MBP 2015 Battery Replacements

[alembic]

My 13" MBP 2015 has been a great machine but in the summer of 2018 I had to replace a swollen battery under warranty. This issue has happened every summer since then: 2019, 2020, 2021, each time costing about CA$400. And now it's swollen yet again.

I do keep the laptop plugged in all the time and I realize this isn't optimum for Li batteries, but annual replacements seems too frequent. Has anyone else experienced this? In comparison, I have an 11" 2012 MBA which has never had a battery replacement. It's plugged in constantly (although it's not used as much).

I've read that the MBP can operate without a battery but performance is degraded drastically? I just need it to do basic tasks until I replace the unit with an M1/M2 model of some sort later this year.

 

[cryptocat]

You don't want to operate a Macbook without its battery.

It will downclock to the lowest possible speed. My 2008 MBP 15" would run at 800MHz all the time when its battery died. Normal clockspeed is 2400MHz. Unbearably slow.

So you spent a lot of money on new batteries and it keeps happening? They might swell up after a couple of years, especially with being at 100% all the time. But every year? Do you live in the desert with lots of heat?

Either really bad luck or something else is broken. Bad PSU or board?

Just get a cheap 3rd party battery and put it in yourself. Or...live with it. Don't waste more money on official battery replacements, especially now that Intel Macbooks aren't worth much anymore. I'm amazed you paid for a replacement three times already. You ever talked to apple about it?

 

[alembic]

The first battery was under warranty but I've paid for two subsequent replacements. This would be the fourth and third one I would pay out of pocket.

Where I live the summers are hot. I keep my office reasonably cool though.

I'm still running Mojave so there's a hack to disable the battery management kext if I decide to run the laptop without a battery.

There was a recall for swollen batteries in the 15" MBP released mid-2015 onwards; since my 13" early-2015 model exhibited the same issue, I enter its serial number at Apple's recall site to see if I could get a refund on past repairs (done by an authorized dealer). This was unsuccessful.

In retrospect, my two previous MBPs were afflicted with dGPU issues due to faulty designs so I've soured on their mobile offerings (although, again, my MBA has had no problems whatsoever). When it's released, I'm leaning to the M2 Mac Mini as my next daily driver since portability is no longer a requirement.

 

[Madhatter32]

I have a 15" MBP mid-2014 still on its original battery. It stays plugged in most of the time. Your experience indicates that there might be an issue on the logic board regulating power to the battery. Four replacements needed in seven years is not normal -- especially with how you describe your usage. I would look for a new device if I were you especially since battery replacement charges are so expensive at Apple. Otherwise, look to replace the battery yourself through iFixit.

 

[wilberforce]

I replaced my 13" 2015 MBP battery myself for ~$50, lasted at least until I traded it in (about 2 years). I also kept it plugged in most of the time. Seems like there is something wrong with yours to need to replace the battery every year.

Puredick A1582 A1502 Battery, Replacement Battery A1502 for MacBook Pro 13 inch Retina [ Early 2015, Mid 2014, Late 2013 ] A1493 - High-Performance and Longevity [11.36V 74.9Wh 18Months Warranty]

Puredick A1582 A1502 Battery, Replacement Battery A1502 for MacBook Pro 13 inch Retina [ Early 2015, Mid 2014, Late 2013 ] A1493 - High-Performance and Longevity [11.36V 74.9Wh 18Months Warranty]

www.amazon.com

 

[Fishrrman]

OP:
"I do keep the laptop plugged in all the time and I realize this isn't optimum for Li batteries, but annual replacements seems too frequent."

Well, leaving it plugged in "all the time" probably has a lot to do with why the batteries are regularly failing on you.

I suggest you either change your ways, or perhaps change the computer.

My suggestions:
- every other day, unplug the laptop from the charger (or unplug the charger from the wall) and let the battery run down to, say, 40-45%. Then plug it back in.
- every night (whether you let the computer sleep or power it down, doesn't matter) UNPLUG the charger FROM THE WALL. Plug it back in, in the morning.