Will a mid-2015 MacBook Pro boot if its battery is dead/bad, but the laptop is plugged into the charger?

BATman4God wrote:

Thank you so much for answering my question, kaz-k; Yeah, I hope the logic board isn’t bad as well. The sequence of events in this was first a battery with poor life but fine plugged in; then a failure to get past the boot chime and about five seconds of booting before it would go black and start the boot all over (and over, and over); and finally no

https://discussions.apple.com/content/attachment/8fea5f48-8b8d-43ab-be17-044d7c43957c

boot attempts—just a red battery with lightning bolt icon:

That can happen with Apple devices that don't power on because the battery is kaput. I haven't seen that in a Mac, but have seen that exact thing in a iPad with a dead battery. That shows up when connected to power. That's usually a sign that the battery needs to be replaced.

https://discussions.apple.com/content/attachment/853523040

You can certainly bring it to an Apple Store (preferred) to have it evaluated. They typically won't charge anything if they can't fix it. Not sure what an Apple Authorized Service Provider will do with regards to charging for a diagnostic. Some have a minimum diagnostic fee, although that might be applied to a repair fee.

BATman4God wrote:

I have a mid-2015 MacBook Pro 15 inch with a battery that "needs servicing";

I would not try and second guess your logic board(?) Take it in, Apple will run its own test.

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Hi,

I think you'd better replace battery as soon as possible since dead battery could make trouble on power related parts.

Mac Repair - Official Apple Support

Yes, a bad or depleted/drained battery can prevent an Apple laptop from powering on or even charging. The 2015 model is still supported by Apple, so I recommend you get an official Apple battery replacement while it is still possible.

There were older Mac models where it might be possible to do that. Newer models may require a functional battery, even if connected to external power.

I myself had a model where I suspected that the battery died and it wouldn't power on - even with the battery disconnected (mine is that last version that Apple sold where DIY access to the interior is encouraged) with the power adapter connected. It did power again (I suspect the battery was intermittently failing) but since I got the battery replaced at an Apple Store it's working great.

I believe your model is one where Apple doesn't specifically replace the battery and return it to the customer with everything intact other than the battery. The battery is glued into the top case/keyboard, and a battery replacement service would involve replacing the entire top case/keyboard/battery assembly. In order to get it at a battery replacement price, the case and keyboard have to be in good working condition, although I believe routine wear on the keys is fine as those can be replaced. Those will go back to be refurbished with a new battery, and then will be made available as replacement top cases for both battery replacement service and top case/keyboard damage. The cost of the top case service is going to be more expensive since they typically won't reuse the part if it's damaged too heavily.

BATman4God wrote:

Thank you for all that helpful info, y_p_w! I will take it in to an Apple store. I’ve put it off because I just broke my foot, and the nearest Apple store is an hour away.

That's a tougher decision if you're that far away. Apple does have mail-in service if that works better for you. They'll send you a box, and worst case is they charge you their standard shipping fee. If you can find an Apple Authorized Service Provider that doesn't have a mandatory diagnostic fee, that may work out.

Also - the photo I linked isn't solely when the battery is completely gone. That also shows up after it's shut down due to a low battery level and one tries to power it up. It will have to build up a certain charge level before it will power up. But they've certainly unified different Apple devices with a similar look. But if the battery is completely dead it will go nowhere.

BATman4God wrote:

then a failure to get past the boot chime and about five seconds of booting before it would go black and start the boot all over (and over, and over); and finally not boot attempts—just a red battery with lightning bolt icon:

It is unusual for it to start to boot, then stop & get the battery symbol. Usually when the battery is interfering it won't power on at all. You can disconnect the battery from the Logic Board to see if the laptop will power on and boot properly. The fans may run at high speed since the laptop is missing the battery temperature sensor and the laptop may possibly run slow, but if nothing else is wrong, then the laptop should boot normally (if slowly).

When we mailed a laptop to Apple for repair and were requoted the repair cost and refused it, we were still charged the labor & shipping fees.

FYI, with an iPhone/iPad you can rotate the photos using the camera app on the iPhone/iPad by using the "Edit" feature.