Trying to drain MacBook Pro battery but keeps hibernating

Question

RexTheRunt Author

Level 1

8 points

Trying to drain MacBook Pro battery but keeps hibernating

Hi all

I’ve got a battery that needs servicing - MacBook Pro 2015. It’s only done 550 cycles.

It’s been recommended that I reset SMC and then drain the battery completely before recharging (twice).

I have checked that all the energy saver settings should not allow it to sleep or hibernate.

However, it will hibernate after about one minute if I remove the power input. It happens at 90% or 80%, or any percentage!

I am trying to run apps that drain it, but it hibernates and stops all processes. I even tried “caffeinate” from Terminal command.

I have installed Coconut battery, which shows me 47%, then it hibernates. I have to plug in the power to wake it. Then it shows a random battery percentage, for example 15%. When I plug the power back in, it will say 47%.

One time it said 1% and gave me the sleep warning, but when I plugged in power again it said 47%!

I need to drain the battery and it’s impossible when it keeps hibernating.

Could someone please help me?

Also, please confirm that when resetting SMC, there is no sound or starting chime? I should just hold Shift+Cntrl+Option+Power for 10 seconds and then release and press power on?

These images are taken within a few minutes of each other. Totally random percentages showing…

MacBook Pro 15″, macOS 10.14

Posted on May 21, 2023 2:21 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

RexTheRunt Author

Level 1

8 points

May 24, 2023 4:11 AM in response to RexTheRunt

Perhaps if someone read my post thoroughly they could have helped me.

I wasn't resetting SMC properly - I found an instruction that said you should remove the power cable and then reset. I did that and it solved my problem.

I have always used the laptop on the power adapter 90% of the time, so it has hardly ever drained completely.

Reply

Answer 2

May 21, 2023 5:40 AM in response to RexTheRunt

That advice is for nickel-cadmium batteries. They have not been used in macs in several decades.

Draining a lithium polymer battery will only REDUCE its useful life.

Where are you getting your advice from, anyway? the internet is full of stuff that is wrong, and a whole lot more that is not applicable, and great deal that is just too old. You need to be more skeptical of your sources.

Reply

Answer 3

May 22, 2023 5:53 AM in response to RexTheRunt

Your symptoms correlate with a dying battery.

Apple can do the repair, complete, for about US$250, and provide its standard 90 day repair warranty as well.

Your new battery will last far longer if you stop draining it heavily.

Reply

Answer 4

ku4hx

Level 7

23,694 points

May 21, 2023 5:53 AM in response to RexTheRunt

Cycle count is mostly eye candy and serves no real purpose in making diagnoses.

The metric you need to pay attention to is remaining capacity. At 80% Apple says its time to replace .. and they did ,after all, design the device.

Get the battery replaced by Apple; 3rd party batteries sold even buy otherwise reputable outfits are sub standard to Apple's

Reply

Answer 5

May 24, 2023 6:07 AM in response to RexTheRunt

Your MacBook Pro 2015 does not have an Apple-Silicon processor or T2 chip, so it does not reset when you do as you described. It needs the penultimate procedure in this article:

Reset the SMC of your Mac - Apple Support

.

Reply

Answer 6

RexTheRunt Author

Level 1

8 points

May 22, 2023 5:47 AM in response to ku4hx

This issue only started after I had my hard drive replaced last week. The machine would never hibernate until 1%. Now it happens even at 90%.

Also, Coconut battery shows what appears to be random stats on the battery - sometimes "design capacity" is 12%, and then suddenly 22% or 36%.

Reply

Trying to drain MacBook Pro battery but keeps hibernating

Similar questions