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MacBook Pro strange battery behaviour

I have a MacBook Pro 13-inch 2017, processor 2.3 GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i5 and the battery has started a strange behaviour.


The MacBook Pro is connected to the power source and the battery shows charging and charge at 100%.

I disconnect the MacBook from the power cord and use it for 20-30 minutes on battery, and I see the battery icon not degrading, battery capacity still high. If I put the MacBook at sleep, or it goes automatically after 3 minutes of inactivity, then I cannot re-use it: the screen remain pitch black, and after one or two tentatives to re-start the symbol of a empty battery and the need of external power supply appear on the screen.

Once you connect the power cable to the MacBook you are able to start it again, but the battery shows still a lot of charge, 70-75% and more.


I checked the status and Health Information states 226 cycle count and service recommended. I find it strange because I still have a MacBook Pro 2010 with its original battery still doing its job better than this 2017.


Why is the battery and the MacBook managing it so strangely?


Thanks in advance for your suggestions.


Marco

MacBook Pro Retina

Posted on Jul 22, 2021 6:09 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jul 22, 2021 6:00 PM

If you have the non-Touchbar model, then see if your laptop qualifies for this free Apple battery repair program:

https://support.apple.com/13inch-macbookpro-battery-replacement


Try an SMC Reset and PRAM Reset. I really doubt this will help if your battery condition is "Service Recommended", but it never hurts to try.


If it does not qualify, then try running the Apple Diagnostics to see if any hardware issues are detected. Unfortunately with Big Sur (and possibly Catalina) the battery condition has been crippled so that it is no longer possible to determine if you just have a degraded battery (charge doesn't last long) or whether macOS has detected a hardware issue with the battery. Older versions of macOS made it easy to determine this, but now you have a generic "Service Recommended" message which could indicate either condition (very poor change and sure seems like a way for Apple to perform some unnecessary battery replacements). However, with your symptoms it is very likely the battery may be the source of the problem.


I have seen some similar behaviors with some of our organization's USB-C Apple laptops with healthy batteries (condition = Normal). I'm still not certain if there is an actual hardware issue or whether this is some firmware/OS bug. This type of intermittent issue can be very hard to troubleshoot and will require someone to actually see the physical laptop to closely observe even the smallest details of its behavior. The two most recent laptops where this occurred just started working and I could not reproduce the issue again (on one I had to actually disconnect the battery -- I don't recommend users do this because these USB-C Apple laptops are difficult to open safely and it is very easy to damage the battery or the very fragile cables and connectors on these laptops).


If the problem keeps occurring, then you will need to take the laptop to an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider to be examined so they can provide you a repair estimate. Hopefully they will be able to figure it out. These USB-C Apple laptops are extremely difficult to troubleshoot accurately especially with an intermittent issue.


FYI, here is the current list of the publicly acknowledged free repair programs for various Apple products (some products have multiple programs available):

https://support.apple.com/service-programs

Similar questions

5 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jul 22, 2021 6:00 PM in response to Maltesi

If you have the non-Touchbar model, then see if your laptop qualifies for this free Apple battery repair program:

https://support.apple.com/13inch-macbookpro-battery-replacement


Try an SMC Reset and PRAM Reset. I really doubt this will help if your battery condition is "Service Recommended", but it never hurts to try.


If it does not qualify, then try running the Apple Diagnostics to see if any hardware issues are detected. Unfortunately with Big Sur (and possibly Catalina) the battery condition has been crippled so that it is no longer possible to determine if you just have a degraded battery (charge doesn't last long) or whether macOS has detected a hardware issue with the battery. Older versions of macOS made it easy to determine this, but now you have a generic "Service Recommended" message which could indicate either condition (very poor change and sure seems like a way for Apple to perform some unnecessary battery replacements). However, with your symptoms it is very likely the battery may be the source of the problem.


