SimonBrenner
Level 1 (4 points)
Notebooks

Q: Battery discharges when plugged in

Hi,

 

I have a fairly new 12 inch retina MacBook. Twice now it has died on me when plugged in. I would close the MacBook with maybe 20% left on the Battery, close it, plug it in, and when I open it again later - expecting about a 50% charge - the Macbook would be dead - 0% charge.

 

Does anyone have the same annoying experience? Any idea where things could go wrong?

 

Ta.

MacBook, OS X El Capitan (10.11.6), null

Posted on Jul 24, 2016 1:10 PM

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SimonBrenner

Q: Battery discharges when plugged in

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  • by Lanny,

    Lanny Lanny Jul 24, 2016 2:51 PM in response to SimonBrenner
    Level 5 (7,883 points)
    Desktops
    Jul 24, 2016 2:51 PM in response to SimonBrenner

    Did you ever receive the replacement USB cable that Apple sent to everyone?

     

    https://www.apple.com/support/usbc-chargecable/

  • by SimonBrenner,

    SimonBrenner SimonBrenner Jul 24, 2016 4:17 PM in response to Lanny
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Notebooks
    Jul 24, 2016 4:17 PM in response to Lanny

    Thanks for the suggestion! But my MacBook is from this year, so I assume that faulty cables are no longer an issue. Also, even if the cable would not charge the MB, while plugged in and sleeping the MB discharges from 20% to 0% in little more than an hour.

  • by spasel,

    spasel spasel Jul 24, 2016 5:10 PM in response to SimonBrenner
    Level 1 (11 points)
    Notebooks
    Jul 24, 2016 5:10 PM in response to SimonBrenner

    I haven't experienced the battery drain while plugged in at all.  BUT, I have experienced a 10-15% drop in battery when sleeping..however, that has been overnight and only from my home.  When I am on the road, it doesn't do it.  I also turned the wifi off from home and there was no battery drain.  I think there might be an issue with the wifi on some of these devices, or perhaps, my actual router that was replaced by Verizon FIOS by some newer better router. 

  • by SimonBrenner,

    SimonBrenner SimonBrenner Sep 6, 2016 1:34 PM in response to SimonBrenner
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Notebooks
    Sep 6, 2016 1:34 PM in response to SimonBrenner

    This just happened again. Only the Macbook wasn't plugged in. I closed the lid, put it into my backpack, and when I took it out again it was boiling hot and the battery was dead. I already thought the Macbook had fried itself. Something draws a crazy amount of energy when the Macbook is sleeping.

     

    Anyone had that issue?

  • by Lanny,

    Lanny Lanny Sep 6, 2016 1:37 PM in response to SimonBrenner
    Level 5 (7,883 points)
    Desktops
    Sep 6, 2016 1:37 PM in response to SimonBrenner

    Then it's not sleeping. Something is preventing it from sleeping.

  • by SimonBrenner,

    SimonBrenner SimonBrenner Sep 6, 2016 1:47 PM in response to Lanny
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Notebooks
    Sep 6, 2016 1:47 PM in response to Lanny

    Yes, I guess not. How does one find out what it is? The activity monitor doesn't have the answer; all programs say "no" to keeping the mac awake. And why does it not throttle down the cpu when it gets too hot?

  • by Lanny,

    Lanny Lanny Sep 6, 2016 1:51 PM in response to SimonBrenner
    Level 5 (7,883 points)
    Desktops
    Sep 6, 2016 1:51 PM in response to SimonBrenner

    Yes, I guess not. How does one find out what it is? And why does it not throttle down the cpu when it gets too hot?

    Use the Activity Monitor and the Console apps to pinpoint apps (generally 3rd party) that may be preventing Sleep. CPUs can get pretty hot before they are throttled down, but whatever may be causing the cpu usage, will remain. Plus, how do you know that it is not being throttled down already?

     

    If it is truely in sleep mode, then the cpu would not be active, the radios for Bluetooth and WiFi would be unpowered, the display would be turned off and the USB ports would be inactive, pretty much the definition of sleep mode.

  • by SimonBrenner,

    SimonBrenner SimonBrenner Sep 6, 2016 2:03 PM in response to Lanny
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Notebooks
    Sep 6, 2016 2:03 PM in response to Lanny

    Thanks, Lanny! The Activity Monitor doesn't show anything but I'll keep looking. And I had edited my initial reply but I guess too late for you to see.

     

    True about the throttling. I don't know at what temperature it will throttle exactly but the Macbook was extremely hot, nearly too hot to hold in the hand. So I assumed this would be beyond the allowed temperature.

     

    Unfortunately (or fortunately) this is only the third incident, so it's too often for comfort but too rare to be able to replicate it.

  • by Lanny,

    Lanny Lanny Sep 6, 2016 2:13 PM in response to SimonBrenner
    Level 5 (7,883 points)
    Desktops
    Sep 6, 2016 2:13 PM in response to SimonBrenner

    Until you identify the culprit, I would recommend using Activity Monitor to list active apps by decending cpu usage, verifying that cpu usage for acitve apps is low, and then put the Mac to sleep by using the menu command instead of by just closing the lid, there may be an audible announcement about any app that is preventing Sleep.