Macbook Pro only gets 3 hours of battery life with minimal usage

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Level 1

8 points

Macbook Pro only gets 3 hours of battery life with minimal usage

I'm using a MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Late 2013) running El Capitan (10.11.1). In the last few weeks, my battery life has been absolutely horrible - I'm lucky to get 2-3 hours while just browsing the internet (no movies, no music). I don't think that this is connected to El Capitan (at least directly), because I didn't notice the battery problems for several weeks after I upgraded. I don't think it was a gradual process either - one day, the problem just started. To my knowledge, the only programs I installed a day or two before I started noticing the problem were the Eclipse editor and Apache Maven, but the problem persists even when I am not using eclipse.

Any time I start an app (whether it be mailbox, chrome, safari, etc.) and use it for more than a few minutes, my computer heats up and the fan starts running. I've tried checking the apps using significant energy, but even when I quit all running apps and my computer is just on, the estimated battery life has not been better than 2 1/2 hours with no apps listed as using significant energy. I have the Battery Health app installed (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/battery-health-monitor-battery/id490192174?mt=12). I'm not sure how reliable that is for issues like this, but here's a screenshot of the current summary:

For reference, the only app I am currently running is Google Chrome and on a full battery it estimates I only have 2 hours and 27 minutes of usage left. I know that Chrome isn't known for its optimal battery support (it is listed in the "Apps using significant energy"), but this seems excessive.

Does anyone have any ideas about how I could improve my computer's battery life or further steps I could take to see if there's some extra process or app that's hiding somewhere and using a lot of battery power undetected?

MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X El Capitan (10.11.1)

Posted on Nov 15, 2015 3:05 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

JonZ68

Level 1

9 points

Dec 8, 2017 10:34 PM in response to Ralokz

Ok. So I am a lifer when it comes to the Mac. So,
I recently got a new 2017 MacBook Pro. The screen was amazing. But the battery was only a 3 hour battery. I was angry. $1400 for 3 hours? Insane. 2I returned it for a MacBook Air. Awesome machine, deplorable screen. I returned it for anotherMacBook. 2 Visits to the store, 2 calls to AppleCare, and 2 chat sessions. I got it! The USB-C eats battery. Plug anything that isn't already powered and it drains the battery. I set the screen at 10 bars and the keyboard at 4 or 5 bars. Then, one of the chaats revealed something I never heard os before.

SMC!

Resetting the SMC restores normal lower level system functionality to your Mac, particularly for power and hardware related troubles. Here are the steps for that: Please shut down your Mac. Then using the built-in keyboard, press Shift-Control-Option on the left side of the keyboard, then press the power button at the same time. Hold these keys and the power button for exactly 10 seconds. After 10 seconds, let go of the keys and press the power button once to turn it on. - this seemed to work!

This, in combination with the other tips above seemed to do the trick! Breakthrough. Now I don't have to look at the lady at BestBuy cower at I come in to return my Mac for the 4th time! LOL. I hope it works for you!

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Answer 2

OGELTHORPE

Level 9

57,317 points

Nov 15, 2015 3:42 PM in response to Ralokz

Perform a SMC reset:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201295

If no success. perform this test during a long session on the MBP:

Boot the MBP and record the time and battery percentage.

Then record the time and the percentage just prior to shutdown.

Do the math. How does it compare to the battery application?

Ciao.

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Answer 3

Ralokz Author

Level 1

8 points

Nov 17, 2015 10:55 AM in response to Ralokz

Hi Ogelthorpe,

Thanks for the tip. I tried the SMC reset, but it didn't seem to work. I just used my Macbook for about 2 hours on battery power to browse the internet. It started at a full charge and now it's at 17%, so I think the estimate is pretty accurate.

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Answer 4

Nov 17, 2015 11:13 AM in response to OGELTHORPE

Ralokz,

You should, when AC is available, run off of the AC adapter. Only use the battery when you must. Generally when you get to 200 charge cycles your battery capacity will have reduced to 85% (at best) from the original amount.

See here:

http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/how_to_prolong_lithium_based_batterie s

I have a year old machine that has 28 charge cycles.

When you run off the battery you reduce the available capacity of the battery. I use the battery only when I must.

Battery Installed: Yes

Amperage (mA): 0

Voltage (mV): 12564

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Answer 5

Dark3lf

Level 1

4 points

Nov 17, 2015 11:21 AM in response to Wayne Contello

Hi,

Can you copy/paste the information from System Report-Power?  - About This Mac - System Report - Power (or ⌥+ - System Information - Power)

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Answer 6

OGELTHORPE

Level 9

57,317 points

Nov 17, 2015 11:23 AM in response to Ralokz

Download and install a temperature/fan speed application.

Open Activity Monitor to ALL PROCESSES and set CPU to display values from high to low.

When the fans start speeding up, take screen shots of both and post them for inspection (so Wayne can evaluate them 🙂)

Also run an Apple Hardware Test:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201257

Note that an error free AHT is not definitive.

Ciao.

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Answer 7

Ralokz Author

Level 1

8 points

Nov 17, 2015 12:17 PM in response to OGELTHORPE

Thanks for the help, everyone! I followed Ogelthorpe's advice and checked the "All Processes" tab of the activity monitor and found out that the culprit was Carbonite. I recently got an email saying I needed to uninstall and reinstall Carbonite so I did that. Looking at the date of the email, that's about when I started noticing the battery problem. I shut Carbonite off about 20 minutes ago and now at 70%, the computer estimates that I have 4 1/2 hours of battery time left (and that estimate has been going up steadily since I shut off Carbonite). I'm going to look more into Carbonite to see if this is an issue with the software, or somehow if uninstalling and reinstalling made my computer attempt to do a full backup and that's what was causing my problems.

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