There's a very faint nail polish remover smell coming from the left exhaust of my Macbook Pro M2.
The internet says it could be a failing battery or some battery puncture, but I don't see signs of a swollen battery.
I will book go to an Apple Store in a few days, but in the meantime, I wondered if anyone could offer any insight.
Thanks in advance.
MacBook Pro 14″, macOS 15.7
A leaking Lithium battery tends to have a softer sweet smell, not one like nail polish remover (acetone). Unless someone has opened the laptop & punctured the battery, it is highly unlikely the smell is from the battery.
However, you should have Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider check out the laptop to be sure.
Many times I smell things coming from the laptop's I'm repairing.....it is usually some odor/scent that has filtered through the laptop from the local environment due to the fans pulling it in. I smell things that tend to come from air freshener sprays, perfumes, etc. among other more nasty & disgusting odors.
If it is a new Mac, then it may just be an odor "burning off" from manufacturing. On occasion I've seen some people report smelling odd odors from a freshly unboxed brand new laptop.
Could someone have used some type of cleaner of your laptop, just to clean it, or perhaps to clean off a sticker or a spill, or another odor they may have caused? Not saying you spilled anything or did anything, but maybe someone else did & tried to cover it up. Just thinking of some possibilities.
A leaking Lithium battery tends to have a softer sweet smell, not one like nail polish remover (acetone). Unless someone has opened the laptop & punctured the battery, it is highly unlikely the smell is from the battery.
However, you should have Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider check out the laptop to be sure.
Many times I smell things coming from the laptop's I'm repairing.....it is usually some odor/scent that has filtered through the laptop from the local environment due to the fans pulling it in. I smell things that tend to come from air freshener sprays, perfumes, etc. among other more nasty & disgusting odors.
If it is a new Mac, then it may just be an odor "burning off" from manufacturing. On occasion I've seen some people report smelling odd odors from a freshly unboxed brand new laptop.
Could someone have used some type of cleaner of your laptop, just to clean it, or perhaps to clean off a sticker or a spill, or another odor they may have caused? Not saying you spilled anything or did anything, but maybe someone else did & tried to cover it up. Just thinking of some possibilities.
I brought the laptop to an Apple Store. The tech ran a full diagnostic and did a physical inspection of the inside. Nothing of concern was identified.
The hypothesis I was given is that batteries can sometimes smell when ions are discharged. I’m not sure how valid this is.
I’ll add a few details:
I don’t think there’s much more I can (or should) do, apart from bringing it to another Apple Store for a double check. I suspect I should let this be. If you have any thoughts from reading this, I’d love to get your perspective.
Thanks again!
seekerofadvice wrote:
I don’t think there’s much more I can (or should) do, apart from bringing it to another Apple Store for a double check. I suspect I should let this be. If you have any thoughts from reading this, I’d love to get your perspective.
Thanks again!
“Recent Activity” / recent service record / recent repairs tied to the Serial number of your machine.
Up to date information on your repairs, reservations, and tech support cases.
My Support - Official Apple Support
If this is a rhetorical question I would move on if not mission critical to your well being, or function of the Mac.
If it is an issue for you—
You have a limited 14 days for an exchange or refund for any reason—see Returns & Refunds Order status
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Only items that have been purchased directly from Apple, either online or at an Apple Retail Store
Thanks so much for this detailed response. I’ve had so many battery issues that I now have battery anxiety, but it’s reassuring to hear this likely isn’t a battery problem (though now I’m questioning if the smell really does resemble nail polish remover and isn't closer to the softer sweet smell you describe!).
The laptop is about 2.5 yrs old, my surroundings are pretty scent free, and I avoid cleaning it so I don’t think the other suggested possibilities apply, but they’re very good to have in mind for my general knowledge.
Thank you again for the helpful reassurance. I’ll need to visit Apple to get to the bottom of this.
seekerofadvice wrote:
Thank you again for the helpful reassurance. I’ll need to visit Apple to get to the bottom of this.
Please keep us updated with what Apple tells you when they examine your laptop. It may help others who find themselves in a similar situation and it will help us assist others as well.
Thank you for the reminder. This is a very good point. I will report back.
Macbook Pro M2 - Faint nail-polish remover smell coming from the left exhaust
