MacBook Air losing power

Questions on how we spend our money and our time - consumer goods and services, home and vehicle, leisure and recreational activities
Post Reply
Topic Author
Barefootgirl
Posts: 2519
Joined: Tue Oct 06, 2009 7:05 pm

MacBook Air losing power

Post by Barefootgirl »

Sometime this summer, I noticed my MacBook Air was losing battery power more quickly as time went on.
I took it to the Apple store, they ran some diagnostics and decided they needed to take a deeper dive, so the laptop has been sent off to the Apple hospital for further testing and hopefully, a solution.

I am curious if this has happened to any of you and what was determined to be the cause? thanks

PS - the laptop is about 2 years old.

Thanks
How many retired people does it take to screw in a lightbulb? Only one, but he takes all day.
AWH_CPA
Posts: 247
Joined: Tue Jan 20, 2015 5:44 pm

Re: MacBook Air losing power

Post by AWH_CPA »

It happened to me. Caused by my poor care of my battery. Went on a trip and left the mackbook pro closed on my desk but didnt shut it down. three weeks later came back to a fully dead mac. Had to spend like 2 days charging for it to get turned on and then the battery only lasted about 60% of what it had before i left.

google information on how to best care for your battery. letting it fully cycle, fully charge etc. The better care you take of your battery the better care it will take of you.
theunknowntech
Posts: 312
Joined: Tue May 05, 2015 11:11 am

Re: MacBook Air losing power

Post by theunknowntech »

Apple needs to develop a better method of handling battery issues. But they won't. Because it's not in their interest.
Topic Author
Barefootgirl
Posts: 2519
Joined: Tue Oct 06, 2009 7:05 pm

Re: MacBook Air losing power

Post by Barefootgirl »

I do all the things you are supposed to do to maintain battery life.

I am curious about why allowing it to run out of power and remain shut down while you are on vacation is any different than leaving home for a few hours and coming back to find that it had powered down...(?) running out of power is running out of power, right? regardless of how long the unit remains turned off?
How many retired people does it take to screw in a lightbulb? Only one, but he takes all day.
User avatar
FrugalInvestor
Posts: 6213
Joined: Thu Nov 06, 2008 11:20 pm

Re: MacBook Air losing power

Post by FrugalInvestor »

Laptop batteries don't last forever. As time progresses and the battery is cycled it slowly loses its ability to hold a charge and eventually it dies. At some point when the length of time the battery will last becomes intolerable for the user the battery or computer will need to be replaced. I'm sure Apple hopes it will be the computer.

Following is a link to an article discussing options for replacement including the official Apple store replacement or self-replacement.

http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/m ... tions.html

Quote from article follows....
The battery in all MacBook Air models is "integrated," which means it is not designed to be replaced by end-users, and it certainly is not easily "swappable" like the battery in "pre-Unibody" MacBook and MacBook Pro models.

The MacBook Air battery is replaceable, though. Thankfully, no soldering is required and Apple did not secure the battery in place with adhesive, either.
Have a plan, stay the course and simplify. Then ignore the noise!
daveatca
Posts: 627
Joined: Thu Feb 19, 2015 9:03 pm

look on the sunny side

Post by daveatca »

Replacing your Airbook battery costs less than replacing your Tesla battery.
wander
Posts: 4419
Joined: Sat Oct 04, 2008 9:10 am

Re: MacBook Air losing power

Post by wander »

Barefootgirl wrote: I am curious if this has happened to any of you and what was determined to be the cause?
Mine is about 2 year old and the battery is still running normal. I often left its battery drained unintentionally.
User avatar
Leif
Posts: 3698
Joined: Wed Sep 19, 2007 4:15 pm

Re: MacBook Air losing power

Post by Leif »

From what I've read it is hard on the battery to let it entirely drain. It is also hard on the battery (although less so) to keep it at 100% charge. That is why when you first buy the laptop it is charged to about 50%. Recommended charge level is 20-85%.

High temperatures (like in a car on a hot day) is very bad for the battery.

Apple has some information on battery care.

Maximizing Battery Life and Lifespan
Cindyjrn
Posts: 395
Joined: Mon Oct 27, 2014 5:40 pm

Re: MacBook Air losing power

Post by Cindyjrn »

There's nothing magical about battery technology, no matter what Apple is selling you. The battery in your expensive Apple laptop is not much different than the battery in your car. The technology is pretty old and fairly basic. Batteries don't last forever. Some batteries are bad right out of the box, so to speak. Hopefully they'll warranty it for you.
User avatar
abuss368
Posts: 27850
Joined: Mon Aug 03, 2009 2:33 pm
Location: Where the water is warm, the drinks are cold, and I don't know the names of the players!
Contact:

Re: MacBook Air losing power

Post by abuss368 »

Thus far our experience with Apple products has been very good.

