The purpose of this post is two-fold:
Hopefully it enables someone else to save five hours of time stumbling through the pitfalls of Di2 firmware updates (because we all know the Shimano user and dealer manuals don’t cut the mustard) I realized I need to document my steps, as best as I can recall, before I completely forget. My troubleshooting process was not linear and, so, I could not comprehensively discern which steps led to ultimate success.
My groupset: Shimano Ultegra Di2 (2018) TT setup with five port junction A (SM-EW90-B), built-in battery (BT-DN110-A), battery charger/PC linkage device (SM-BCR2), E-TUBE Wireless Unit D-FLY 2-Port Junction (EW-WU111), internal wire routing junction B (SM-JC41), et al; shifter buttons, rear derailleur (RD), front derailleur (FD).
Caveat: based on my experience troubleshooting my Di2 and from what I’ve read in other forums, this may not work for you. If it doesn’t, be patient, try something else. Chances are, your system will eventually come back to life and function as you expect. I tried to lay out the issues and steps I took in a chronological order below:
1.Attempted to update firmware via iOS (apple iPhone) E-tube app. This was my first time attempting this and connecting my Di2 to my phone via the app. I followed all “first time†prompts and changed the PIN/passcode as E-tube prompted me to do.
1.A. I clicked “update all†as all my Di2 components needed firmware updates.
Firmware update completed approximately 50% of the first component when I got the first error message stating the Blue Tooth (BT) connection was lost.
1.B. Di2 was unresponsive at this point and stuck in one gear. Attempted to restart Di2 by going through the “crash recovery†steps. System completely unresponsive. No lights on Di2 Junction A. Battery charger/PC linkage device indicating an error. Will not charge battery via USB to computer or via USB charging plug to AC outlet. (I noticed the internal battery was at about 50% when the E-tube app initially connected, prior to failing the operation)
- On to the PC based E-tube program (echoing other complaints: SHIMANO DOES NOT HAVE A MAC OS COMPATIBLE E-TUBE PROGRAM)
2.A. Di2 is responsive again after connecting it to a PC. PC via E-tube successfully recognizes all components and is prompting me to update the firmware for each. I attempt to update firmware on all components at the same time while all components are plugged into my Junction A.
2.B. E-tube will not update firmware and continues to warn that updating one component without updating the others will cause non-compatibility within the system. E-tube advises to disconnect all components from Junction A except for the one being updated.
2.C. I disconnect all components except one and begin updating firmware for each component individually. This is an especially time consuming (and likely battery consuming) process that requires you to “complete the setup†after each firmware update and go through the Di2 recognition steps in E-tube every time you disconnect one component in order to update another component’s firmware.
2.D. I had my wireless controller, EW-WU111, connecting in-line from junction A to my right brake controls (remember TT setup). Turns out, I could not update the firmware to my right brake shifter if I had the wireless unit in play. I had to remove the wireless unit from the system completely in order to proceed with the firmware updates.
2.D.a. Also of note, in the instructions Shimano provides for the wireless controller, the diagram indicates the controller should be installed in-line with the cable leading to the battery/junction B. My LBS installed the wireless controller in-line with my right brake controls so, naturally, I started to blame my LBS for all my frustrations (this will turn out to not matter. In fact, I learn that it doesn’t matter what port any component is plugged into junction A. The issue lies in the incorporation of the wireless controller at all while performing hard-wired firmware updates. As others have noted in forum posts, THE PC BASED E-TUBE PROGRAM WILL NOT UPDATE YOUR WIRELESS CONTROLLER. YOU HAVE TO UPDATE IT THROUGH THE WIRELESS APP ON IOS OR ANDROID!)
2.E. Success! Or so I thought. After updating the firmware for all components (excluding the wireless controller), the system became completely unresponsive again. I went through the E-tube device recognition steps on PC about a dozen times with varying results. Sometimes E-tube would recognize some components, other times none. What really clued me in here was that E-tube was consistently not recognizing my battery unit (labeled “master unit†in E-tube). Di2 was now bricked…. again.
- After several desperate measures, including flipping my bike over, removing the little window in my bottom bracket to shine a flash light onto the battery connections and junction B in order to check for loose wiring, I realized that my battery had possibly died. It made sense because I was at 50% when I initially began this process. Also, and most importantly, DI2 WILL NOT CHARGE WHEN CONNECTED TO E-TUBE!!
3.A. OK, so all I need to do is charge the battery. Why won’t it charge now? I removed the PC from the equation and attempted to charge from an AC outlet. No joy. Seemed my battery charger/PC linkage device was now bricked. No lights. No nada.
3.B. Let’s try the crash recovery steps now. You know, for kicks. I held down the button on my Junction A for minutes at a time. Nothing. Finally, I unplugged the cable from junction A that led down to my battery, junction B, FD, and RD. I waited for about five minutes, plugged it back into junction A. NOW THE CHARGING LIGHT ON MY BATTERY CHARGER/PC LINKAGE DEVICE IS ON!!
- Time to be patient. I let that thing charge. I let it charge until the freaking light went out on the charger. It took about 1.5 hours from this point to completely charge. When the light went out, I removed the battery charger/PC linkage device from Junction A. My groupset is no longer bricked! Lights function on junction A. I can shift gears again!
4.A. OK. To incorporate the wireless controller again or not incorporate it. Let’s roll the dice. I reconnect the wireless controller.
4.B. Now, instead of going back to the PC based E-tube program, I attempt to access the system via my iPhone E-tube App. Before doing this, I read in another forum (or maybe it was on a YouTube troubleshooting video. Who can discern amongst the myriad resources I desperately consulted?!) that it is helpful to “forget†the bluetooth connection in your phone, close the application, and restart from the beginning of the bluetooth pairing process. Also, when the pairing process initializes again, you should use the new PIN/passcode you set up the first time. I tried it. It worked. Mysteriously. Magically.
4.C. This is interesting. Now that I’m reconnected via the iPhone E-tube App, it is telling me I have other components that need firmware updates (in addition to the wireless controller needing an update). The fear creeps in. Do I attempt the updates? I will but I will do them one at a time. I initialize the first update. It takes an excruciatingly long time to complete but IT DOES! I get that elusive check mark next to the component on my iPhone screen! On to the next and the next and the next. All successful. My bike is not bricked and I have the wireless unit in-line and communicating with my iPhone via the app!
4.D. One last loose end. Prior to all of this, my system was set-up for semi-synchronous shifting (when you shift chain rings, the rear derailleur automatically shifts a couple cogs to compensate, allowing for an easier transition between gears). For some inexplicable reason, it is no longer in this set up. It is now in standard shifting. More work to do. However, I’ll stop here.