A few weeks ago, a client came in with a computer needing a new battery. She apparently for quite some time knew it wouldn’t hold a charge, but just lived with it since it was always plugged in. It wasn’t until the keyboard stopped working; she contacted us.
Looking inside, we found this monstrosity. I included in the picture a standard AAA battery so you could see a comparison.
No wonder the keyboard and mouse had troubles, the battery had expanded to almost double its size. It should have been entirely flat on the top. This was a Dell Latitude PC. Battery expansion could happen to any computer. That same day we also saw an Apple MacBook Pro with the same symptoms: low battery and problems with mouse and trackpad. You can see how that expanded as well.
Around that same time, a MacBook Pro had his laptop spontaneously burst into flames. According to the user , he hadn’t modified his computer and it was the original battery.
All batteries fail; it’s a scientific fact. You see it in your flashlight, your car, and even your phone. Laptops are no different. On average the batteries last about three years before needing to be replaced. All sorts of symptoms are related to a failing battery.
If your laptop’s battery isn’t holding much of a charge, it’s important we get that replaced before it starts expanding or worse.