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Battery problem
#63110 01/19/23 05:48 PM
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My MacBook battery doesn't go up to 100% anymore and if I unplug it, it goes down very quickly. Today my mac shut down but the battery icon said 57%. Is that normal? I should have had some time left. I'm guessing I am going to have to replace it soon.


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Re: Battery problem
plantsower #63128 01/20/23 06:56 PM
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As the age of the battery increases, its ability to charge to 100% decreases. This describes the overall "health" of the battery. Apple has said that if the battery health is below 80% (NOT the same as the charge level), it is time to replace the battery. I don't know if your MacBook Battery System Preference lists the "health", but there are free apps in the App Store that will tell you what it is. Search with "battery health" in the App Store.


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Re: Battery problem
Ira L #63132 01/20/23 07:58 PM
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Thank you, Ira. I will check. It's odd, but it's at 100% now. But yesterday, even though it was plugged in, it went down. So probably losing steam.


Originally Posted by Ira L
As the age of the battery increases, its ability to charge to 100% decreases. This describes the overall "health" of the battery. Apple has said that if the battery health is below 80% (NOT the same as the charge level), it is time to replace the battery. I don't know if your MacBook Battery System Preference lists the "health", but there are free apps in the App Store that will tell you what it is. Search with "battery health" in the App Store.


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Re: Battery problem
plantsower #63183 01/23/23 07:40 PM
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I downloaded two different battery health apps. Neither would open even though one of them said it worked on my particular mac. Today I got a message saying "You are now running on reserve power." It recommend I connect the adapter. I WAS connected. It said I had 1% power at that time. Now it says I have 83% power. My question is even though the battery may be bad, and I'm getting warning messages, will my MacBook still work as long as I have it plugged in if it's just a battery problem? The adapter light is orange continually, not green anymore. I called a repair guy but he said Apple has the monopoly on their parts and he can't get them. He told me the off brand batteries weren't trustworthy in his experience.

I live too far away from am Apple store anyway. Plus, I don't want to wait in line like is always required because they are always busy.


Addendum: I just ran a hardware test and got the message: Battery may not be working properly, unplug adapter and plug in again and re-run test (which I did). The results were no problems found.

Originally Posted by plantsower
Thank you, Ira. I will check. It's odd, but it's at 100% now. But yesterday, even though it was plugged in, it went down. So probably losing steam.


Originally Posted by Ira L
As the age of the battery increases, its ability to charge to 100% decreases. This describes the overall "health" of the battery. Apple has said that if the battery health is below 80% (NOT the same as the charge level), it is time to replace the battery. I don't know if your MacBook Battery System Preference lists the "health", but there are free apps in the App Store that will tell you what it is. Search with "battery health" in the App Store.


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Re: Battery problem
plantsower #63187 01/23/23 09:29 PM
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Originally Posted by plantsower
I downloaded two different battery health apps. Neither would open even though one of them said it worked on my particular mac. Today I got a message saying "You are now running on reserve power." It recommend I connect the adapter. I WAS connected. It said I had 1% power at that time. Now it says I have 83% power. My question is even though the battery may be bad, and I'm getting warning messages, will my MacBook still work as long as I have it plugged in if it's just a battery problem? The adapter light is orange continually, not green anymore. I called a repair guy but he said Apple has the monopoly on their parts and he can't get them. He told me the off brand batteries weren't trustworthy in his experience.

  • Leaving the charger/adapter plugged in 24x7 will keep your MacBook running until the battery fails completely or the charger/adapter fails.


Originally Posted by plantsower
I live too far away from am Apple store anyway. Plus, I don't want to wait in line like is always required because they are always busy.

  • Contact Apple Support and they will send you a shipping box for your MacBook and have it back in your hands typically within five working days.
  • There is a reasonable flat fee charge for battery replacement.


REMEMBER: I have preached from this pulpit before, and dislike being repetitious, but due to changes in battery technology, ie. the switch from NiCD to Li-Ion, Apple has significantly altered their recommendations on battery charging. (Unfortunately, some of the old recommendation documents have not been removed from the web.)

