Q: Battery problem related to kernel panic?

Hello,

A few months ago I had a new (Apple-provided) MacBook battery installed by a non-Apple-affiliated third party. Apple representatives approved this and provided the battery and special screwdriver for free, since I'm covered by US AppleCare but living in a country that doesn't have it.

For about a week, once or twice per day, my MacBook 10.6.8 has been shutting off at random moments when I don't have the power adaptor plugged in. Once was while it was asleep overnight. These would come when the battery showed at 70% or higher. At several points, the battery was almost fully charged yet the indicator showed 2-3 hours until full charge. While plugged in, the computer has also once showed a kernel panic message ("You need to re-start- hold powerbutton...") and once just a black screen with the white light consistantly on that wouldn't go away until I shut down the computer (that was after I'd been away from the computer for a while). I did a SMC reset and that didn't help; neither did installing the latest security update.

I have taken my Macbook in to a local authorized Apple sales location (there are no authorized repair centers here), and the expert there ran diagnostic tests on a server. He told me that everything checked out fine except for my battery, which was installed without screws and also shows up as defective (could be because of installation, jolting from the computer, or defective from the beginning - he didn't know how to tell).

I've been using a USB 3G modem to go online recently.

My questions are these:

- Can a kernel panic be caused by a defective battery? Or is it possible that the loose battery damaged other parts that the diagnostic tests missed?

- Is it safe to use the computer while waiting for a new battery?

- Will AppleCare still cover the computer if the authorized reseller orders and installs the battery for me?

Thanks in advance for your help. Here's the panic report if it helps:

Interval Since Last Panic Report:  2676074 sec

Panics Since Last Report:          1

Anonymous UUID:                    477B585C-9673-4511-8EE6-3EB06D97B0C7

Mon Oct 15 14:44:39 2012

panic(cpu 0 caller 0x2abf6a): Kernel trap at 0x0035fe91, type 14=page fault, registers:

CR0: 0x8001003b, CR2: 0xa1560214, CR3: 0x00100000, CR4: 0x00000668

EAX: 0x13986e20, EBX: 0x13986d40, ECX: 0xa1560214, EDX: 0xfffff198

CR2: 0xa1560214, EBP: 0x527f3978, ESI: 0xa1560228, EDI: 0x00000010

EFL: 0x00010246, EIP: 0x0035fe91, CS:  0x00000008, DS:  0x081f0010

Error code: 0x00000002

Backtrace (CPU 0), Frame : Return Address (4 potential args on stack)

0x527f3788 : 0x21b837 (0x5dd7fc 0x527f37bc 0x223ce1 0x0)

0x527f37d8 : 0x2abf6a (0x59e3d0 0x35fe91 0xe 0x59e59a)

0x527f38b8 : 0x2a1a78 (0x527f38d0 0x13986db0 0x527f3978 0x35fe91)

0x527f38c8 : 0x35fe91 (0xe 0x48 0x10 0x81f0010)

0x527f3978 : 0x35d2f4 (0x13986e20 0xa1560214 0xa1560228 0x1)

0x527f3a98 : 0x35b82b (0x13986e20 0x1 0x1 0x4e9506c5)

0x527f3c68 : 0x350e8c (0x5442e600 0x14 0x527f3c98 0xf3d)

0x527f3ca8 : 0x35252b (0x5442e600 0x14 0x6 0x0)

0x527f3dd8 : 0x352652 (0x5442e600 0x0 0x84bb00 0x847e40)

0x527f3df8 : 0x338bad (0x2 0x545f3d00 0x527f3e78 0x227606)

0x527f3e38 : 0x32520a (0x2 0x545f3d00 0x1 0x4b57d384)

0x527f3ec8 : 0x3212f1 (0x8891004 0x2 0x545f3d00 0x504ded)

0x527f3ef8 : 0x32248f (0x874f04 0x545f3800 0x545f3838 0x527f3f4c)

0x527f3f68 : 0x3226fd (0x0 0x545f3800 0x0 0xb36612c)

