Problematic battery: how much worse it can get?

[cool11]

My old 2013 mbp 15', seem to have problem with batteries the last couple of years.
Without even realizing it at first, it appeared several malfunctions on this part.
To be honest, possibly my handling is the main reason for this, as I had this mbp always connected, battery always at 100%.

(Now I know: I unplug my new mbp every day, I leave the batter to drop from 100% to 90%. Also I have 'optimized battery charging' in monterey.)

So the bottom part of mbp, now it is deformed.
The 4 black bumps no longer touch the table surface.
The screen lid no longer closes to the body/keyboard, but it seems slightly open, there is a gap.

Other than that, the mbp seems to work well!

The last time I used this mbp was three months ago.
Since then, I use my new mbp.
Yesterday, I opened it again to see how it goes.
I was thinking to give it to my daughter, after making some setups.
But all of sudden, I realized that the touch pad was almost dead!
To be precise, I can move the cursor, but the left/right internal button no longer can be pressed, so you cannot handle the mbp any more.
Of course, I used a mouse and then I could make some work on the mbp.
It seems that the battery problem got worse, it pressed the touch pad and it affected it, right?

Listen to me on how I think about it.
I do not intend to make any repairs or any expense to a machine that it is almost ten years old.
Even if I took it to a service about batteries, then there are the other problems as well.
The screen lid do not close well, the bottom aluminum body is deformed and this cannot be restored to normal, etc

My question is:
this situation, how much worse it can get?
Will I see the mbp bleeding with batteries liquids?
Will the bottom be deformed even more?
Will it stop work at all?
Or this is it, it will not get worse?

Is it ok to give it to my daughter - will it work for the next couple of years,
or better leave it alone in a bookshelf, to rest there 'just in case' I ever need it for some special reason?

I hope you get my point.
I wait your similar experiences and suggestions.

 

[chrfr]

My old 2013 mbp 15', seem to have problem with batteries the last couple of years.
Without even realizing it at first, it appeared several malfunctions on this part.
To be honest, possibly my handling is the main reason for this, as I had this mbp always connected, battery always at 100%.

(Now I know: I unplug my new mbp every day, I leave the batter to drop from 100% to 90%. Also I have 'optimized battery charging' in monterey.)

So the bottom part of mbp, now it is deformed.
The 4 black bumps no longer touch the table surface.
The screen lid no longer closes to the body/keyboard, but it seems slightly open, there is a gap.

Other than that, the mbp seems to work well!

The last time I used this mbp was three months ago.
Since then, I use my new mbp.
Yesterday, I opened it again to see how it goes.
I was thinking to give it to my daughter, after making some setups.
But all of sudden, I realized that the touch pad was almost dead!
To be precise, I can move the cursor, but the left/right internal button no longer can be pressed, so you cannot handle the mbp any more.
Of course, I used a mouse and then I could make some work on the mbp.
It seems that the battery problem got worse, it pressed the touch pad and it affected it, right?

Listen to me on how I think about it.
I do not intend to make any repairs or any expense to a machine that it is almost ten years old.
Even if I took it to a service about batteries, then there are the other problems as well.
The screen lid do not close well, the bottom aluminum body is deformed and this cannot be restored to normal, etc

My question is:
this situation, how much worse it can get?
Will I see the mbp bleeding with batteries liquids?
Will the bottom be deformed even more?
Will it stop work at all?
Or this is it, it will not get worse?

Is it ok to give it to my daughter - will it work for the next couple of years,
or better leave it alone in a bookshelf, to rest there 'just in case' I ever need it for some special reason?

I hope you get my point.
I wait your similar experiences and suggestions.

Swollen Lithium-ion batteries are hazardous. As for how much worse can it get, the battery can catch fire; it isn’t safe to keep them around.

 

[cool11]

Swollen Lithium-ion batteries are hazardous. As for how much worse can it get, the battery can catch fire; it isn’t safe to keep them around.