  1. Leaving a device on full charge for an extended length of time IS NOT RECOMMENDED
  2. Fully discharging the battery periodically IS NO LONGER RECOMMENDED
  3. Recent versions of iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and macOS(?) have an Optimized Charging feature that when activated attempts to bring your device to full charge just before the start of your day to MINIMIZE THE TIME THE BATTERY IS AT FULL CHARGE.
  4. If you are not going to be using a battery operated device for an extended length of time, DISCHARGE THE BATTERY TO ABOUT 80% BEFORE STORING THE DEVICE.


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Re: Battery problem
joemikeb #63188 01/23/23 09:51 PM
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Thanks, Joe.


Originally Posted by joemikeb
Originally Posted by plantsower
I downloaded two different battery health apps. Neither would open even though one of them said it worked on my particular mac. Today I got a message saying "You are now running on reserve power." It recommend I connect the adapter. I WAS connected. It said I had 1% power at that time. Now it says I have 83% power. My question is even though the battery may be bad, and I'm getting warning messages, will my MacBook still work as long as I have it plugged in if it's just a battery problem? The adapter light is orange continually, not green anymore. I called a repair guy but he said Apple has the monopoly on their parts and he can't get them. He told me the off brand batteries weren't trustworthy in his experience.

  • Leaving the charger/adapter plugged in 24x7 will keep your MacBook running until the battery fails completely or the charger/adapter fails.


Originally Posted by plantsower
I live too far away from am Apple store anyway. Plus, I don't want to wait in line like is always required because they are always busy.

  • Contact Apple Support and they will send you a shipping box for your MacBook and have it back in your hands typically within five working days.
  • There is a reasonable flat fee charge for battery replacement.


REMEMBER: I have preached from this pulpit before, and dislike being repetitious, but due to changes in battery technology, ie. the switch from NiCD to Li-Ion, Apple has significantly altered their recommendations on battery charging. (Unfortunately, some of the old recommendation documents have not been removed from the web.)

  1. Leaving a device on full charge for an extended length of time IS NOT RECOMMENDED
  2. Fully discharging the battery periodically IS NO LONGER RECOMMENDED
  3. Recent versions of iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and macOS(?) have an Optimized Charging feature that when activated attempts to bring your device to full charge just before the start of your day to MINIMIZE THE TIME THE BATTERY IS AT FULL CHARGE.
  4. If you are not going to be using a battery operated device for an extended length of time, DISCHARGE THE BATTERY TO ABOUT 80% BEFORE STORING THE DEVICE.


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Re: Battery problem
joemikeb #63190 01/24/23 10:16 AM
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Originally Posted by joemikeb
If you are not going to be using a battery operated device for an extended length of time, DISCHARGE THE BATTERY TO ABOUT 80% BEFORE STORING THE DEVICE.
Originally Posted by Apple
If you want to store your device long term, two key factors will affect the overall health of your battery: the environmental temperature and the percentage of charge on the battery when it’s powered down for storage. Therefore, we recommend the following:
Do not fully charge or fully discharge your device’s battery — charge it to around 50%. If you store a device when its battery is fully discharged, the battery could fall into a deep discharge state, which renders it incapable of holding a charge. Conversely, if you store it fully charged for an extended period of time, the battery may lose some capacity, leading to shorter battery life.
• Power down the device to avoid additional battery use.
• Place your device in a cool, moisture-free environment that’s less than 90° F (32° C).
• If you plan to store your device for longer than six months, charge it to 50% every six months. (Emphasis added)
Since neither Apple nor Battery University has addressed the maintenance of batteries that are never used, i.e., in machines that are always plugged in (such as mine), in years, I've defaulted to following Apple's long term storage guidance using the freeware version of AlDente to maintain a 50% charge.


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Re: Battery problem
artie505 #63197 01/24/23 04:53 PM
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I went to the AlDente sight but couldn't find a version for Catalina. Plus I read the comments and there were several complaints, including by you! I think I will pass. confused

[/quote]
Since neither Apple nor Battery University has addressed the maintenance of batteries that are never used, i.e., in machines that are always plugged in (such as mine), in years, I've defaulted to following Apple's long term storage guidance using the freeware version of AlDente to maintain a 50% charge. [/quote]


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Re: Battery problem
plantsower #63202 01/25/23 10:42 AM
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Originally Posted by plantsower
I went to the AlDente sight but couldn't find a version for Catalina. Plus I read the comments and there were several complaints, including by you! I think I will pass. confused
Yeah, it's only available for Big Sur and later (programming language issues), and it's nowhere near a finished product under any circumstances.

