MacBook Pro Unibody – known problem.

Hello friends,

The MacBook Pro Unibody laptops that don’t have a “user replaceable battery” (there is a version that a customer can easily repair the battery themselves) – have a problem that you might want to know about.

After a few years of use, the battery can tend to have issues; but sometimes the symptom starts as a failing trackpad…let me explain. When one of these batteries fails, it can “puff up”.

Although I’ll be talking primarily about Mac laptops in this post, swollen batteries can be found in many devices that use lithium batteries, including Smartphones. There’s also no single cause for a swollen battery. Some are due to manufacturing defects, others are caused by the age of the battery, and still other cases can be caused by misuse, such as not properly exercising the battery over time, or by using the wrong power charger.

In general, a swollen battery occurs when the battery’s cells are overcharged.  This can lead to warping of your case, and pressure under your trackpad that can cause it to stop clicking or even pop up and out of the palmrest.

Here’s what a failed battery looks like when I pulled one out of a MacBook Pro yesterday:

Just check your battery meter in the top tool bar on your Mac.  If it ever warns you to “replace battery soon”, then run (don’t walk!) to your nearest Mission Repair for replacement.  We can take care of you fast, and save you potentially costly repairs before the battery pops.

Take care, Ryan