Chosen Solution
My 2014 MacBook Pro retina (i5 2.6 GHz, 8 GB RAM & 256 GB SSD). Was not dropped, no water damage is exhibiting power problems. It started with not being able to turn on, then only the fans whirred, then I performed a SMC and NVRAM reset and the laptop worked, but would die consistently after approximately 5 minutes of use. I took it to the Apple Store and all diagnostics (software and hardware) came back as performing and I confirmed no malware. We wiped the OS to see if there was some software issue not picked up and the laptop seemed to function normally without dying for approximately 10 minutes. I thought I was fine. However after I brought it home, my laptop went back to dying and then the problem was exacerbated and would exhibit lengthy periods where it wouldn’t even turn on. I performed a SMC reset and my laptop would turn on but die in 30 seconds. I went to the Apple Store again and we reinstalled the OS for a 2nd time. It again seemed to work for an extended period of time but this time showed my battery at 0% (but still ran as if it was at 100%). I performed a SMC reset to see if that will kick my computer into properly reading the battery charge and my computer then started dying after 30 seconds. We took one last step to reset the battery in the laptop, but this did not work. I was given the option of sending it in for repair at $475+tax, but this doesn’t feel like a hardware issue to me. That is because the way the computer dies is very consistent (with respect to how long after it turns on) and only dies on battery and never dies when charged. I would think that if there was a part that was broken: The laptop would not work at all regardless of on battery or charged.There wouldn’t be such consistency in timing to death (the laptop would in theory either not work at all or would work until the part shifts in a way that causes the laptop to die).The laptop wouldn’t stay alive before performing a SMC reset (change in software caused it to die versus stay alive). On the flip side, I completely understand that I wiped the computer and reinstalled the OS twice so how could it possibly be a software issue? Long story short, apparently battery issues are very black and white and I was told it wasn’t a battery issue, so they’re trying to get me to replace the main logic board (which might fix it but would be entirely expensive), but it feels to me there should be an easier fix. TLDR: laptop dying consistently after 30 seconds. Wiped and reinstalled OS twice, but problem still exists (after an initial first boot of staying alive for forever). If hardware, think it shouldn’t work at all, wouldn’t differentiate between battery and charged, or would have a more random time to death. All diagnostics normal. Curious if anyone has experienced or can recommend guidance?
Your logic boards is not the issue here! Your battery is! “battery has well over 1,000 cycles” review Apples own specs on the batteries lifespan: Determine battery cycle count for Mac notebooks Your battery needs replacement! Here’s the correct price you should be paying Apple: Mac Service and Repair 13-inch/15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display - $199 US
Hello Andrew! You can do a quick check on your computer just to get some details on what may be occuring and see if they missed something in the diagnostics. Plug in your MacBook and begin by clicking the Apple logo in the top left corner of your MacBook. Then, hold down the option button, select System Information… and wait for a window to appear. Then on the left side of the computer select power. This should display power information. Now look for health information. This should show the condition of the computer and the cycle count. If the condition says normal and the cycle count is below 1000, your computer battery is functioning properly. If the condition says something other than normal or it is above 1000 it may be functioning improperly. This means that it requires a hardware repair. If your computer says “Service Battery”, use a safe power adapter for your computer to prevent more serious issues. View Apple’s support website to learn more about MacBook batteries. If your computer’s battery is functioning properly, the only other thing you can do is open your computer’s activity monitor and see if there are any applications draining battery life or damaging your CPU. Otherwise, it may need some further investigation by an Apple Store employee. This issue seems to be beyond your repair. It may be much deeper into the computers software. Hope all goes well!