I had a problem with it a while back, and I trashed the latest update, because it kept asking me to jump through hoops for no apparent reason. In addition, there's no way to report problems unless you've purchased the paid version.

I have learned how to work with it, though, and it keeps my battery at 50% without requiring any attention.

(Hmmm... I just looked at the FAQs on the AlDente website, and on the one hand, it looks like my problem could have been avoided had I looked sooner, but on the other hand, I had no reason to think I needed to look before I ran into my problem. Catch-22!)


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Re: Battery problem
artie505 #63210 01/25/23 05:07 PM
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Live and learn as they say!


Originally Posted by artie505
Originally Posted by plantsower
I went to the AlDente sight but couldn't find a version for Catalina. Plus I read the comments and there were several complaints, including by you! I think I will pass. confused
Yeah, it's only available for Big Sur and later (programming language issues), and it's nowhere near a finished product under any circumstances.

I had a problem with it a while back, and I trashed the latest update, because it kept asking me to jump through hoops for no apparent reason. In addition, there's no way to report problems unless you've purchased the paid version.

I have learned how to work with it, though, and it keeps my battery at 50% without requiring any attention.

(Hmmm... I just looked at the FAQs on the AlDente website, and on the one hand, it looks like my problem could have been avoided had I looked sooner, but on the other hand, I had no reason to think I needed to look before I ran into my problem. Catch-22!)


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Re: Battery problem
plantsower #63223 01/26/23 01:28 PM
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Originally Posted by plantsower
I just ran a hardware test and got the message: Battery may not be working properly, unplug adapter and plug in again and re-run test (which I did). The results were no problems found.

You might consider the possibility that bits of dust or debris are partially clogging the mating surfaces of the charger plug and MacBook port. I've experienced this with an iPhone, and the symptoms included some wonky behavior, i.e. charging sometimes happened, but sporadically.



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Re: Battery problem
dkmarsh #63228 01/26/23 07:05 PM
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OK, so I just got my canned air and sprayed it into the port and onto the adapter. My battery is at 86%, but the light on the adapter is still orange, though it shows green when I first plug it in. I thought it was supposed to go to green at 80%, though I may be wrong about that. I've watched for a few minutes, but the battery percentage hasn't changed. That was a good idea though. Even though the hardware test showed a good battery, I have my doubts. It could just be a problem with the adapter too. The Apple brand is $72.00 for the power adapter on Amazon. The other brands get some reviews that say those don't last. I will wait it out.



You might consider the possibility that bits of dust or debris are partially clogging the mating surfaces of the charger plug and MacBook port. I've experienced this with an iPhone, and the symptoms included some wonky behavior, i.e. charging sometimes happened, but sporadically. [/quote]


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Re: Battery problem
plantsower #63235 01/27/23 03:36 PM
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I have an older MacBook, but on mine, the charging light doesn't go to green until the battery is fully charged.



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Re: Battery problem
dkmarsh #63242 01/27/23 07:16 PM
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Originally Posted by dkmarsh
I have an older MacBook, but on mine, the charging light doesn't go to green until the battery is fully charged.
That's the way it always worked with my laptops when they had a charging light.


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Re: Battery problem
artie505 #63244 01/27/23 08:21 PM
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That's what I thought. I don't know why it starts out green for a split second then goes orange. It rarely goes to 100%. It's at 74% now.


Originally Posted by artie505
Originally Posted by dkmarsh
I have an older MacBook, but on mine, the charging light doesn't go to green until the battery is fully charged.
That's the way it always worked with my laptops when they had a charging light.


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Re: Battery problem
dkmarsh #63245 01/27/23 08:24 PM
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Good to know since mine goes green for a split second and then turns orange.

Originally Posted by dkmarsh
I have an older MacBook, but on mine, the charging light doesn't go to green until the battery is fully charged.


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Re: Battery problem
plantsower #63248 01/28/23 03:33 AM
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Originally Posted by plantsower
That's what I thought. I don't know why it starts out green for a split second then goes orange. It rarely goes to 100%. It's at 74% now.
I guess the green is "default," i.e., the machine doesn't stop to think when it's started up...just assumes it's fully charged until it learns otherwise.

Maybe d/l Battery Monitor <https://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/50775/battery-monitor> (freeware) and see if it tells you anything helpful.


