Early 2011 battery compromised

babowa wrote:

It depends on the already present damage the swelling has done. You need to have it examined at an authorized service provider before trying to use it. In any case, unplug it and do not use until it has been looked at - a swollen battery can cause major damage.

Any device that old isn't likely to get any hardware service from Apple. They might evaluate it, but at this point they might not actually service it since any "early 2011" model is already on the obsolete list. There is something about the battery though, where they may offer up to 10 years parts availability.

Obtaining service for your Apple product after an expired warranty - Apple Support

Service and parts may be obtained for longer, as required by law or for up to 7 years, subject to parts availability. Additionally, Mac notebooks may be eligible for an extended battery-only repair period for up to 10 years from when the product was last distributed for sale, subject to parts availability.

I just got my 13" mid-2012 MBP battery replaced at an Apple Store, although I'm not sure if had anything to do with my location (in California). The manufacturing date (checked with a battery application) was in Feb 2022 so the A1322 battery for all the 13" Unibody MBPs is still in production. However, I'm not sure if they'll install it in a device that's considered "obsolete" and also past the 10 year period.

For older models, sometimes the only option is to get an aftermarket battery. The installation process isn't all that difficult, but there are supposed to be a few tricky/delicate areas where one needs to be very careful.

It depends on the already present damage the swelling has done. You need to have it examined at an authorized service provider before trying to use it. In any case, unplug it and do not use until it has been looked at - a swollen battery can cause major damage.

Apparently you can according to these:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/can-macbook-work-without-a-battery-and-is-it-easy-to-take-out.2232926/

https://www.quora.com/Will-a-MacBook-Pro-run-without-a-battery

I would still see a service provider or order a battery here:

https://eshop.macsales.com/item/NewerTech/BAP13MBU74V/

and install it. They have install videos. However, we have no idea what if any damage has occurred.

staciessj wrote:

My touch pad was not working, I opened the back to see the battery had swelled. I now have the laptop running on cord only with no battery installed. Do I need to replace the battery or can I continue to use the cord only?

If you do, there are a lot of potential problems with that - especially if you accidentally disconnect the power and it just shuts down automatically. The other issue is that typically if it works, it will throttle the CPU because the power adapter alone typically can't provide peak power requirements and needs the battery there to supplement it for those short peaks. Otherwise, there's the possibility that it attempts to draw more current than available and it just dies from inadequate power.

As far as a trackpad not working, I did have a problem with my mid-2012 model where the battery was slightly bulging and the trackpad couldn't really be clicked because the battery was pressing against the trackpad assembly. I just got a battery replacement, where the replacement battery (part A1322) should be the same as yours if you have a 13" model. However, even if yours is a 13", there's no guarantee that Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider will do the service, since they might only be ordering enough batteries for specific models. The mid-2012 MBP is a specific one where they kept it in production until October 2016, so the 7 year "vintage" period ends in 2013, and the 10 year period for (possible but not guaranteed) battery-only repairs ends in 2026. However, with the battery replaced, my trackpad is back to operating normally.

If you want to replace the battery, then the best option for a third party battery is OWC. Keep in mind the quality of third party Lithium-ion batteries is extremely poor even when purchased from a reputable vendor such as OWC, but OWC is your best option for a third party battery.