battery be replaced?

 

[pigoo3]

550 battery cycles isn't super high...usually Apple says portable computer batteries should still retain 80% of their charge capacity at 1000 cycles. But the "Service Battery" message is concerning.

Yes the battery can be replaced. Here's one example of a replacement battery for a 2013 MacBook Air (assuming it's a 13" display model):

Replacement Batteries For 13" MacBook Air 2010 - 2014 Models

NewerTech NuPower 60 Watt-Hour Replacement Battery for all 13" Apple MacBook Air 2010 - 2017 models. 1 Year Newer Technology Limited Warranty.

eshop.macsales.com

Before spending any money...I would suggest doing an SMC Reset:

If your Mac battery won’t charge

If your battery won’t charge, check the software and hardware of your Mac, or get your Mac serviced.

support.apple.com

HTH,

Nick

 

[ortho1121]

550 battery cycles isn't super high...usually Apple says portable computer batteries should still retain 80% of their charge capacity at 1000 cycles. But the "Service Battery" message is concerning.

Yes the battery can be replaced. Here's one example of a replacement battery for a 2013 MacBook Air (assuming it's a 13" display model):

Replacement Batteries For 13" MacBook Air 2010 - 2014 Models

NewerTech NuPower 60 Watt-Hour Replacement Battery for all 13" Apple MacBook Air 2010 - 2017 models. 1 Year Newer Technology Limited Warranty.

eshop.macsales.com

Before spending any money...I would suggest doing an SMC Reset:

If your Mac battery won’t charge

If your battery won’t charge, check the software and hardware of your Mac, or get your Mac serviced.

support.apple.com

HTH,

Nick

The battery charges and reads 100% when the power cable is removed but after about 5 minutes it just quits. When I reboot it reads 85% so it seems to drain quickly. But still don’t understand why it just quits.

 

[pigoo3]

Thanks for the extra info.

Before spending any money on a replacement battery...try doing the SMC reset. If the SMC Reset doesn't help...a replacement battery may be the way to go.

This of course assumes there are no cable issues...or an issue with the power adapter itself. Since your menu bar battery charge indicator shows the lightning bolt...we have to assume the cable & power adapter are ok.

Nick