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MacBook Pro turns off unexpectedly when there is plenty of charge left

My MacBook Pro 17" (the early 2008 model) started shutting down unexpectedly when there is a good amount of charge left in the battery (~ 30 - 40%). It started doing this a few days ago.

I read some of the posts here, and tried resetting SMC, but that didn't make a difference. I know about the battery calibration, but since it's shutting down without warning I don't think that's feasible at this point.

The only thing I would like to know is whether this is a natural decay of my battery so I need to go get a new one myself, or it's not usual so I need to have Apple look at it and replace it potentially (I'm under AppleCare). The notebook is about 1 1/2 years old. The following information is from the System Profiler reading:

Charge Information:
Full charge capacity (mAh): 3148
Health Information:
Cycle count: 571
Condition: Replace Soon

Thanks!

MacBook Pro 17" (early 2008), Mac OS X (10.6.2), 4 GB RAM

Posted on Feb 12, 2010 9:16 AM

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Posted on Feb 12, 2010 10:31 AM

It's time to replace your battery. While there is what might be called, as you say, "natural decay"... a gradual loss in capacity over time, this is generally not the major cause of battery degradation. The battery in your machine is good for about 300 cycles... you should expect it to last somewhat past this point with decreasing capacity. In the data you have posted, you have over 570 cycles. That is pretty much beyond the lifespan of the battery. It has led a good long life. At this point, you can expect inconsistent behavior such as the random shutdowns you are experiencing.
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Question marked as Best reply

Feb 12, 2010 10:31 AM in response to sjlee0

It's time to replace your battery. While there is what might be called, as you say, "natural decay"... a gradual loss in capacity over time, this is generally not the major cause of battery degradation. The battery in your machine is good for about 300 cycles... you should expect it to last somewhat past this point with decreasing capacity. In the data you have posted, you have over 570 cycles. That is pretty much beyond the lifespan of the battery. It has led a good long life. At this point, you can expect inconsistent behavior such as the random shutdowns you are experiencing.

Feb 12, 2010 11:53 AM in response to sjlee0

"Condition: Replace Soon"

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3782


*About "Replace Soon"*

+"If you see "Replace Soon" in the Battery menu, the battery may still be usable and hold some charge, however, you might consider battery replacement. If the battery in the Mac portable is removable, try removing and reseating it. Make sure the power cord is connected to your computer and a power outlet. If the battery is not removable, it may be necessary to reset the System Management Controller (SMC).+

+If "Replace Soon" continues to appear after reseating the battery or resetting the SMC, consider replacing the battery or taking the computer to an Apple Authorized Service Provider."+



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MacBook Pro turns off unexpectedly when there is plenty of charge left

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