Originally Posted by
WorldLux
Heard that one in July when I brought in a 2010 MBP with a bloated battery. Straight away, the guy told me that it was a vintage model and that they probably wouldn't have the parts anymore.
As the body was heavily deformed by the battery and there was substantial exterior to the tech located around the battery (particularly the trackpad) a repair would've likely been more expensive than simply replacing it. Took the HDD out and dropped of the rest at a recycling center.
Had a 2009 MBA with a battery that was beginning to swell, causing trackpad malfunctions and slightly deforming the case. Brought it to Apple who offered to replace the battery for some too-high price, so I just had them take out the battery and dispose of it properly. Once the bloated battery was out, everything returned to normal including the swollen case and was usable when plugged into AC.
Ordered a new battery off Amazon for maybe ~50 and replaced it in 5 minutes. Promptly sold the machine with a "brand new battery".
To the above poster and any others in a similar position, just dispose of the battery, connect to a monitor and kb/mouse, and you have a functional desktop computer.