No "Low Battery" warning on new (November 07) MacBook - Kernel Panic

Just received my box last night and dropped it off to DHL this morning....hopefully I'll have it back by the end of the week.

I also included a few "other" annoyances in the repair that AppleCare carefully took down....one being a small "cloud" in the LCD (white spot) and a squishy mouse button. I'm not one to send in my computer unless it's in pretty bad shape, but I figured while it's in I might as well tell them to fix a few other things while it's there.

I will post back when I get it back and see if/how they fix the issue (no sleep, shuts off). I'm on my third battery and it's persisting, but my g/f's white MB (2.16) doesn't have this issue at all and is coincidentally the one I am typing on at the moment.

Maybe it's just me noticing this but AppleCare has been really nice on the phone and apologetic....maybe that's par for the course but I think good customer service should always be appreciated. Best of all, they are from North America and easy to understand.

Update: Just got an e-mail that says, "Your Macbook (Late 2007) has reached our Depot" and "Click here for Status". I clicked for the status and it said, "HOLD -- PLEASE CONTACT APPLECARE".

I called and after 2min, I got a rep on the phone who said she will need to contact Applecare dispatch. I waited and waited on hold for close to 30min; she came on th ephone every so often to "refresh" me that she was still holding for dispatch. When the Applecare dispatch rep came on the line, she told me that they were not able to reproduce the issue. I left the computer "exactly" in the state it was in when it shut off the last time, along w/ a post-it that had my dispatch # and a summary of the issue(s) I was having.

The rep at Applecare dispatch said that she will send a note to their depot to take another look at it, but this worries me b/c I could clearly reproduce the issue and I clearly explained it AppleCare multiple times but each time they have me go through the "What is the computer doing?". Not that they haven't been nice on the phone, but I've quickly grown tired of repeating myself... 😟

Anyway, I also asked them to take a look at my squishy mouse button and a "cloud" figure on my screen...the rep at AppleCare called it a "white spot" but I guess everyone has their own description of it.

We'll see what happens....

Update: My computer is on its way back....(Return Pending)

This morning, however, I received another e-mail from Apple that stated "HOLD -- Call AppleCare". This time, I was able to get through in ~2min or so. Very nice young Canadian lady told me that the hold was in regard to another issue I had w/ the machine (a small "cloud" in my screen) and just wanted more info. I answered all her questions and she sent a note to their repair depot.

No word yet on if they repaired the "shutting off" issue, or what they repaired. I will post back when I receive my MB and if they were able to fix it.

As most of you might know, I returned my mid Jan'08 MacBook because of this issue

Yesterday I decided to bought a brand new last rev. white macbook 2.4 GHz...

With exactly the same problem...this is a widespread problem that really need to be fix ASAP... Why wouldn't apple recognize this problem is beyond me...

reset PRAM -> SMC -> try to calibrate -> got a low battery warning -> then it just shut down at 1-2% while trying to 'sleep'

I dont get a kernel panic like my MB before though...but this really is annoying and I just cant live with it.

Update: Got an e-mail this morning from Apple that my unit has been repaired/boxed/shipped. I checked FedEx this morning and it said it had left Memphis at 5am. The e-mail I got had a direct # to the dispatch people so I called and the rep was able to tell me what they replaced. "Screen, topcase, and battery cable." The first two had cosmetic issues and since I was sending it in, might as well have them look at it. The rep was a little "abrasive" on the phone... I asked if they were able to fix the problem and he replied "Well they wouldn't have sent it back if it wasn't." Heh...

The battery cable is interesting... I'll take a look at the MB tonight when I get home and see what happens. I'll post back if it has been fixed--if not, then I'll just live w/ it as best I can b/c I can't be without my machine any longer.

Update: My MB is back home.... overall, they did a pretty good job on the repair. They replaced the LCD (for white spot), Topcase (squishy mouse button), and the following part that may be what was causing the issue...

631-0557 BATTERY CONN CABLE ASSY, K36

I'm guessing they were able to isolate and find the issue... I cannot test it yet b/c my battery is at 85% but I will let you know how it goes.

btw...the new keyboard feels more tactile and responsive than my last one. The mouse button is also firm and equally responsive across the whole button.

I'll post back if the issue persists, but I'm optimistic they found the issue and it was the battery cable.

Update: Issue is persisting... AppleCare has now sent an escalation to their engineering department. In the meantime, the notebook is running fine except for shutting down. I'll know next week what the next steps are to be taken.