I have seen some similar behaviors with some of our organization's USB-C Apple laptops with healthy batteries (condition = Normal). I'm still not certain if there is an actual hardware issue or whether this is some firmware/OS bug. This type of intermittent issue can be very hard to troubleshoot and will require someone to actually see the physical laptop to closely observe even the smallest details of its behavior. The two most recent laptops where this occurred just started working and I could not reproduce the issue again (on one I had to actually disconnect the battery -- I don't recommend users do this because these USB-C Apple laptops are difficult to open safely and it is very easy to damage the battery or the very fragile cables and connectors on these laptops).


If the problem keeps occurring, then you will need to take the laptop to an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider to be examined so they can provide you a repair estimate. Hopefully they will be able to figure it out. These USB-C Apple laptops are extremely difficult to troubleshoot accurately especially with an intermittent issue.


FYI, here is the current list of the publicly acknowledged free repair programs for various Apple products (some products have multiple programs available):

https://support.apple.com/service-programs

Aug 6, 2021 7:40 PM in response to HWTech

I do agree that USB-C is not the best they could chose, unreliable and unfriendly. I wonder why Apple is taking this strange path, as I always being considering their technology more reliable than anyone else, but it seems it is not anymore.

I am on business trip, and you can imagine how annoying, and affecting my work, is the fact that during the long transfer I cannot use the laptop, notwithstanding the battery is full. Unbelievable.


I will take the laptop to Apple service once I will be back home, and let's see what they will tell me.


Thanks for the support.

Marco

Jul 25, 2021 3:02 AM in response to HWTech

Thanks for your suggestions.


1) my MacBook is not eligible for the free Apple battery repair program, serial number not listed.

2) I did run the Apple Diagnostic, no hardware issue detected, all OK.

3) I did run the SMC reset and PRAM reset


I am now monitoring the MacBook with no power, using it and then putting it at sleep while battery still 70% circa, and it seems the behaviour is better. Looking back at the episodes, I tend to remember that for most of the episodes, the last thing I was doing with the MacBook before to put it asleep it was watching videos with VLC or QuickTime.


I will post again in few days after monitoring the Mac Book.


Marco

Aug 4, 2021 8:32 PM in response to Maltesi

Update of strange behaviour"

this morning the MacBook was on my desk, connected to the power source, battery 100%. I had to go to office so I have simply closed the screen and unplugged the power. Once in the office the MacBook was not starting / resuming, and the symbol of "empty battery" appear. I did plug in the power source and the Mac Book did switch ON, just resuming from sleep, and battery was 100%.

As soon as I can I am will take it to Apple Service but if I have to compare this MacBook to the other one of 2010 this one loses the battle...... I am disappointed.

Aug 5, 2021 10:57 PM in response to Maltesi

Maltesi wrote:

Update of strange behaviour"
this morning the MacBook was on my desk, connected to the power source, battery 100%. I had to go to office so I have simply closed the screen and unplugged the power. Once in the office the MacBook was not starting / resuming, and the symbol of "empty battery" appear. I did plug in the power source and the Mac Book did switch ON, just resuming from sleep, and battery was 100%.

Unfortunately I have seen this behavior a lot with our organization's USB-C Apple laptops. It is extremely annoying, but it appears to be a new standard "feature".


As soon as I can I am will take it to Apple Service but if I have to compare this MacBook to the other one of 2010 this one loses the battle...... I am disappointed.

The quality of Apple laptops began declining with the Retina models in 2012 and really took a nose dive with the USB-C laptops. I hate the USB-C Macs and will never recommend one to anyone. There are way too many hardware design flaws and idiosyncrasies and other weirdness and unpredictability with them plus some very awful default settings (auto on by pressing any key as one example), plus macOS is quickly declining as well. It is also much more expensive and harder to repair the Retina models with the USB-C models being 1,000 times worse. Just wait until you need to pay $600 US to replace a bad speaker, built-in iSight Camera, Trackpad, Keyboard, Bezel, etc. when these items would only cost $200 (parts & labor) on the non-Retina models.

MacBook Pro strange battery behaviour

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