I am just wondering:
I have a dell laptop in my parents house.
It is over ten years old.
Always plugged.
No problem with batteries?
I do not really know.
It is not so compact as mbp laptops are.
So, I am telling this to expose my thought, that possibly there are laptops with swollen batteries, that we cannot even notice, because they are not so compact and even if there is a problem, there is space inside, so you cannot even tell if something is wrong from outside.
Nobody cares, nobody worries.

But with mbp, you can see and you can tell. And it affects you.

So, is this really dangerous?
Or the discussion should be about if the mbp will continue to work properly

 

[chrfr]

I am just wondering:
I have a dell laptop in my parents house.
It is over ten years old.
Always plugged.
No problem with batteries?
I do not really know.
It is not so compact as mbp laptops are.
So, I am telling this to expose my thought, that possibly there are laptops with swollen batteries, that we cannot even notice, because they are not so compact and even if there is a problem, there is space inside, so you cannot even tell if something is wrong from outside.
Nobody cares, nobody worries.

But with mbp, you can see and you can tell. And it affects you.

So, is this really dangerous?
Or the discussion should be about if the mbp will continue to work properly

People should care and worry about swollen batteries. Not all batteries will swell, and choosing to ignore a battery that you know is swollen does not make it safe to keep using. Eventually the battery will swell enough to make the trackpad stop working and potentially pop the trackpad out of the case on the Mac.

 

[Fishrrman]

OP:
"So the bottom part of mbp, now it is deformed.
The 4 black bumps no longer touch the table surface.
The screen lid no longer closes to the body/keyboard, but it seems slightly open, there is a gap."

Your battery is swelling up.
IT'S DANGEROUS NOW.
It could catch fire or explode.

You don't want to use it like this.

Do you have a brick-n-mortar Apple Store anywhere close?
They ought to be able to replace the battery with a new one.
It will cost you $199.
I'm not sure if they'll still replace a battery on a 2013, you need to ask.

But...
If they'll do the job, this is the best way.
You get:
- A new Apple-labeled OEM battery
- Installation
- A short warranty.

DON'T PUT THIS OFF.
Again, the battery is dangerous in this condition.

If Apple won't change out the battery, perhaps you could find an "independent" (non-Apple) computer repair place that will do it.

Or... you could even do it yourself. Check youtube videos.

 

[cool11]

I could not imagine that it is so dangerous.

I wonder, if mbp can function properly even without battery.

 

[chrfr]

I could not imagine that it is so dangerous.

I wonder, if mbp can function properly even without battery.

Without a battery, the computer will run at no more than half CPU speed.

 

[AlumaMac]

Ah the joys of a glued-in battery. Don’t mess around OP, get the battery replaced or properly dispose of the device. You don’t want your daughter faced with a battery fire.

 

[Diablo360]

If the battery has already lasted 9 years then you’re pretty lucky. I’d take this into an Apple store asap and have this replaced. If it’s that swollen it’s probably very close to exploding, no joke

 

[wilberforce]

I just replaced mine myself for $50. It's not that hard. Not sure if this is your model:

Puredick A1494 A1618 Battery Only for (Mid 2015, Mid 2014, Late 2013) A1398 Replacement Battery for 15-inch A1398 - [Upgraded A1494/A1618 Universal Version]

Puredick A1494 A1618 Battery Only for (Mid 2015, Mid 2014, Late 2013) A1398 Replacement Battery for 15-inch A1398 - [Upgraded A1494/A1618 Universal Version]

www.amazon.com

As for "exploding," the battery off-gassing produces CO2 and CO, which are not "explosive" gases, but are contained within a sealed plastic wrap, hence the swelling. If you ignore it, it will damage the trackpad.
Off-gassing from a car battery (flammable hydrogen and toxic hydrogen sulfide) is more dangerous.
The main hazard from Li-ion batteries is thermal runaway.

