Q: MacBook Pro Battery 'Service Battery' after Snow Upgrade

mikeyg123

My battery performance after downgrading has improved. Previously it with SL it was giving me 1 hr!! Now it shows 3 hrs!!! I am still debating over when to order a new battery. I will eventually order one soon... But this performance is much better.

My Macbook Pro Battery Information as of 12/16/2009:

Model Information:
Serial Number: SMP-ASMB012-38eb-eb3
Manufacturer: SMP
Device name: ASMB012
Pack Lot Code: 0002
PCB Lot Code: 0000
Firmware Version: 0110
Hardware Revision: 0500
Cell Revision: 0200
Charge Information:
Charge remaining (mAh): 4302
Fully charged: Yes
Charging: No
Full charge capacity (mAh): 4302
Health Information:
Cycle count: 313
Condition: Fair
Battery Installed: Yes
Amperage (mA): 149
Voltage (mV): 12607

System Power Settings:

AC Power:
System Sleep Timer (Minutes): 10
Disk Sleep Timer (Minutes): 10
Display Sleep Timer (Minutes): 10
Automatic Restart On Power Loss: No
Wake On AC Change: No
Wake On Clamshell Open: Yes
Wake On LAN: Yes
Display Sleep Uses Dim: Yes
Battery Power:
System Sleep Timer (Minutes): 15
Disk Sleep Timer (Minutes): 10
Display Sleep Timer (Minutes): 5
Wake On AC Change: No
Wake On Clamshell Open: Yes
Display Sleep Uses Dim: Yes
Reduce Brightness: Yes

Hardware Configuration:

UPS Installed: No

AC Charger Information:

Connected: Yes
Charging: No

So here is the solution, rants and raves never make it out of this forum for the most part, but what approach will get attention? Consider, some have went to an Apple store and most have been turned away with the indication that the battery is needing to be replace i.e. too many cycles...Apple care expired...whatever. In addition to all these complaints is the need to understand the many variables Apple is dealt with-asymetric information. How best then to 'show' Apple? Make a video, One with SL and a battery covering all bases-serial number of battery- and one with leopard or some other version of OSX. This comparison will clearly show what the customer is trying to indicate to the genius, rather than trying to sell the problem to them. This approach along with the thread posts sent to one or many of the 'apple rumor sites will bring the issue to light.

Don't have my old battery info since the Apple Store replaced it today.
Approx 85% health and 125 cycles before SL. Then 45% health. I had one month left on my extended Apple care so took it by the store today (also been having problems burning CDs).
They replaced both my Super Drive and Battery.
I wish everyone else luck with this

Count me in, I have the same problem, battery is 3 months old.

I'm getting some rather strange readings from system profiler.

I took this the first time I saw the service battery notification (MBP running from battery):

Battery Information:

Model Information:
Manufacturer: Sony
Device name: ASMB012
Pack Lot Code: 0003
PCB Lot Code: 0000
Firmware Version: 102a
Hardware Revision: 0500
Cell Revision: 0303
Charge Information:
Charge remaining (mAh): 4245
Fully charged: Yes
Charging: No
Full charge capacity (mAh): 4406
Health Information:
Cycle count: 59
Condition: Normal
Battery Installed: Yes
Amperage (mA): -1691
Voltage (mV): 11847

I took this today when running from mains:

Power:

Battery Information:

Model Information:
Manufacturer: Sony
Device name: ASMB012
Pack Lot Code: 0003
PCB Lot Code: 0000
Firmware Version: 102a
Hardware Revision: 0500
Cell Revision: 0303
Charge Information:
Charge remaining (mAh): 3562
Fully charged: Yes
Charging: No
Full charge capacity (mAh): 3646
Health Information:
Cycle count: 60
Condition: Check Battery
Battery Installed: Yes
Amperage (mA): 0
Voltage (mV): 12368

and again running from battery:

Battery Information:

Model Information:
Manufacturer: Sony
Device name: ASMB012
Pack Lot Code: 0003
PCB Lot Code: 0000
Firmware Version: 102a
Hardware Revision: 0500
Cell Revision: 0303
Charge Information:
Charge remaining (mAh): 3492
Fully charged: Yes
Charging: No
Full charge capacity (mAh): 3594
Health Information:
Cycle count: 60
Condition: Check Battery
Battery Installed: Yes
Amperage (mA): -1468
Voltage (mV): 11994

Any ideas why I'm getting a negative amperage reading? I've tried an SMC reset but not alot happened. I think I'll take it to the mac store and ask them to check it over.

Message was edited by: CollectedMule

A negative amperage reading means that the battery is discharging.
A positive amperage reading means the battery is being charged or is fully charged.

In other words you should see negative when running on battery and positive when running on AC power.

Same problem in Russia.
Maybe Apple draw attention on this problem and will try to repair it!

