Replace Battery Soon question (Please help!)

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Replace Battery Soon question (Please help!)

Hello. Tonight while on my computer, I was watching a video, and then I noticed that my battery suddenly received the status "Replace Soon". However, after doing an SMC reset the status disappeared and the system profiler reads this:

Charge Information:

Charge Remaining (mAh): 5790

Fully Charged: No

Charging: No

Full Charge Capacity (mAh): 5873

Health Information:

Cycle Count: 1369

Condition: Normal

Battery Installed: Yes

Amperage (mA): -1563

Voltage (mV): 12212

Now I don't know if it is still bad but should I replace my battery? I'm really nervous and want to get this fixed asap! Thanks for any help you can give.

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Dec 19, 2014 8:04 PM

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Answer 1

Kappy

Level 10

361,741 points

Dec 19, 2014 8:14 PM in response to Aspiemor

Your battery would appear to be OK, but the cycle count is very high for a "good" battery. Exactly what model do you have?

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Answer 2

Aspiemor Author

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Dec 19, 2014 8:25 PM in response to Kappy

you mean the serial number info? Well here is the rest

Model Information:

Serial Number: D8******LAE

Manufacturer: SMP

Device Name: bq20z451

Pack Lot Code: 0000

PCB Lot Code: 0000

Firmware Version: 0406

Hardware Revision: 0002

Cell Revision: 0158

Does this help?

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Answer 3

Kappy

Level 10

361,741 points

Dec 19, 2014 8:32 PM in response to Aspiemor

No, what model is the computer?

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Answer 4

Aspiemor Author

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Dec 19, 2014 8:36 PM in response to Kappy

Model Name: MacBook Pro

Model Identifier: MacBookPro8,2

Processor Name: Intel Core i7

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Answer 5

Kappy

Level 10

361,741 points

Dec 19, 2014 8:44 PM in response to Aspiemor

I would just keep an eye on the battery's condition. How long does it normally maintain its charge when you use it on battery power?

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Answer 6

Aspiemor Author

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Dec 19, 2014 8:48 PM in response to Kappy

Well it fluctuates. Right now it is reading 4:26. But at most it goes on for at least two hours or three, depending on what I am doing. It's strange. Even when it said "Replace Soon", the battery charge still continued to show the same amount it always did. I do notice that when I plug it in, it take a few seconds longer to go from "Calculating" to showing how much is left/is being charged.

But you think everything looks fine? Frankly this whole thing was freaking me out and I was getting scared.

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Answer 7

Kappy

Level 10

361,741 points

Dec 20, 2014 10:23 AM in response to Aspiemor

If you normally get 3-4 hours from the battery then it's doing well given how many cycles you have. But usually replacing the battery isn't needed until the condition shows "Replace battery." As I recall the batteries in that model are not user-replaceable, so you must take it in for service to get the battery replaced.

About Batteries in Modern Apple Laptops

Battery University

Apple - Batteries - Notebooks

Apple - Batteries

Extending the Life of Your Laptop Battery

MacBook and MacBook Pro- Mac reduces processor speed when battery is removed while operating from an A-C adaptor

Apple Portables- Calibrating your computer's battery for best performance

Mac notebooks- Determining battery cycle count

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Answer 8

Aspiemor Author

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Dec 20, 2014 11:16 AM in response to Kappy

Well, I usually turn it off each night. I rarely leave it on for more than a day or so. And I let the battery drain to a low amount before I recharge it again. I know a place near me that offers repairs and services. It isn't an apple store, but they can purchase and install a new battery for me if I need it. For now I will keep an eye on it and make my decision if I notice anything. I admit I still feel nervous, especially with it taking slightly longer to calculate how long it takes to charge now, but I think I can handle it.

thanks for the help.

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Answer 9

Allan Jones

Level 9

68,606 points

Dec 20, 2014 11:16 AM in response to Aspiemor

Most people are lucky to get 1000 cycles. Yours has done really well. Apple states that a battery should retain 80 percent "health" at 1000 cycles. Through misuse, that mark is not always reached.

"Health" is defined as the maximum charge the battery can obtain today divided by the original design capacity. For my 13-inch MBP 2012, the design capacity is 5770mAh; larger-screen models may be different. You can use a free utility that has a database of all MBP models. It will read your battery's data and calculate helath for you:

http://www.coconut-flavour.com/coconutbattery/

IMPORTANT NOTE before downloading! Use the smaller links (there is for for 10.7 and later and one for users of older OSX versions), NOT the one in the big and obvious green box:

Once you find the "Health" percentage, let us know what it is.

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