Did I get a bad battery?

[zippythecellist]

Last october, I had to get the battery in my mid 2010 17" macbook pro replaced...I'm running the 10.9.5 os. When the battery was installed, coconut battery said it had a maximum charge of about 13,200 or 13,300 mAh....now it is telling me it is at 10,617 mAh, when it was at 11,377 mAh last night before I went to bed. I only charge my computer about once a day, MAYBE twice if I had a lot of stuff to work on. I don't recall my old apple battery that my computer came with discharging nearly as fast, so I'm wondering if it's actually normal to lose 2000+ mAh in just a few months, not to mention losing 700 in not even a day? My battery has 116 loadcycles right now...

edit: I'm thinking the answer to my question may be an unfortunate yes. After my ipad finished syncing, coconut battery tells me that my battery has 12,876 mAh left. Somebody please tell me this fluctuations are normal, because I'm not going to be happy if another $180 battery purchase is going to be needed this year.

 

[chscag]

Is there some reason you need to run your MacBook Pro off battery all the time? Recharging once a day is going to diminish that battery fairly quick. If you're near a power outlet, run off that instead of using up your battery so fast.

 

[pigoo3]

All those mAh numbers don't mean much. Your main concern seems to be the maximum charge…so all your numbers need to be related to a full 100% charge.

Yes the computer will lose charge overnight. When the computer sleeps…it uses battery power. I have had a laptop lose up to 5% battery charge in 24 hours of just sleeping.

You need to charge this computer to 100% charge…and see what that mAh number is on an ongoing basis. And always look at 100% charge numbers.

And if you've had this new battery since October…why the "did I get a bad battery" concern start all of a sudden (3 months later)? If it was a "bad battery"…probably should have seen something much before now.

Finally. If this was an Apple replacement battery…and you think that something is "dodgy" about it. Head to the Apple Store for a discussion.

- Nick

 

[zippythecellist]

Well, I've only noticed this today. Until today, the max capacity was at 98% of the design capacity according to coconut battery, which is about what I would expect after 3 months. I know a computer will lose charge overnight, but I'm talking about the mAh actually left in the battery...losing 1000-2000 mAh is what I would expect after a whole year of use, not 3 months.

But you are basically saying that I only need to worry about the max capacity number when it is fully charged? I thought it didn't matter how charged it was since I didn't think the max capacity would change as the battery gets drained, but I'll have to start taking note of that every time I charge my laptop from now on I guess...

 

[pigoo3]

But you are basically saying that I only need to worry about the max capacity number when it is fully charged? I thought it didn't matter how charged it was since I didn't think the max capacity would change as the battery gets drained, but I'll have to start taking note of that every time I charge my laptop from now on I guess...

Sorry...some of my post may have been confusing. With Coconut Battery it shows (if I remember correctly) "Design Capacity" and "Maximum Charge"...and I'm guessing that this is what you are comparing. And as you see the "Maximum Charge" number decreases over time.

I happen to have a 2011 17" MacBook Pro...with only 13 charge cycles on its original battery (I leave it plugged in most of the time). Its battery "Design Capacity" was 8450mAh...and current "Maximum Charge" is 8305 (98.3%).

The batteries that Apple has been using in laptops since around 2009 (approx.) are the 1000 charge cycle type. What this is supposed to mean is...when you hit 1000 charge cycles...you're still supposed to have around 80% of design capacity left.

I'm a little confused by the battery numbers in post #1. What was the battery's "design capacity"...and what is it's current "maximum charge". These are the numbers we want to compare since the 116 charge cycles have been put on the battery.

- Nick

 

[zippythecellist]

Oh, ok...that makes more sense. Coconut battery tells me that the design capacity is 13,000 mAh, (although I do remember my battery having around 200-300 more than that the day it was installed after I checked it) and now the maximum charge is at 10,786 mAh after 116 loadcycles. Like I said earlier, that is really weird since coconut battery was telling me that number was 12,876 just a day ago. Would an smc reset stop the weird fluctuations in that number? I'm finding it very hard to believe that just a little over 100 cycles can seriously take 20% of the design capacity away, especially when the battery my computer came with took a few hundred cycles to get to that point.

