10-08-2021, 07:52 PM
I was prepping a 2014 MBP Retina 13" for sale last weekend and it said "Service Battery" and was running slow. I was planning to sell it for parts anyway since it had gotten flakey with potential graphics issues that I couldn't resolve. But, in wiping it clean and updating it to Big Sur, it never woke up from the upgrade. Now it seemed completely dead.
I have a 15" I also need to do, but I've been putting it off. The 13" seemed like a good trial run. I ordered an iFixIt repair kit (tools only) https://www.ifixit.com/Store/Tools/iOpen...uctReviews and adhesive remover https://www.ifixit.com/Store/Tools/iFixi...45-400?o=3 and looked for a cheap 3rd party battery. Ended up going with a "NinjaBatt" https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0813SLG68/ warehouse item from Amazon.
Now, if I was keeping this laptop, I still think the Apple route is a "good" deal, especially since I think they replace the whole bottom case, which also means you get a new keyboard (and this laptop has some worn off keycaps).
I followed these instructions: https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBook+Pro...ment/27832
In the "end" though, all I used for removal of the battery was:
Pentalope 1.2 screwdriver (I already had this)
T5 screwdriver (also already had)
iFixIt "plastic card" https://www.ifixit.com/Store/Tools/Plast...45-101?o=1 An old non-embossed credit card or membership card would probably work too.
And added some Goo Gone, paper towels and rubbing alcohol for clean up.
Didn't need any adhesive removal or "heat" to get the battery out. I just carefully used the plastic card to cut through the adhesive.
15 minutes to get the laptop open and the battery out:

Managed to get all the black adhesive residue out with my fingers (10 minutes) and then used some Goo Gone and paper towels to clean up the remaining adhesive residue and some rubbing alcohol to clean up any remaining Goo Gone (20 minutes).

But since the replacement battery doesn't arrive until next week, this is where I leave it. But it will probably be about an hour all-in and not nearly as hard as I thought it was going to be. But we'll see if the 15" puts up more of a fight with its larger battery, and of course, maybe it's just a case by case basis with some laptops having "stronger" adhesive than others.
I have a 15" I also need to do, but I've been putting it off. The 13" seemed like a good trial run. I ordered an iFixIt repair kit (tools only) https://www.ifixit.com/Store/Tools/iOpen...uctReviews and adhesive remover https://www.ifixit.com/Store/Tools/iFixi...45-400?o=3 and looked for a cheap 3rd party battery. Ended up going with a "NinjaBatt" https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0813SLG68/ warehouse item from Amazon.
Now, if I was keeping this laptop, I still think the Apple route is a "good" deal, especially since I think they replace the whole bottom case, which also means you get a new keyboard (and this laptop has some worn off keycaps).
I followed these instructions: https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBook+Pro...ment/27832
In the "end" though, all I used for removal of the battery was:
Pentalope 1.2 screwdriver (I already had this)
T5 screwdriver (also already had)
iFixIt "plastic card" https://www.ifixit.com/Store/Tools/Plast...45-101?o=1 An old non-embossed credit card or membership card would probably work too.
And added some Goo Gone, paper towels and rubbing alcohol for clean up.
Didn't need any adhesive removal or "heat" to get the battery out. I just carefully used the plastic card to cut through the adhesive.
15 minutes to get the laptop open and the battery out:
Managed to get all the black adhesive residue out with my fingers (10 minutes) and then used some Goo Gone and paper towels to clean up the remaining adhesive residue and some rubbing alcohol to clean up any remaining Goo Gone (20 minutes).
But since the replacement battery doesn't arrive until next week, this is where I leave it. But it will probably be about an hour all-in and not nearly as hard as I thought it was going to be. But we'll see if the 15" puts up more of a fight with its larger battery, and of course, maybe it's just a case by case basis with some laptops having "stronger" adhesive than others.