Repairs
Case Study: 2017 MacBook Pro Battery Replacement in South East London
Sep
2017 MacBook Pro Battery Replacement in South East London
A real same-day MacBook battery repair: from a customer who could barely use her MacBook away from the charger, through diagnosis, collection and battery replacement, to a tested MacBook returned to her the same evening.
The problem: the MacBook had become dependent on its charger
The customer first contacted ALVA PC because she suspected that the battery in her 2017 MacBook Pro needed replacing.
The MacBook itself was still usable, but there was one major problem: she generally had to plug it in whenever she wanted to use it. She had also checked the battery health in macOS and found that the system was recommending a battery service.
Those symptoms made a degraded battery the most likely explanation, but we didn’t want to replace a component based on symptoms alone. The first step was to identify the exact MacBook and then confirm the battery condition once the machine reached our workshop.
First, we identified the exact MacBook
The customer told us that the machine was a 2017 MacBook Pro with a 2.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 and two Thunderbolt 3 ports.
We then asked her to check the model number printed on the underside of the MacBook. She confirmed that it was:
13-inch MacBook Pro, 2017 generation, two Thunderbolt 3 ports.
Confirming the model number before ordering the component is important. We don’t want to collect a customer’s MacBook and only then discover that the replacement part is incompatible.
Once compatibility was confirmed, we sourced the replacement battery ourselves and arranged the collection.
One £180 all-inclusive price
The customer was quoted £180 in total. We supplied the replacement battery ourselves, so there was no need for her to purchase a component or work out which battery was compatible.
The price covered the battery, collection from the customer’s address, professional installation, diagnosis and testing, and return of the MacBook.
This is the same approach used by our same-day MacBook battery replacement service for customers within our South East London and Kent service area.
The morning of the repair
Once the battery had arrived, we arranged to collect the MacBook the following morning. The customer asked for collection by 10am, so we scheduled the visit between 9am and 10am.
Diagnosis: what the old battery told us
Once the MacBook reached the workshop, the battery information gave us a much clearer picture of what was happening.
Cycle Count: 770
Full Charge Capacity: 2,877 mAh
Condition: Service Recommended
What does 770 battery cycles actually mean?
A battery cycle doesn’t simply mean plugging the charger in once. One complete cycle represents using the equivalent of 100% of the battery’s capacity.
For example, using 50% of the battery, charging it again and later using another 50% can collectively amount to one complete cycle.
Apple lists a maximum cycle count of 1,000 cycles for the 2017 13-inch MacBook Pro with two Thunderbolt 3 ports.
Why we didn’t diagnose it from “770 cycles” alone
770 is a substantial amount of battery use, but it is still below Apple’s listed 1,000-cycle maximum for this model.
That’s why cycle count should be considered alongside the rest of the evidence.
In this case we had four pieces of information pointing in the same direction:
1. The customer needed to keep the MacBook plugged in.
2. The battery had completed 770 cycles.
3. Full charge capacity was only 2,877 mAh.
4. macOS itself reported “Service Recommended”.
Taken together, this gave us good evidence that the battery had significantly deteriorated and that replacement was appropriate.
What does “Service Recommended” mean?
The “Service Recommended” message was another important part of the diagnosis.
This status indicates that the battery is no longer performing as expected. In this case, that matched the customer’s real-world experience: the MacBook worked, but its usefulness as a portable computer had deteriorated because she was increasingly dependent on mains power.
That relationship between the customer’s symptoms and the battery information is important. We aren’t simply looking for a particular number and automatically replacing a battery when it reaches it.
Replacing the battery
With the diagnosis confirmed, our technician proceeded with the battery replacement.
Once the replacement was installed, the repair wasn’t considered complete. The MacBook was booted back into macOS and tested again.
We then returned to the same System Information screen so that we could directly compare the replacement battery with the battery that had just been removed.
After replacement: 1 cycle, 5,265 mAh and “Normal”
The difference was immediately visible in macOS.
Cycle Count: 1
Full Charge Capacity: 5,265 mAh
Condition: Normal
The before-and-after comparison
Putting the two sets of diagnostic data side by side shows just how significant the change was.
| Battery information | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Cycle count | 770 | 1 |
| Full charge capacity | 2,877 mAh | 5,265 mAh |
| macOS condition | Service Recommended | Normal |
| Testing | Battery fault confirmed | Passed |
The replacement battery’s reported full charge capacity was approximately 83% higher than the battery that came out of the MacBook.
More importantly, macOS had moved from “Service Recommended” to “Normal”.
The cycle count of 1 was also consistent with a replacement battery at essentially the beginning of its working life.
We showed the customer the evidence
We think customers should understand what was actually wrong with their device rather than simply being told that a component needed replacing.
After the repair, we sent the customer photographs of the battery information and explained what we had found.
She could see the original battery’s 770 cycles, 2,877 mAh capacity and “Service Recommended” condition, followed by the replacement battery’s 1 cycle, 5,265 mAh capacity and “Normal” condition.
That meant there was objective before-and-after evidence of the repair before the MacBook was returned.
Returned to the customer the same evening
By the late afternoon, the battery replacement and testing had been completed successfully.
The customer checked the MacBook before paying
When we returned the MacBook, the customer was home and was able to check the machine herself.
She turned it on, checked that everything was working correctly and confirmed that she was happy with the MacBook.
Payment was then completed using the secure payment link we had provided.
The machine had been repaired and tested by us, returned to the customer, and she had the opportunity to check it herself before completing payment.
The complete repair, from enquiry to return
Battery symptoms discussed through WhatsApp.
A1708 identified before ordering the battery.
ALVA PC ordered the compatible replacement.
MacBook collected directly from the customer’s address.
770 cycles, 2,877 mAh and Service Recommended confirmed.
Replacement professionally installed at the workshop.
1 cycle, 5,265 mAh and Normal condition confirmed.
Customer shown the before-and-after battery information.
MacBook returned that evening and checked by the customer.
Why we diagnose before replacing
Even when the symptoms strongly suggest a failed or degraded battery, we don’t want to assume that replacing the battery is automatically the correct repair.
Poor battery life, unexpected shutdowns and charging problems can have different causes. That’s why the MacBook is checked before the replacement proceeds.
In this particular case, the diagnosis strongly supported what the customer had already suspected.
The original battery was showing Service Recommended, had completed 770 cycles and had fallen to a reported full charge capacity of 2,877 mAh.
After replacement, macOS reported Normal, with a 5,265 mAh full charge capacity and a cycle count of 1.
That’s the kind of before-and-after evidence we want to see when completing this type of repair.
Does your MacBook need a new battery?
If your MacBook only works reliably when plugged in, drains much faster than it used to, shuts down unexpectedly or shows “Service Recommended”, we can diagnose the problem and confirm whether a battery replacement is appropriate.
For customers within our South East London and Kent coverage area, we can collect the MacBook from your home or workplace, complete the repair at our workshop and return it to you.
Battery supplied · Collection · Diagnosis · Installation · Testing · Return
View Same-Day MacBook Battery Replacement →Customer privacy: This case study documents a genuine ALVA PC repair. Personal information, account details, address information and component serial numbers have been omitted or obscured. Technical information shown is included only where relevant to explaining the diagnosis and repair.
