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Difficulty

Easy

Steps

5

Time Required

                          5 - 10 minutes

Sections

2

  • Lower Case
  • 2 steps
  • Battery
  • 3 steps

Flags

1

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  • BackMacBook Pro 13" Unibody Mid 2009

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Introduction

What you need

Step 1

              Remove the lower case screws
  • Remove the following 10 screws securing the lower case to the MacBook Pro 13" Unibody:
  • Seven 3 mm Phillips screws.
  • Three 13.5 mm Phillips screws.

Remove the following 10 screws securing the lower case to the MacBook Pro 13" Unibody:

Seven 3 mm Phillips screws.

Three 13.5 mm Phillips screws.

1024

Step 2

              Lift the lower case away
  • Slightly lift the lower case and push it toward the rear of the computer to free the mounting tabs.

Slightly lift the lower case and push it toward the rear of the computer to free the mounting tabs.

Step 3

              Battery
  • Remove the following tri-point screws securing the battery to the upper case:
  • One 5.5 mm tri-point screw.
  • One 13.5 mm tri-point screw.

Remove the following tri-point screws securing the battery to the upper case:

One 5.5 mm tri-point screw.

One 13.5 mm tri-point screw.

Step 4

  • Use the flat end of a spudger to lift the battery connector up out of its socket on the logic board.

Use the flat end of a spudger to lift the battery connector up out of its socket on the logic board.

Step 5

  • Lift the battery out of the upper case.
  • If you’re installing a new battery, you should calibrate it after installation:
  • Charge it to 100%, and then keep charging it for at least 2 more hours. Next, unplug and use it normally to drain the battery. When you see the low battery warning, save your work, and keep your laptop on until it goes to sleep due to low battery. Wait at least 5 hours, then charge your laptop uninterrupted to 100%.
  • If you notice any unusual behavior or problems after installing your new battery, you may need to reset your MacBook’s SMC.

Lift the battery out of the upper case.

If you’re installing a new battery, you should calibrate it after installation:

Charge it to 100%, and then keep charging it for at least 2 more hours. Next, unplug and use it normally to drain the battery. When you see the low battery warning, save your work, and keep your laptop on until it goes to sleep due to low battery. Wait at least 5 hours, then charge your laptop uninterrupted to 100%.

If you notice any unusual behavior or problems after installing your new battery, you may need to reset your MacBook’s SMC.

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

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Author

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                    Walter Galan

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penguinofdeath - Nov 26, 2012

Reply

My laptop wouldn’t believe the battery was new until I reset the SMC as well ( http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3964 ).

Laurence Benson - Dec 13, 2013

Reply

Perfect! I didn’t want to wait for the Tri-wing screwdriver to ship, so I gave it a try by wedging a FH 1 in between two of the wings. It worked well to unscrew, but you must be very careful when resetting the screws that hold the battery. If you get them started with your finger (a little pressure with your thumb pushing straight down will get the job done) then you can do a few final turns with the FH 1. If you try to start resetting the screws with the off-center-FH1-workaround, you will strip the screw! Keep the screws centered and don’t force anything.

statprof - Dec 14, 2013

Reply

worked like a charm. my old battery had bulged and made it so that the track pad would not click :-( replacing the battery did the trick.

channonholiday - Dec 25, 2013

Reply

My local Apple Store wants $179 plus tax to change this battery, AND I have to leave my laptop for “a couple of days.” This is one store that clearly doesn’t get it (Cherry Creak Mall, Denver). Thus, a DIY fix is mandatory… but, they won’t sell just the battery.

Taylor Arnicar - Dec 27, 2013

iFixit sells the battery you need for $119 ([linked product missing or disabled: IF163-019-1]), and once you get it, doing the replacement shouldn’t take more than 30 minutes, even if you’ve never done a repair like this before.