0x527f3fc8 : 0x2a179c (0xb366104 0x0 0x10 0x9e66600)

BSD process name corresponding to current thread: kernel_task

Mac OS version:

10K549

Kernel version:

Darwin Kernel Version 10.8.0: Tue Jun  7 16:33:36 PDT 2011; root:xnu-1504.15.3~1/RELEASE_I386

System model name: MacBook6,1 (Mac-F22C8AC8)

System uptime in nanoseconds: 11234837625515

unloaded kexts:

com.apple.driver.AppleWWANSupport    2.0.4b0 (addr 0x522dc000, size 0x12288) - last unloaded 5765053461367

loaded kexts:

com.huawei.driver.HuaweiDataCardECMData    1.36.03

com.huawei.driver.HuaweiDataCardECMControl    1.35.02

com.huawei.driver.HuaweiDataCardACMData    4.27.04

com.huawei.driver.HuaweiDataCardDriver    4.25.29

com.apple.driver.AppleHWSensor    1.9.3d0

com.apple.driver.AGPM    100.12.31

com.apple.driver.AppleUpstreamUserClient    3.5.7

com.apple.driver.AppleMCCSControl    1.0.20

com.apple.driver.AppleHDA    2.0.5f14

com.apple.driver.AudioAUUC    1.57

com.apple.filesystems.autofs    2.1.0

com.apple.driver.AppleMikeyHIDDriver    1.2.0

com.apple.driver.AppleBacklight    170.0.46

com.apple.driver.SMCMotionSensor    3.0.1d2

com.apple.Dont_Steal_Mac_OS_X    7.0.0

com.apple.driver.AudioIPCDriver    1.1.6

com.apple.driver.AppleMikeyDriver    2.0.5f14

com.apple.driver.AppleIntelPenrynProfile    17

com.apple.driver.ACPI_SMC_PlatformPlugin    4.7.0a1

com.apple.driver.AppleLPC    1.5.1

com.apple.GeForce    6.3.6

com.apple.driver.AppleUSBTCButtons    201.6

com.apple.driver.AppleUSBTCKeyboard    201.6

com.apple.iokit.SCSITaskUserClient    2.6.8

com.apple.iokit.IOAHCIBlockStorage    1.6.4

com.apple.driver.AirPortBrcm43224    428.42.4

com.apple.driver.AppleSmartBatteryManager    160.0.0

com.apple.driver.AppleUSBHub    4.2.4

com.apple.BootCache    31.1

com.apple.AppleFSCompression.AppleFSCompressionTypeZlib    1.0.0d1

com.apple.driver.AppleAHCIPort    2.1.7

com.apple.nvenet    2.0.17

com.apple.driver.AppleUSBEHCI    4.2.4

com.apple.driver.AppleUSBOHCI    4.2.0

com.apple.driver.AppleEFINVRAM    1.4.0

com.apple.driver.AppleRTC    1.3.1

com.apple.driver.AppleHPET    1.5

com.apple.driver.AppleACPIButtons    1.3.6

com.apple.driver.AppleSMBIOS    1.7

com.apple.driver.AppleACPIEC    1.3.6

com.apple.driver.AppleAPIC    1.4

com.apple.driver.AppleIntelCPUPowerManagementClient    142.6.0

com.apple.security.sandbox    1

com.apple.security.quarantine    0

com.apple.nke.applicationfirewall    2.1.14

com.apple.driver.AppleIntelCPUPowerManagement    142.6.0

com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIBlockCommandsDevice    2.6.8 - last loaded 5694419548599