Good luck. I have never experienced that.
John C. Bogle: “Simplicity is the master key to financial success."
FireSekr
Posts: 1383
Joined: Tue Apr 02, 2013 9:54 am

Re: MacBook Air losing power

Post by FireSekr »

Mine is 2.5 years old and the battery is shot. I'll charge it up fully use it for half an hour then leave it for a day. When i come back to it the battery is completely drained.

This is normal though. Laptop batteries tend to last 2-4 years depending on usage
User avatar
dumbbunny
Posts: 916
Joined: Thu Apr 24, 2014 10:00 pm
Location: Oregon coast

Re: MacBook Air losing power

Post by dumbbunny »

A battery has only so many cycles. You can check your cycle count via the video -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZeNnS50AeA

One can shop online for a replacement battery. Apple charges quite a bit for an Apple battery but there are cheaper and just as worthy batteries available online. I have a 2009 Macbook and I went through the original battery and an online replacement. That's enough batteries for me. Now, if I want to use the Macbook for Quicken, I use the power cord. I use my Toshiba Chromebook II for everything else.
“It’s the curse of old men to realize that in the end we control nothing." "Homeland" episode, "Gerontion"
theunknowntech
Posts: 312
Joined: Tue May 05, 2015 11:11 am

Re: MacBook Air losing power

Post by theunknowntech »

Replacing your Airbook battery costs less than replacing your Tesla battery.
Tesla has a very strong interest in maintaining battery life, for obvious reasons. Apple doesn't, again for obvious reasons (IMO). The math is left as an exercise for the investor.
User avatar
Leif
Posts: 3698
Joined: Wed Sep 19, 2007 4:15 pm

Re: MacBook Air losing power

Post by Leif »

I have a 2014 MacBook Pro. After 1 year my battery wear rate is at 94%. My battery recharge number is 60. Apple says you should be able to get 1,000 recharges with a battery wear of 80% (can hold 80% of a new battery charge after being fully charged).

This is what concerned me enough to investigate further. I would charge my battery then run it down until I got a message (a few times to zero). I found this is bad. I now run when laptop connected to power when possible. I've noticed since I did that my battery wear percent actually increased from 93% to 94%. That is a good thing.

My research has also affected my use of my iPhone. Now I try to not let it get below 20%. If it gets to 10% I turn it off until I can recharge.
Diogenes
Posts: 602
Joined: Sat Mar 03, 2012 2:58 pm

Re: MacBook Air losing power

Post by Diogenes »

Apple had an initiative about a year ago in which they were replacing 2011-12 MacBook Air batteries free of charge. It depended on what your serial number was. Not sure if it is still possible. I qualified and received a new battery after a 2 day layover at an Apple Store. Since I have gotten very good battery life as one would expect. The MB Air is a great product for traveling.

Nothing lasts forever though and next time I am near an Apple Store I will likely upgrade to a Macbook 12 just for the better display and future proofing.

_D_
User avatar
abuss368
Posts: 27850
Joined: Mon Aug 03, 2009 2:33 pm
Location: Where the water is warm, the drinks are cold, and I don't know the names of the players!
Contact:

Re: MacBook Air losing power

Post by abuss368 »

Do any Bogleheads know what the average lifespan of an Apple laptop battery is approximately?
John C. Bogle: “Simplicity is the master key to financial success."
User avatar
Leif
Posts: 3698
Joined: Wed Sep 19, 2007 4:15 pm

Re: MacBook Air losing power

Post by Leif »

abuss368 wrote:Do any Bogleheads know what the average lifespan of an Apple laptop battery is approximately?
My daughter used an Air for about 5 years in college. The battery was expanding and the machine was becoming unusable. I bought her a new Air and gave her advice on how to extend the battery life. Her next computer is on her so I hope she listened.
User avatar
Toons
Posts: 14459
Joined: Fri Nov 21, 2008 9:20 am
Location: Hills of Tennessee

Re: MacBook Air losing power

Post by Toons »

I have never owned a Mac but I can't think of a Windows laptop where I "didn't" have to replace the battery :happy

FYI:
"Determining battery cycle count for Mac notebooks"
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201585
"One does not accumulate but eliminate. It is not daily increase but daily decrease. The height of cultivation always runs to simplicity" –Bruce Lee
User avatar
TomatoTomahto
Posts: 17100
Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2011 1:48 pm

Re: look on the sunny side

Post by TomatoTomahto »

daveatca wrote:Replacing your Airbook battery costs less than replacing your Tesla battery.
True, but replacing the Tesla battery can be done in less than 90 seconds :beer
I get the FI part but not the RE part of FIRE.
User avatar
FrugalInvestor
Posts: 6213
Joined: Thu Nov 06, 2008 11:20 pm

