Replacement battery in late 2011 MacBook Pro and Trac pad not working

It could be anyone. There have been some who have purchased aftermarket batteries, where the battery info claimed that they were manufactured by Simplo or Dynapack, which are Apple's main notebook battery suppliers. But then again, this is data that stored on a diagnostic system that's easy to fake. I've heard of people who bought batteries from iFixit or OWC where the "manufacturer" was identified as Simplo or Dynapack, but others where it was modified to iFixit or OWC. I don't believe those companies would fake that it came from a major battery maker, but I could certainly see stuff sold on eBay or Amazon like that.

GrammaK wrote:

I went back to the Interstate Battery store. I THINK they put my old battery back in. I had told them to save it after the first battery they got didn't perform the way it should. The Tracpad is working like it should at this time. There is no Apple battery for my dinosaur - late 2011-2012. Just too many things on the horizon to allow me to purchase the kind of Apple I would choose. I'm so used to it, that I'd hate to go to any of the other brands, though!!

It's kind of a gray area. All Unibody MacBook Pro batteries are the same battery specification - i.e. only one each for 13/15/17. I just got a replacement battery at an Apple Store for my 13" mid-2012 MacBook Pro but that's a unique case because of how long it was on the market - until October 2016.

Apple says that they may provide battery replacement service for Apple notebook computers up to 10 years after they were last distributed by Apple. In your case the last computer that used the A1382 battery was still used in the 15" mid-2012 MBP models, and that was discontinued in October 2013. So Apple could still have that battery in stock for other computers, yet consider your computer to be ineligible for that service on the basis of when it was discontinued being more than 10 years.

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.

You might also have some issues in that you've had a part that was serviced outside of Apple's ecosystem that Apple believes that only Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider should service. As far as I can tell, they only consider the drive and memory to be user or third-party serviceable.

yes, a swollen battery can affect the trackpad negatively.

and, I don't normally recommend DIY projects for Macs, but, depending on which MBP you have, replacing the battery in the early or late 2011 MBP might be something you can do yourself. it is pretty simple for the 15 inch and 17 inch models.

If you have either the 15 inch or 17 inch MBP, please see these videos: 

Battery Replacement - MacBook Pro 15-Inch (Early 2011) "Unibody”) 

Battery Replacement - MacBook Pro 17 inch (early 2011 “Unibody”)

if you would be comfortable with that, go for it. if not, or if yours is the 13 inch model, you can see if an Apple Store will do it. and if they won't do it, you may want to find a nearby Apple Authorized Service Provider.

and you can also find the replacement battery as well as the tools you would need from OWC’s website.

the only batteries the I recommend come from OWC. they carry Newer Technology NuPower batteries. i'v used NewerTech batteries in the past and they work well. actually, I only recommend OWC for ALL Mac replacement components. they test all their products with Macs, so you know that the parts will work as expected.

and I know that sounds like a product placement plug, but I'm in no way affiliated with OWC. I'm just a happy (and long time) customer. :)

It's not really all that difficult to make a battery that's close to Apple's OEM standards, but the market is very cost conscious and there can be a lot of shortcuts taken to try to achieve a certain price or even a certain profit. Even the better sellers have issues when their suppliers cheap out.

As for the trackpad, that's kind of complicated. My battery swelled and affected it physically, but an Apple Store battery replacement took care of that. However, there could be any number of things including that the connector gets damaged somehow doing battery removal/installation and nothing is going to fix that short of a new trackpad. The trackpad itself isn't tied to the battery, although there's a lot of stuff that can be disturbed during a battery installation.

you're welcome. :)