Swollen macbook battery

Hi annettemcd,

Having had the pleasure of working for Apple and for an Apple Authorized Service Provider, your experience is expected. When I worked for the service provider I'd have to jump through hoops to get "questionable" issues covered under AppleCare for a customer. There was a constant fear that we'd go to cover something, Apple decline the claim and then we're out of pocket. So you can certainly go back to inform the service provider of your experiences with Apple, but that all sounds like the normal day-to-day.

Hi all,

I noticed 2 days ago that the trackpad and button on my MBP 17" weren't working. Then, my cursor started doing things on its own, marking text and such. I started searching the Internet for similar problems and found a post mentioning a swollen battery - then this post. Sure enough, mine was swollen too - enough to apply pressure below the trackpad and button, preventing them from functioning. After taking the battery out, everything worked fine. The battery is so swollen that the aluminum sheet is partially off and the LED charge display does not work. The top of the battery is also swollen.

My MBP guarantee had expired 3 months ago - purchased 09/2008 (strangely, the date on the battery is 2006) - but it was obvious that I had done nothing wrong. I called Apple Care here in Germany and was told straight out they could not replace it because I had no guarantee. I was irate (I have been using Macs my whole life, both private and business) and demanded to speak to someone who could decide differently. I was connected to the agent's superior and explained everything again. This person finally decided to help by replacing the battery - "as an exception". He then told me to put the battery back in (?) and take it to a service center, so they could test and confirm it did not work properly, then they must remove it and send it in.

Since I use my MBP professsionally and am always on the go, I asked if they would give me a battery from their stock. I was told "no, that is not possible, the service center must send it in and you must wait for a replacement". He also said that a swollen batery is not dangerous, contrary to things I have read in other forums. I am going to the service center tomorrow and hope they will not make me wait for a replacement.

An interesting side note: I had another MBP 17" until 08/2008. In Feb. 2008, the battery suddenly would not hold a charge more than 45 minutes. The MBP was still in the guarantee period, so the battery was replaced with no problems. I kept the first battery, thinking it could be of use if my new battery ever really broke down and could not hold a charge at all. I just got that battery out of the closet (always cool & dry), intent on using it if I really do not get a replacement tomorrow. I opened the box to find that the old battery had swollen so much that the lid popped off the top and the casing on the bottom had split open. The packets of chemicals are all swollen and there is a strange smell coming from them. I will take it with me tomorrow to show it to the service people and have it disposed of (already took photos of everything).

I hope someone at Apple takes this seriously - even if the special service offer for batteries has already "expired".

Mac_Jünger

I also have this problem on my macbook white (late 2007, battery A1185) , but the service centre and service hotline here in Hong Kong refuses to replace the swollen battery for me 😟

They claimed swelling batteries "is a normal process of ageing battery", crap, none of my electronic equipments have swollen Lithium battery, and the only lithium battery became pregnant was recalled by Nokia.

I really hope apple could do something.

I've had this problem on my macbook ( late 2006 ) for a while ( probably a year ), now my trackpad doesn't click and misses touches very often, if I pull the battery out, it works fine.

I called Apple today and they want me to pay for a replacement, which is fine, but the battery still lasts for almost 3 hours on a charge!

My gripe is that I had trackpad problems ( same as I am having now, just not as bad ) early on ( almost at the end of my warranty year ) and had to have the keyboard and top case replaced due to them - I'm just wondering if a bulged battery wasn't the problem then as well, and if they should have given me a new battery? Seems like it to me. Because even after the repair, the trackpad didn't work like it originally had, but I dealt with it, because I just thought it was "wear and tear". But the battery has become noticeably bulged out the bottom of the case now, so I looked it up online and decided to call Apple. The representative told me to take out the battery and see if the trackpad worked better, so I took out the battery and the trackpad works like new!

I think they owe me a battery at no charge ( or half at most ).

This macbook has been by far the most reliable computer I have ever owned in 20 years, but I've never had a battery bulge like this damaging the rest of the computer.

I'm going to take it to the Apple Store, there's one within probably 15 miles, and see if they replace it. If not, I'll probably have to buy a new one, seems like a shame though, because this one still lasts so long.

I'll update after I take it in next week.

Hi beehone,

Rule #1 of getting service... for anything! Identify the issue to a technician immediately. Let the vendor, manufacturer, dealership, etc., be the one to tell you everything is operating normally. You should have immediately taken the machine back when you had it serviced near the end of the warranty and it wasn't functioning exactly as you anticipated. Who was suppose to know that it wasn't working properly if you didn't speak up?

Out of curiosity, how long (between now and that service) has it been?

Lots of different experiences here.

I'm in Hong Kong, took my 1.5 yr old MacBook (1.5 yr of AppleCare left) into the service centre because a swollen battery had caused the bottom cover to come off, that was the only reason I noticed the battery had swollen.

After 4 days of holding the computer, they got back to me, telling me I had to pay for a new battery. I went in person to the centre and they told me to ring Apple Customer Services in Singapore. After 45 minutes of delicate negotiations, they agreed to give me a new free battery.

Seems to depend on where you live, who you talk to, if you're wearing your lucky underwear that day...

Hi dazzer,

Indeed there does, which is making it all the more frustrating. I've seen some consistency that if the bulging battery causes harm to the computer that the repair for the computer is covered but that's been the only consistent story I've read/heard on these boards.

In your situation, because the unit still had Applecare, what was the reason that they didn't cover it?

Jason: They said that AC doesn't cover batteries. What I said was fair enough, it doesn't cover batteries that simply don't hold as much charge as before, but as my battery had broken out of the bottom of the case, this was different.

The customer services assistant in Singapore kept asking odd questions, like "Was it you that opened the battery cover or Apple Care?". I informed her that everybody had had a go - me, the wife, Apple Care. She just replied "hmmmm....".

Anyway, it was all very civil, and in the end she agreed on the free battery so I can't complain, but agree, these boards do suggest that it's all a bit inconsistent.