Is there some reason you need to run your MacBook Pro off battery all the time? Recharging once a day is going to diminish that battery fairly quick. If you're near a power outlet, run off that instead of using up your battery so fast.

I always thought it was bad for the battery to continually charge it by keeping my computer plugged in all the time. I'm guessing I'm probably wrong about that though?

 

[pigoo3]

I always thought it was bad for the battery to continually charge it by keeping my computer plugged in all the time. I'm guessing I'm probably wrong about that though?

Did you see my example I mentioned above? I have a 2011 17" MacBook Pro with 13 charge cycles on it. I have it plugged in probably 99% of the time. Battery is in great shape. It is a good idea to periodically run on battery power just to get the electrons flowing in the other direction. I do this about once/month.

Lithium-ion batteries that Apple has been using for quite a while now are different than the batteries Apple used 10+ years ago.

- Nick

 

[chas_m]

Seconded. I have no won't get to MacBook Pros that I keep almost always plugged in. Both have had excellent battery life.

 

[zippythecellist]

Well, I did 2 smc resets. After both coconut battery told me I had 11,241 as a max charge...still kind of bs to lose that much in only 3 months, but looks like I just gotta save the battery power for when I'm in class and can't get to an outlet.

 

[pigoo3]

Well, I did 2 smc resets. After both coconut battery told me I had 11,241 as a max charge...still kind of bs to lose that much in only 3 months, but looks like I just gotta save the battery power for when I'm in class and can't get to an outlet.

On a side note. According to Apple specs...the battery used in both 2010 17" MBP's (like yours)...and 2011 17" MBP's (like mine) is a 95Wh battery. My 17" MBP still has it's original battery in it...and Coconut Battery reports that its Design Capacity is/was 8450mAh.

If 8450mAh is the Design Capacity of the original Apple battery used in 2010/2011 17" MBP's...this replacement battery you got must be "supercharged". Since you mentioned that its original Design Capacity was 13,200mAh...and Coconut Battery is still reporting 11,241 as its max. charge.

So if you're still getting a max. charge of 11,241mAh...and the capacity of an original Apple battery was 8450mAh...you're still way ahead!

Where did you get this battery (Apple or elsewhere)?

- Nick

 

[zippythecellist]

Actually, I think the design capacity of the batteries for the mid 2010 17" was 13,000. But then again, I probably have an older battery as CB is telling me it's almost a year old. I got the battery replaced at an apple store, after much frustration with trying to save money by buying ones from amazon and OWC that ended up not working properly.

 

[pm-r]

I just thought I'd mention that I got a replacement battery for my old MBPro last year from a reputable seller via amazon.ca. Aprox $50.00cdn landed price and it has the same specs as the $180.00± Apple replacement battery.

Any, just for the next time maybe if you need another battery. At least we can replace them easily on our old MacBooks.

 

[pm-r]

Actually, I think the design capacity of the batteries for the mid 2010 17" was 13,000. But then again, I probably have an older battery as CB is telling me it's almost a year old. I got the battery replaced at an apple store, after much frustration with trying to save money by buying ones from amazon and OWC that ended up not working properly.

Wow!! That's amazing to me as I've never had a problem with any battery from OWC, especially the NewerTech batteries. And usually better than any Apple replacement.

Not normal at all.

 

[pigoo3]

Actually, I think the design capacity of the batteries for the mid 2010 17" was 13,000.

According to Everymac.com...both 2010 & 2011 17" MBP's used the same 95Wh battery. Coconut battery says that the original design capacity of my original Apple battery was 8450mAh. This is why I'm assuming that the Design capacity of an original 2010 17" MBP would be the same (around 8450mAh). Thus the battery you have now seems to be better than original.

Of course I'm relying on what Coconut Battery is saying. If Coconut Battery is wrong...then what I'm saying is wrong!

- Nick