com.apple.iokit.IOUSBMassStorageClass    2.6.7

com.apple.driver.DspFuncLib    2.0.5f14

com.apple.driver.AppleProfileReadCounterAction    17

com.apple.nvidia.nv50hal    6.3.6

com.apple.driver.AppleBacklightExpert    1.0.1

com.apple.driver.AppleProfileTimestampAction    10

com.apple.driver.AppleProfileThreadInfoAction    14

com.apple.driver.AppleProfileRegisterStateAction    10

com.apple.driver.AppleProfileKEventAction    10

com.apple.driver.AppleProfileCallstackAction    20

com.apple.iokit.IOSurface    74.2

com.apple.iokit.IOBluetoothSerialManager    2.4.5f3

com.apple.iokit.IOSerialFamily    10.0.3

com.apple.iokit.IOAudioFamily    1.8.3fc2

com.apple.kext.OSvKernDSPLib    1.3

com.apple.driver.AppleHDAController    2.0.5f14

com.apple.iokit.IOHDAFamily    2.0.5f14

com.apple.driver.AppleSMBusController    1.0.10d0

com.apple.iokit.AppleProfileFamily    41

com.apple.driver.AppleSMC    3.1.0d5

com.apple.driver.IOPlatformPluginFamily    4.7.0a1

com.apple.driver.AppleSMBusPCI    1.0.10d0

com.apple.NVDAResman    6.3.6

com.apple.iokit.IONDRVSupport    2.2.1

com.apple.iokit.IOGraphicsFamily    2.2.1

com.apple.driver.BroadcomUSBBluetoothHCIController    2.4.5f3

com.apple.driver.AppleUSBBluetoothHCIController    2.4.5f3

com.apple.iokit.IOBluetoothFamily    2.4.5f3

com.apple.driver.AppleUSBMultitouch    207.7

com.apple.iokit.IOUSBHIDDriver    4.2.0

com.apple.driver.AppleUSBMergeNub    4.2.4

com.apple.driver.AppleUSBComposite    3.9.0

com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIMultimediaCommandsDevice    2.6.8

com.apple.iokit.IOBDStorageFamily    1.6

com.apple.iokit.IODVDStorageFamily    1.6

com.apple.iokit.IOCDStorageFamily    1.6.1

com.apple.iokit.IOAHCISerialATAPI    1.2.6

com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIArchitectureModelFamily    2.6.8

com.apple.driver.XsanFilter    402.1

com.apple.iokit.IO80211Family    320.1

com.apple.iokit.IOUSBUserClient    4.2.4

com.apple.iokit.IOAHCIFamily    2.0.6

com.apple.iokit.IONetworkingFamily    1.10

com.apple.iokit.IOUSBFamily    4.2.4

com.apple.driver.NVSMU    2.2.7

com.apple.driver.AppleEFIRuntime    1.4.0

com.apple.iokit.IOHIDFamily    1.6.6

com.apple.iokit.IOSMBusFamily    1.1

com.apple.kext.AppleMatch    1.0.0d1

com.apple.security.TMSafetyNet    6

com.apple.driver.DiskImages    289

com.apple.iokit.IOStorageFamily    1.6.3

com.apple.driver.AppleACPIPlatform    1.3.6

com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily    2.6.5

com.apple.iokit.IOACPIFamily    1.3.0

System Profile:

Model: MacBook6,1, BootROM MB61.00C8.B00, 2 processors, Intel Core 2 Duo, 2.26 GHz, 4 GB, SMC 1.51f53

Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 9400M, NVIDIA GeForce 9400M, PCI, 256 MB

Memory Module: global_name

AirPort: spairport_wireless_card_type_airport_extreme (0x14E4, 0x93), Broadcom BCM43xx 1.0 (5.10.131.42.4)

Bluetooth: Version 2.4.5f3, 2 service, 12 devices, 1 incoming serial ports

Serial ATA Device: TOSHIBA MK2555GSXF, 232.89 GB

Serial ATA Device: MATSHITADVD-R   UJ-898

USB Device: HUAWEI Mobile, 0x12d1  (Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.), 0x1506, 0x24100000 / 3

USB Device: Built-in iSight, 0x05ac  (Apple Inc.), 0x8507, 0x24400000 / 2

USB Device: Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad, 0x05ac  (Apple Inc.), 0x0236, 0x04600000 / 2

USB Device: BRCM2070 Hub, 0x0a5c  (Broadcom Corp.), 0x4500, 0x06100000 / 2

USB Device: Bluetooth Module, 0x05ac  (Apple Inc.), 0x8218, 0x06130000 / 4