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User profile for user: bshomb
bshomb Author
User level: Level 1
0 points

Another burst A1189 battery that doesn't fit within the recall

Battery model A1189, Serial No. 6N64905XW4HB. Was doing the abrupt shut offs, started about a month ago. Battery Update and all other patches were current. Now its bulged out and is now unsafe if usable at all. But I guess that's my problem, not Apple's. Sorry your power source is obviously defective, but we can't help you. Great service.

Whats scary is the new ones that are now inside the case, where will those have room to bulge out of? And will Apple say you're SOL if you don't fit what they determined to be the range of serial numbers that were bad?

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.5.6)

Posted on Mar 24, 2009 10:26 AM

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32 replies
User profile for user: neuroanatomist
neuroanatomist
User level: Level 8
48,987 points

Mar 24, 2009 10:43 AM in response to bshomb

I would try contacting AppleCare or visiting an Apple Store again. There were two battery replacement programs, one based on serial numbers, one based on performance characteristics. The latter program includes as a symptom the statement, +"Battery pack is visibly deformed."+

Sounds like the person you dealt with was not familiar with the latter program. Have this link handy:

http://www.apple.com/support/macbook_macbookpro/batteryupdate/
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User profile for user: bshomb
bshomb Author
User level: Level 1
0 points

Mar 24, 2009 11:02 AM in response to neuroanatomist

Yeah I had that page up and even read that line to her. I also told her about the almost 200 reports on Apple Store for the A1189, most of which mention the battery bloating or exploding.

The funny thing is a friend of mine mentioned trying a "hackintosh" and I told him the hardware isn't as good, and it's not officially supported by Apple. He's probably right that the hardware is the same, and well the support is what it is.
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User profile for user: ChicagoMBP
ChicagoMBP
User level: Level 1
0 points

Mar 24, 2009 1:39 PM in response to Baby-Boomer-USofA

Baby Boomer, I tried calling the Customer Relations, they are nearly as cut and dry as the AppleCare people. The CSR stated that the battery that we all have are covered for two years as a courtesy because of the known defects of the battery, however this was never communicated in any way to anyone who owns them.

The CSR did state that instead of buying from Apple, I should shop around and be a wise consumer, I guess you can find these cheaper on eBay.
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User profile for user: xjumper84
xjumper84
User level: Level 1
0 points

Mar 24, 2009 5:43 PM in response to Baby-Boomer-USofA

My call just was escalated to the top level in the apple support. I had 2 techs on the phone tell me that because my replacement battery is out of the two year warranty that they're running on replacement products that my battery would not be replaced, and that replacement batteries do not fall into this category ( http://www.apple.com/support/macbook_macbookpro/batteryupdate/).

This would be all fine and dandy... if I had my replacement battery for two years... but I haven't. Its only been 17 months. This battery also exhibits three of the four problems. (shows an x in the battery bar, doesn't charge and is physically deformed).

If this top level tier doesn't work.. i'll definitely be calling customer relations.

Unfortunately, I can't afford to buy a new battery, but in the same token, apple should not be releasing products that explode, like these batteries do. This is a HUGE safety problem and could lead to fires and other issues that I am sure they don't want to be blamed with.
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User profile for user: bshomb
bshomb Author
User level: Level 1
0 points

Apr 6, 2009 7:32 AM in response to chriskane

To followup, I was able to get this taken care of within the battery program, by calling again (and getting a more cooperative CSR). I still think this needs to be addressed by Apple, my PC colleagues at work think its yet another inferiority of Apple that they can't make a laptop battery that doesn't have issues. Can't say I blame them, the lenovos we use are pretty decent.

I would be really hesistant about the new 17" laptops as well. Even if the same thing happens and they cover it, you don't have the option of buying another battery and being back to work that fast. You risk fracturing the case if the batteries expand, and worse, hurting yourself if the expanded battery burst and leaked because it has no where to expand too.

