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Swollen MacBook Battery? Get It Looked At!

By Disc Depot In Repair Process

Does your MacBook (including MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and MacBook Retina) have a case that bulges where it shouldn’t? Or have you spilled liquid on it recently? Believe us when we say there are good reasons you don’t want to ignore either of these.

This Apple MacBook Pro came in to get fixed recently. It had liquid spilled on it, so it’s good that the customer brought it to us- even if a computer seems to work, any remaining liquid inside the cause can cause increasing amounts of corrosion as time goes on, eventually turning minor damage that’s fixable into something beyond economic repair.

Back to that MacBook Pro- we opened it up to see how bad it was inside. We didn’t expect to see this:-

 

 

It’s not the dust that’s the main problem here^*– it’s the very obviously bulging batteries at the rear. As far as Li-Ion (lithium ion) laptop batteries are concerned, this is always a sign of damage, and results in gas building up inside the battery- hence the swelling. In this case, the swelling is most likely a direct or indirect result of the water damage, but overheating or physical trauma can also cause it. A major sign is swelling of the laptop’s case itself, due to being pressed in turn by the bloated batteries. (This can also bend or crush the insides of the MacBook, and cause damage to other components this way as well).

Now, swollen batteries are risky at the best of times, but when they get this bad there’s a serious danger of both explosion and fire. There’s no way they should be used in this state (even if they appear to be working)- in fact, they should be removed and replaced as quickly as possible, and only by someone who knows what they’re doing and how to handle the risks.

Fortunately, our technicians know about this and were able to get the batteries out safely.

If your MacBook shows signs of swelling, bring it to us, inside branches of Disc Depot in St Andrews or in Dundee. (We can also fix your iPhone or iPad with a swollen battery).

Mac Repair is part of Disc Depot, established in 2001, and one of eastern Scotland’s longest-established Apple repair businesses. We have outlets in both Dundee and St Andrews, and the knowledge and skills to handle your MacBook with swollen battery, or any one of numerous other Apple repairs. Contact our friendly staff today!

* The dust in these pictures is unrelated to the liquid damage. MacBooks tend to build this up due to the circulation of cooling air within the computer. Despite the fact it’s not causing an immediate problem in this case, buildup can eventually clog fans or impede cooling air circulation and cause overheating, so it’s always a good idea to remove it anyway.