Thanks for keeping us posted Juan.
I am really interested to see what
"the solution" from Apple will be.

Can anyone confirm that the issue still exists with the new "Penryn" MacBook ???

Thx

claucojo wrote:
Thanks for keeping us posted Juan.
I am really interested to see what
"the solution" from Apple will be.

Cheers Claucjo...

Me too. I'm willing to bet it's going to be a "firmware" thing b/c if it was purely a hardware issue, it would be happening every time you put your machine to sleep (either by closing the lid or selecting Sleep from Apple Menu). The T2 Rep I've been working w/ at Apple has sent me a "collection tool" that will basically probe the machine and makes a .dmg of all the data it collects (I'm told it's basically all my logs and hardware data) that I am to e-mail back to them. He has said that it will go to engineering and will be looked at within the week.

I know that some on here have been highly agitated by this issue, but having the issue myself and judging by how seriously Apple seems to be taking my issue, I strongly suggest to you not to worry. I can't say if/when/how they will fix it, but from my end it has been made aware of and is being looked into. In Apple's defense, they've been overwhelmingly helpful.

In fact, the repair included some other minor cosmetic issues (subtle white blotch in my screen...almost like a "cloud"...and a squishy mouse button) that I wanted fixed since it was going in for repair anyway...they fixed both and did a great job. Originally, I wasn't going to send it in for the cosmetics unless something "else" in the future came up....well, when I spoke to AppleCare and they said they wanted to "*get their hands on it*", that was my cue. They documented everything and had a DHL box in my hands by the following Monday. In fact, I got the MB back on Friday, just before the weekend; it was received by depot last Tuesday, shipped back late Thursday night via FedEx). Not only was that fast shipping, but I was able to have my notebook before the weekend.

I'm not saying that Apple is the end-all/be-all, but in my case they have done absolutely everything they have said they would do and so far as I can tell, everything they can do. I hope this is of some condolence to those of you who are having this same issue and hopefully it will be fixed soon.

Personally, I don't think it's a huge deal b/c it seems to only happen when you're calibrating the battery or running the battery down to 1% or 0%.

Hope that helps....I'll post back when I know more.

JG

Still happen...

Read my last post. My 2nd MB is "penryn"...

Really appreciate the update...

Actually if you read the original poster( webman2k ) post. He already got logic board replacement, new battery & 'also' new battery connector. But the problem is also still persist.

I really hope that apple will come up with a real solution and not just keep replacing battery, logic board, even new MB replacement with exactly the same problem.

I also pretty sure that this is just a firmware issue.

Juan Guapo please post if you know more.

Thank you...

Will do. I probably won't know anything until later in the week, but I will post if I hear anything in the meantime.

Btw...that's very interesting that you noticed this issue happening on the latest/greatest (Penryn) Macbooks. It must be a firmware issue minute enough to just affect those who are diligent enough to calibrate their batteries. 😉

Juan Guapo wrote:
Will do. I probably won't know anything until later in the week, but I will post if I hear anything in the meantime.

Btw...that's very interesting that you noticed this issue happening on the latest/greatest (Penryn) Macbooks. It must be a firmware issue minute enough to just affect those who are diligent enough to calibrate their batteries. 😉

Keep in mine that I have calibrated my battery about 4 times since I got it replaced and it has worked just fine with no crash or shutdown. So this doesn't totally explain the problem.

I just received an answer from Apple Engineers since I sent them my kernel panic I had on the first days of february.
They told me that the issue causing this kernel panic has been solved in 10.5.2 and when I think about it, It's TRUE. I realized that I didn't had this kernel panic anymore since 10.5.2 installed.

BUT it didn't means that the safesleep bug has been solved but it doesn't give us a kernel panic anymore before shuting down instead of going to safe sleep as he used to be.

I think that the kernel panic and safe sleep bug are different and the first one is solved BUT the most disturbing one IS NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My situation about this bug:
- My first Macbook (late 2006) began doing this bug in november 2007 and it didn't change anything when Apple changed the motherboard.
- Then - for this one and many other issues - Apple gave me a brand new Macbook (late 2007) in january 2008 and it did it again !
- My faith didn't fail and I called Apple for them to send me a new battery because It seems that it worked for some people...

NOW I've juste receveid it and my first calibration cycle WASN'T good.... It did it again this first time battery goes 0%...

I hope this the first and the last one, I'll keep you in touch as soon as I ran trough several cycles.