I don't understand the design decisions Apple has been making lately, but it just seems like they are setting themselves up to fail. I hope the new batteries are fine... but if they aren't, we'll all have to see reports of mutated laptops where the batteries started blowing up the whole laptop. And then try to defend the higher cost of Apple's superior hardware.
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User profile for user: neuroanatomist
neuroanatomist
User level: Level 8
48,987 points

Apr 6, 2009 7:53 AM in response to bshomb

Glad you got your issue sorted.

bshomb wrote:
... inferiority of Apple that they can't make a laptop battery that doesn't have issues. Can't say I blame them, the lenovos we use are pretty decent.


Apple doesn't make their own batteries. They use batteries made by Sony, SMP, etc. If your colleagues want to discuss the batteries in Lenovo laptops, which you call 'pretty decent', you might refer them to this article discussing the recall of over half a million batteries in Lenovo laptops, and the related incident at the LA International Airport in which a Lenovo T43 caught fire due to a faulty battery.

Just some food for thought...

As a side note, a brand new Lenovo T400 that my work's IT department issued to me last week died this morning - it fails to boot beyond the initial BIOS screen. That Lenovo was my fifth work-provided PC laptop in the past 3 years. My 3-year old MBP is working just perfectly...and I'm still productive at work at this very moment because I'm running an image of a corporate Windows installation via Parallels on my MBP.
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User profile for user: bwklein
bwklein
User level: Level 1
0 points

Jun 22, 2009 1:43 PM in response to Baby-Boomer-USofA

Tried this today after my battery A1189 SN6N7063CHWX4A expanded and started to effect track pad operation. After buying a new battery at the local Mac store, I was told that I should call customer care and that there was a recall program for this problem and that I may be able to get the battery replaced.
After talking with Level 1 tech. support, I was assigned a case number and transferred to level 2. I was then told that this model was not covered under recall, and since it was outside of the 1 year warranty, I should just dispose of it and buy a new battery. $129 (with federal employee discount) for a new battery after ~2 years of ownership. Hopefully the new battery lasts a bit longer as I have old G4 PowerBook which still runs on the original battery and that set a certain expectation of reliability in my mind.
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User profile for user: mizraith
mizraith
User level: Level 1
15 points

Aug 21, 2009 5:23 PM in response to bwklein

Wanted to add another user in the mix. After 3 years, my A1189 battery is expanding (1/4" or so). Only 250 charge cycles reported, too. I meticulously took care of the battery per all the instructions and am quite disappointed that this thing only lived 1/2 of it's supposed 500-cycle charge life.

I'm even more disappointed that this is not considered a design defect. One would think an expanding, soon-to-explode batter would be considered a serious defect worthy of a recall.

Hopefully more A1189 battery owners will step up and apple will give us all a little love. Dreamin'
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User profile for user: Sphyerion
Sphyerion
User level: Level 1
0 points

Aug 26, 2009 4:09 PM in response to bshomb

Model A1189
From a 17" Macbook Pro from July 2007
Serial: 6n71680dwx4a

Called AppleCare: They told me it was not covered by the recall program cause I have the 17".

Symptoms: Battery Bulging, Random shut off days before bulge appeared.

Apple needs to take notice, and start replacing these, this is ridiculous that the same symptoms as batteries replaced in a recall program somehow do not qualify for replacement.
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User profile for user: mizraith
mizraith
User level: Level 1
15 points

Aug 26, 2009 4:48 PM in response to Sphyerion

Good news for me (and even more love for Apple on this).

Set up genius bar appt. Went in with battery AND LAPTOP (they need the serial # of the machine). They performed the diagnostic test and my battery came up on the "BAD" side of the "BAD|CONSUMED" line on the test. (240 cycles is not considered consumed, but somewhere above 300 it is).

Walked out of there with a completely brand new battery fresh out of the box..... for free. Suck on that, Dell.
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Another burst A1189 battery that doesn't fit within the recall

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