Re: MacBook Air losing power

Post by FrugalInvestor »

abuss368 wrote:Do any Bogleheads know what the average lifespan of an Apple laptop battery is approximately?
There is some good information in this article...... http://www.ebay.com/gds/What-is-the-Ave ... 697/g.html

From article....
Like any piece of technology, laptop batteries will eventually stop working. However, there are many ways to extend battery life. Users can extend their batteries’ lives by first finding out which factors affect its life expectancy, such as regular use, discharging, extreme temperatures, and storage conditions.
Have a plan, stay the course and simplify. Then ignore the noise!
User avatar
Leif
Posts: 3698
Joined: Wed Sep 19, 2007 4:15 pm

Re: MacBook Air losing power

Post by Leif »

FrugalInvestor wrote:
There is some good information in this article...... http://www.ebay.com/gds/What-is-the-Ave ... 697/g.html
Thanks for the link. The information there is more complete then what I found at the Apple website. It matches what I've found at multiple sites.
User avatar
TomatoTomahto
Posts: 17100
Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2011 1:48 pm

Re: MacBook Air losing power

Post by TomatoTomahto »

The power button on my iPhones stops working whenever a new iPhone comes out. Perhaps they have a similar mechanism for battery obsolescence.
I get the FI part but not the RE part of FIRE.
User avatar
Leif
Posts: 3698
Joined: Wed Sep 19, 2007 4:15 pm

Re: MacBook Air losing power

Post by Leif »

I found an interesting website that contains information on average battery consumption over time. The statistics on that website are from battery monitoring software that is available for a free download (donations) to give info on your battery. You don't need their software to see the charts, but if you do have the software then it will plot your computer compared to others. The software is called coconutBattery.

Battery capacity over time

That chart is for my model, which is the MacBook Pro Mid 2014. It is interesting to see that the average battery drops off more in the first year, but has stayed flat after 1 year.
Average Investor
Posts: 377
Joined: Fri Jul 13, 2012 11:27 am

Re: MacBook Air losing power

Post by Average Investor »

abuss368 wrote:Do any Bogleheads know what the average lifespan of an Apple laptop battery is approximately?
Depends on usage patterns but typically about 3 years for most users. YMMV.
Tomorrow never knows.
User avatar
Leif
Posts: 3698
Joined: Wed Sep 19, 2007 4:15 pm

Re: MacBook Air losing power

Post by Leif »

Average Investor wrote:
abuss368 wrote:Do any Bogleheads know what the average lifespan of an Apple laptop battery is approximately?
Depends on usage patterns but typically about 3 years for most users. YMMV.
As you say it depends on usage. However, I think 3 years is too short for average usage. My daugther's Air lasted 5 years. That was purchased about 7 years ago. She was a heavy user watching videos often using battery power. Now they make batteries designed for 1000 cycles with 80% of the original battery power.
User avatar
segfault
Posts: 559
Joined: Thu Jun 21, 2007 4:51 pm

Re: MacBook Air losing power

Post by segfault »

I have a 13.3" 2011 MacBook Air with 711 cycles on the battery and the battery is still at 86% of its design capacity. I have its history using the coconutBattery program since 2013. It lost a lot of capacity in the first year and, more recently, seems to lose 1-2% per year. I seldom plug the computer in while using it. Every couple of months I discharge the battery fully to calibrate it.

It seems like the newer lithium ion polymer batteries have much better longevity than the older ones. I can remember old laptop batteries losing half or more of their capacity at the 18-24 month mark.
User avatar
Leif
Posts: 3698
Joined: Wed Sep 19, 2007 4:15 pm

Re: MacBook Air losing power

Post by Leif »

segfault wrote:I have a 13.3" 2011 MacBook Air with 711 cycles on the battery and the battery is still at 86% of its design capacity. I have its history using the coconutBattery program since 2013. It lost a lot of capacity in the first year and, more recently, seems to lose 1-2% per year. I seldom plug the computer in while using it. Every couple of months I discharge the battery fully to calibrate it.

It seems like the newer lithium ion polymer batteries have much better longevity than the older ones. I can remember old laptop batteries losing half or more of their capacity at the 18-24 month mark.
I'm glad to hear that. In my first year the battery wear is at 93%. I was concerned that it may drop by a similar amount in future years. It seems the first year is the biggest drop.

I checked your model Macbook Air 4,2 on coconut http://online.coconut-flavour.com/index ... okAir4%2C2. Its very odd that it shows an uptick on the last few months. However, ignoring those your average battery is at 75% (from around 6,500 mAmp to 5,000 mAmp). Looks like you are doing good.

Apple says your max. cycle count should be 1,000.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201585

I've read draining the battery to zero is hard on the battery. Recalibration is not really an issue on these smart batteries

Type in Apple battery recalibration in google and see:
If your portable Mac has a built-in battery, you don't need to calibrate the battery.
Post Reply