MacBook Pro (2008) Battery Burst Open

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MacBook Pro (2008) Battery Burst Open

I have a mid-2008 MacBook Pro 15" that we don't use much anymore. I recently charged it to reformat the hard drive and reinstall everything. It ws plugged in for about a day, then I unplugged it and put it on a shelf, where it sat untouched for 3 weeks.

Today I got it out to use, but the battery was dead. I plugged in the cable, opened it, and turned it on. Oddly, the touch pad button would not depress at all. I had to shut down because the cursor was useless to me. I flipped over the computer for some reason after it was shut down and found the housing for the battery had burst open. I had to use some force to slide the battery eject buttons, but got it out. The entire housing for the battery is expanded, with the inner metal plate completely detached.

I opened the computer and discovered that the force of the battery expansion had pushed against the inside of the track pad button, which was causing my first problem. I guess I'm happy that it did that so I didn't keep chargin the burst battery.

Was there a recall for the 2008 batteries? I understand a 3 year old battery may not charge well, but it shouldn't explode. I am really upset that I'll have to buy a 150 dollar battery for a computer I hardly use.

Batteries shouldn't look like that... (it's a Model A1175, with serial number ending in Z9CA)

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.5)

Posted on Oct 7, 2011 10:46 AM

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Answer 1

gk2020

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Dec 10, 2011 4:31 PM in response to DeeSap

Hi DeeSap,

Have you received any feedback from Apple regarding this yet? Something very similar has just happened to my daughter's 2008 MacBook Pro which she got for Christmas that year (it has the same A1175 model battery, also ending in Z9CA). I understand these batteries' performance may decrease over time, but I agree they should definitely not look like that.

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Answer 2

Dec 10, 2011 4:36 PM in response to DeeSap

look over to the right ---------------------> "more like this". you will see several posts like this. And no, their are no recalls on those batteries, time to buy a new one. The expected cycle count is 300 or 500, depending on your model. Read here for more: http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1519

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Answer 3

gk2020

Level 1

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Dec 11, 2011 4:33 AM in response to shldr2thewheel

Hi shldr2thewheel,

Thanks a lot for your quick reply and the link. Max 300 full recharge cycles when the new ones support up to 1000? That's ridiculous... I have been using Toshiba notebooks for a long time and have a 4 year-old one that was much cheaper than the MacBook Pro, still works fine and has a better graphics chip. I guess one not always gets what one pays for. I like the iPhones and iPads (even though I don't agree with Apple's "planned obsolecence" strategy), but this was the first and last MacBook for me.

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Answer 4

DeeSap Author

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Dec 11, 2011 9:51 AM in response to gk2020

I took it down to the Genius Bar and, as shldr2thewheel pointed out, there was no recall, it's just time to buy a new one. I have never had any other significant trouble with Mac laptops, so the bloated battery was concerning.

I wonder if there's a similar concern with the built-in batteries on the unibody MacBooks.

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Answer 5

Csound1

Level 9

59,973 points

Dec 11, 2011 10:04 AM in response to gk2020

gk2020 wrote:

Hi shldr2thewheel,

Thanks a lot for your quick reply and the link. Max 300 full recharge cycles when the new ones support up to 1000? That's ridiculous... I have been using Toshiba notebooks for a long time and have a 4 year-old one that was much cheaper than the MacBook Pro, still works fine and has a better graphics chip. I guess one not always gets what one pays for. I like the iPhones and iPads (even though I don't agree with Apple's "planned obsolecence" strategy), but this was the first and last MacBook for me.

"The expected cycle count is 300 or 500" but I think he meant to say 300 to 500

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Answer 6

Jan 27, 2014 10:23 AM in response to DeeSap

I'm finding this post in 2014 on the afternoon that I have experienced this battery issue now for the second time in the life of my early 2008 17" MacBook Pro. I cannot remember the actual date (even year) that it occurred, but there was indeed a recall on my original battery for this very issue. I had hoped that I would be able to get through the life of my computer with the second battery (supplied to me at no cost due to the known defect, not through AppleCare coverage), but it appears I will have to spring for one ASAP.

I use the word "recall" loosely, as Apple seems to have a different approach with recalls. They don't announce them, but if you are one of the unlucky to run into a problem with the defective item and take it in within some span of time, they then tell you and arrange repair or replacement. This also happened to me with my NVIDIA graphics card in 2012. My computer was just shy of 4 years of age at the time and I had a graphics card problem. Though AppleCare was long expired, I was within a 4-year expiration of a replacement agreement with NVIDIA, so got that repair done free as well.

It would seem as though this beloved computer is like a cat, and is finally starting to go through its 9 lives... I need it to hang on for as long as possible!

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Answer 7

Dec 12, 2015 9:58 AM in response to DeeSap

Well today the exact thing happened to me - macbook pro 4 - an older model

A1175 battery just starting expanding - and not charging - and I too noticed the select portion of the touch pad stopped working...this is a lesser used machine..but it was frightening as well as a hazard. Never ever have I experienced this, fortunately I was able to remove it and place it outside in a plastic bag.

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