 

[profcutter]

A friend of mine a few years ago complained to me about the battery swelling up in their laptop. I saw the problem right away, told them they needed to dispose of the battery. They just put the laptop in a metal trash can outside while they looked for a recycling facility. One night, I can’t explain why, apparently they decided to poke the swollen battery with a stick. Smoke poured out, and the machine caught on fire. Swollen batteries are no joke, dispose of the battery ASAP.

 

[Jeven Stobs]

Dude.
Consider it a blessing that you came here.
That thing can catch fire any second. Have the battery removed and replaced or get the entire machine to an official place to dispose of dangerous electronics.
It’s incredible that you don’t know about expanding lithium ion batteries and how hazardous they are.
After it being removed the machine might work ok again, no more bum on the bottom, no more bump in the keyboard.
But get that thing looked at ASAP!

 

[Jeven Stobs]

Without a battery, the computer will run at no more than half CPU speed.

Really? Why?

 

[chrfr]

Really? Why?

It's because Apple portables can occasionally draw more than the power adapter's rated output when the computer is under heavy load. This would cause the computer to shut down if there was no battery, so Apple throttles the performance substantially to prevent this.

 

[clevins]

I could not imagine that it is so dangerous.

I wonder, if mbp can function properly even without battery.

People are right, a swollen battery is dangerous. You should replace it ASAP.

 

[cool11]

At least, I hope there is no danger while the mbp is not used.

 

[chrfr]

At least, I hope there is no danger while the mbp is not used.

There is. You don't want to leave swollen batteries around. At least be sure to run it dead before storing the computer.

 

[cool11]

I just took back my mbp from a authorized repair service.
They removed the old battery and they put a new, compatible one.

I did not had the time yet, to use the mbp. I will do it soon.
But I am already astonished by the fact that the mbp returned back to its original form factor!
It is no longer deformed! It is like when I first purchase it, from outside view!
The screen lid closes firmly!
The bottom part is no longer bad curved!
Aluminum body, so good and flexible.
Unbelievable.

 

[PBG4 Dude]

I know I’m late, but here’s a fun video showing the dangers of puffed lipos:

 

[chrfr]

I just took back my mbp from a authorized repair service.
They removed the old battery and they put a new, compatible one.

I did not had the time yet, to use the mbp. I will do it soon.
But I am already astonished by the fact that the mbp returned back to its original form factor!
It is no longer deformed! It is like when I first purchase it, from outside view!
The screen lid closes firmly!
The bottom part is no longer bad curved!
Aluminum body, so good and flexible.
Unbelievable.

Are you sure they didn’t replace the entire top case including the keyboard and trackpad? That’s the normal process an Apple authorized provider would use.

 

[cool11]

Are you sure they didn’t replace the entire top case including the keyboard and trackpad? That’s the normal process an Apple authorized provider would use.

No, the did not.
I paid only for the battery.

 

[nathan_reilly]

No, the did not.
I paid only for the battery.

Thats super chill...$199? My 2013 15in rMBP battery is due for service.

 

[jav6454]

Thats super chill...$199? My 2013 15in rMBP battery is due for service.

Battery repairs for Macs are surprisingly cheap. At least cheaper than I'd expect for a built-in battery.

 

[cool11]

Thats super chill...$199? My 2013 15in rMBP battery is due for service.

150€ = 160$
Not the official battery, but compatible one.
The told me that rmbp 15 late 2013 batteries from apple, they do exist, but they are almost out of stock.
So I chose the compatible one. After all I do not wanted to pay a lot for a machine that it is still good but almost a decade old.

 

[jav6454]

150€ = 160$
Not the official battery, but compatible one.
The told me that rmbp 15 late 2013 batteries from apple, they do exist, but they are almost out of stock.
So I chose the compatible one. After all I do not wanted to pay a lot for a machine that it is still good but almost a decade old.

I mean, if it works... I guess it's fine and you save $. I would not get anything but the OEM unless it comes from iFixit.