Macbook Pro Battery Condition "Replace Soon"

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Level 1

12 points

Macbook Pro Battery Condition "Replace Soon"

I had a little accident when my MacBook Pro fell down from my sofa. My sofa is not so high and it was from the sitting area level (not the armrest area). The square magnet tip part got loose and was stuck in my MacBook. I was able to easily pull the magnet tip part out and put it back on (though it is a little loose now).

My MacBook Pro is not acting differently, however I did notice the ikon on the battery was different, so I clicked on it and it showed the error message "Condition: Replace Soon" which means "The battery is functioning normally but holds less charge than it did when it was new. You should monitor the health of the battery by checking the battery status menu periodically." I also noticed that the percentage indicator for the battery was going down much faster when the battery charger was not plugged in. When I connected the battery charger to my MacBook it loaded normally and stayed on 100% when fully charged.
When I have re-started my MacBook, it still has the same error message about the condition of having to replace the battery soon.... But the speed of the percentage of the battery is not decreasing at the same rapid speed, but still a little faster than normal I think...

Is there an easy fix (maybe I can open up my MacBook to check if there are any loose parts inside) and if not is it possible for me to send it in for only to change the battery inside my MacBook or might there be some other problems ?

I did find a way to open and change battery: How to Replace the Battery in a 15-inch MacBook Pro 2012 (Updated) - YouTube which I am not going to do, but what should I look for (loose parts) ?

MacBook Pro, Mid 2012 15.4"/2.7/2X4GB/1TB/SD

Posted on Jun 22, 2017 9:42 AM

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Answer 1

PeerNorway Author

Level 1

12 points

Jun 22, 2017 5:35 PM in response to tjk

Thank you tjk for taking time replying.

Is there a way to find out (maybe runing a test troubleshooting program of some sort) that would show it is the MagSafe DC-In Board that has gotten damaged, and not the battery itself - and would the error message "Condition: Replace Soon"appear when clicking the battery icon when the MagSafe DC In Board is damaged (should it not specifically say it is the In Board and not the battery) ?

My MacBook appears to work fine with the with the battery charger connected.

P.S. It appears that the battery charger magnet tip that goes into my MacBook has one or two little pins that hold it attached together to the connection to the wire. If it has two then one of them appears to be broken (though I did not find it):

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Answer 2

tjk

Level 9

51,192 points

Jun 22, 2017 10:07 AM in response to PeerNorway

Hi,

You may have damaged the MagSafe DC-In Board, but I haven't heard of that causing the battery message you're getting. To start, I would try resetting the SMC: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201295.

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Answer 3

PeerNorway Author

Level 1

12 points

Jun 23, 2017 3:10 AM in response to OGELTHORPE

Thank you OGELTHORPE !

Then I will try that AHT (Apple Hardware Test) and do it overnight tonight.

I assume this is the walk-through of the test: How to use Apple Hardware Test on your Mac - Apple Support ? I hope this test will also do a complete check of my other hardware.

By the way, the battery icon has now turned to the "normal" look: all black with a lightning in it (before that it was all black) when fully 100% charged and with the battery charger connected. But still the error message...

Can anyone recommend a battery for my MacBook Pro (Mid 2012) if I need to change ?

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Answer 4

tjk

Level 9

51,192 points

Jun 23, 2017 6:40 AM in response to PeerNorway

Apple has equipment that may be able to test of that. I would bring the Mac to an Apple Store “genius” bar for a free diagnosis: https://support.apple.com/contact

I don't know about the part shown in the picture, I've never had one off, but make sure all the pins are sticking out straight like they should be.

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Answer 5

PeerNorway Author

Level 1

12 points

Jun 22, 2017 5:39 PM in response to OGELTHORPE

Grazie OGELTHORPE. I just might have to do that, and maybe get them to troubleshoot and double check if there is anything else wrong with my MacBook. My MacBook appears to be doing very good (despite the battery message). I hope it will not get expensive (prices over here in Norway is really high...)

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Answer 6

OGELTHORPE

Level 9

57,329 points

Jun 23, 2017 2:46 AM in response to PeerNorway

There are 'power supply' and 'power bus' errors in the Apple Hardware Test. The problem with the AHT is that a clean test indicates that no errors were found, not that there are no errors. you best option is to run the AHt in a loop overnight and see what are the results, if any.

Ciao.

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Answer 7

PeerNorway Author

Level 1

12 points

Jun 23, 2017 8:08 AM in response to tjk

I am not sure, but I do not think that the Apple store here in Norway has a "genius" bar or any options to give me a free diagnosis, unfortunately... It is very pricey here... 😟

Anyways, thank you so much for taking time answering.

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Answer 8

OGELTHORPE

Level 9

57,329 points

Jun 22, 2017 10:36 AM in response to PeerNorway

The 'easy fix' is a replacement battery. Apple will install the new battery for you.

Ciao.

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Answer 9

OGELTHORPE

Level 9

57,329 points

Jun 23, 2017 3:17 AM in response to PeerNorway

If you cannot get an Apple battery, veteran ASC participants have found NuPower and Anker batteries to be good third party substitutes. All other batteries are suspect until proven otherwise.

Ciao.

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