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Re: Battery problem
artie505 #63249 01/28/23 03:50 AM
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Maybe d/l Battery Monitor <https://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/50775/battery-monitor> (freeware) and see if it tells you anything helpful. [/quote]

How do I interpret this? Battery App


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Re: Battery problem
plantsower #63250 01/28/23 04:23 AM
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It says your battery can only take a charge of 23% of its original capacity, and that it's currently charged to 74% of that, i.e., about 17% of its original capacity.

I'm not particularly a battery maven, but it seems very odd to me that a battery that's supposed to have a 1,000 cycle life is so badly degraded after only 255 cycles. (1,000 is an assumption without knowing exactly which MBP you're running. Exactly which one is it? Maybe add it to your profile.)

If you can live without extended battery power, just grin & bear it. Otherwise... frown


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Re: Battery problem
artie505 #63251 01/28/23 04:44 AM
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Originally Posted by artie505
It says your battery can only take a charge of 23% of its original capacity, and that it's currently charged to 74% of that, i.e., about 17% of its original capacity. Thanks.

I'm not particularly a battery maven, but it seems very odd to me that a battery that's supposed to have a 1,000 cycle life is so badly degraded after only 255 cycles. (1,000 is an assumption without knowing exactly which MBP you're running. Exactly which one is it? Maybe add it to your profile.) Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015, added to my profile.

If you can live without extended battery power, just grin & bear it. Otherwise... frown
Right.


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Re: Battery problem
plantsower #63252 01/28/23 08:43 AM
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Originally Posted by plantsower
Originally Posted by artie505
... it seems very odd to me that a battery that's supposed to have a 1,000 cycle life is so badly degraded after only 255 cycles. (1,000 is an assumption without knowing exactly which MBP you're running. Exactly which one is it? Maybe add it to your profile.)
Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015, added to my profile.
According to Mactracker, your MBP's battery has an expected maximum life of 1,000 cycles.


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Re: Battery problem
artie505 #63254 01/28/23 06:03 PM
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Since it's past warranty, I guess they won't make it right.

Originally Posted by artie505
Originally Posted by plantsower
Originally Posted by artie505
... it seems very odd to me that a battery that's supposed to have a 1,000 cycle life is so badly degraded after only 255 cycles. (1,000 is an assumption without knowing exactly which MBP you're running. Exactly which one is it? Maybe add it to your profile.)
Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015, added to my profile.
According to Mactracker, your MBP's battery has an expected maximum life of 1,000 cycles.


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Re: Battery problem
plantsower #63255 01/28/23 06:11 PM
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Two interesting facts from the wide world of the Internet:

1. How long is a cycle in battery life?
Each round of full discharge and then full recharge is called battery cycle life. A battery's cycle life can range from 500 to 1200. That means a life cycle of 18 months to 3 years for a typical battery.

[Note the term "full discharge". I imagine most people do not let their battery go to 0%.]

2. At what percentage should I replace my battery?
When the capacity of your iPhone battery dips below 80%, you'll see the following message: “Your battery's health is significantly degraded. An Apple Authorized Service Provider can replace the battery to restore full performance and capacity."

[Maybe plantsower never saw this message, but her battery is well below 80% (it shows 23%). And artie's math is correct—the battery will always operate at 23% or less of the charge life of a new battery.]


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Re: Battery problem
Ira L #63259 01/28/23 08:13 PM
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I just did the SMC thing as suggested by someone online. It didn't make much difference but it now says 24% instead of 23%. LOL! And no, I never saw that battery message, but then this is my MacBook pro, not my iPhone that is having battery problems.

[Maybe plantsower never saw this message, but her battery is well below 80% (it shows 23%). And artie's math is correct—the battery will always operate at 23% or less of the charge life of a new battery.] [/quote]


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Re: Battery problem
Ira L #63265 01/29/23 06:17 AM
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Originally Posted by Ira L
How long is a cycle in battery life?
Each round of full discharge and then full recharge is called battery cycle life. A battery's cycle life can range from 500 to 1200. That means a life cycle of 18 months to 3 years for a typical battery.

[Note the term "full discharge". I imagine most people do not let their battery go to 0%.]
Just to clarify, "full discharge" is a cumulative computation, i.e., 20 x 5% discharges = 1 full discharge, as do 2 x 50% discharges.


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