Hi everyone, i decided to go with a fresh-clean- SL installation, it fixed a problem i had with USB, like not recognizing my iphone 3g as a network device over USB while using tethering, and it also made my battery go back to the old performances.
I still receive random "service battery" warnings, mostly when the battery is close to die, but it dosn't bother me at all since now i've 77% of original capacity and i can use my laptop for something like 3 hours and half, without random shutdowns.


Informazioni sul modello:
Produttore: Sony
Nome dispositivo: ASMB012
Pack Lot Code: 0000
PCB Lot Code: 0000
Versione firmware: 0110
Revisione hardware: 0500
Revisione cella: 0303
Informazioni sulla carica:
Carica restante (mAh): 358
Carica completa: No
In carica: No
Capacità a carica completa (mAh): 4257
Informazioni sulle condizioni della batteria:
Conteggio cicli: 202
Condizione: Controlla batteria
Batteria installata: Sì
Amperaggio (mA): -1283
Voltaggio (mV): 9518

Ciao Merak,

This is very interesting... I was thinking around this possibility, so I tried to put my SL upgrade disk and reinstall again formating the drive... but my upgrade disk DOES NOT ALLOW ME TO INSTALL OR FORMAT if SL is already installed on it..

So for that I have to install back Leopard and then upgrade again... so reading your post, now seems worth of it!

Grazie Mille dall'altro lato del Mediterraneo!!

Message was edited by: Jordi Joaquim Recort

To do an Archive and Install under SL, you need to do some work in Terminal -- there is no longer an option during the install. See this page for instructions: http://intlect.com/how-to-archive-and-install-os-x-snow-leopard/

Thanks Dana!

So you saying that Apple just dump the options submenu where you can, upgrade, Archive and Install and format forever??

Why! this was EXTREMENLY useful in emergency cases! and I was one of the things making a big diference with Windows..

I tougth I was only on my SL upgrade version (since I took the 9 EUR offer).

Thanks.
PD: Now drinking an Expresso done with Indian Beans! Great for this rainy day!

mmm..well..i bought the retail version of snow leopard from the apple store online in september, i paid it 29€, it came with the whole package of utility options, when i first did the upgrade, i chose that option.
When a couple of days ago i decided to do everything from the beginning, i booted from the SL dvd holding the "C" key and when the installation was going to start, i went in the utility menu, i chose the Utility Disk option and i erased everything, making a fresh new partition, hfs+ extended, as usual.
Then i installed SL on the freshly erased volume.
So far it looks like it's working good, or at least better than earlier.
I will buy a new batery anyway, i found a good deal on ebay, and i'm curious to see if the service warning will go away.
On my retail SL dvd, the option u are talking about, is still available, u have to do that by urself, manually, going to the disk utility.

Ciao!

Well this seems to be the diference.. as Dana says, previous OS X versions since public Beta had an option pop up box allowing you choose from Install for first time / upgrade, or archive and install or finally erase and install.

Now if you go to Disk Utility, and erase the disk, in your case you can still install since you have a retail full version, but in my case I bougth a upgrade (also from the Apple Store), this update was just the disk on a bubble envelope.. no fancy box nor manuals.

So in my case, if I erase the HD, then the upgrade disk will not allow me to install anything.

so my options are, format and install a fresh 10.5.x and then upgrade again to SL. Or buy again SL but this time the retail version, not the "bonus" version.

Grazie!

Hi everybody,

I have the same problem of most of you. I am going to write here because 4 days ago, the **ing message disappeared but one day later it came again.

Today it has happened again, but now I have take some screenshots of the battery menu, to demonstrate apple that I am having a problem but is probably produced by something linked with the software.

Today, without the service battery message I have:

Información sobre el modelo:
Fabricante: Sony
Nombre del dispositivo: ASMB012
Pack Lot Code: 0000
PCB Lot Code: 0000
Versión del firmware: 0110
Revisión de hardware: 0500
Revisión de celda: 0303
Información sobre la carga:
Carga restante (mAh): 860
Totalmente cargada: No
Cargando: No
Capacidad de plena carga (mAh): 4587
Información sobre el estado:
Número de ciclos: 279
Condición: Normal
Batería instalada: Sí
Amperaje (mA): -1124
Voltaje (mV): 10440

But normally, with the service battery message, I usually have "Capacidad de plena carga (mAh): 2950"

Today the battery is running so good and I want Apple to solve the problem!!!

I hope this information is useful for you. Tomorrow I am going to call Apple and I am going to try something again.

See you and good night from Spain!

I downgraded to Leopard the warning went away:

Battery Information:

Model Information:
Manufacturer: Sony
Device name: ASMB012
Pack Lot Code: 0001
PCB Lot Code: 0000
Firmware Version: 0110
Hardware Revision: 0500
Cell Revision: 0303
Charge Information:
Charge remaining (mAh): 4068
Fully charged: Yes
Charging: No
Full charge capacity (mAh): 4178
Health Information:
Cycle count: 77
Battery health: Fair
Battery Installed: Yes
Amperage (mA): 0
Voltage (mV): 12306