Di2 Firmware – how long to update/overwrite battery firmware

fronesis · Jan 12, 2018

After participating in some recent threads about the current synchro offerings, I decided to update the firmware on my Di2 and I seem to have met with disaster.

Background: my system has worked flawlessly for almost 3 years and multiple firmware updates. I updated over the summer, so most of my components weren't that far out of date. I have: 6870 shifters, FD, and RD, 110dn battery, and the SCMT800 junction (which has bluetooth). I'm doing all of this on the iPad Etube app, running the last software.

Story: It connected fine and updated the firmware on all components except the battery. Those 4 components took maybe 5-10 minutes total to update. Then it went to the battery and sat on 0% for at least 15-20 minutes. I finally quit the app, and at that point I realized that everything was dead: no light on junction, no power to any components. Unplugging and replugging everything did no good. I plugged in the charger to the port on the MT800 and it did not light up.

So I got out my backup 110dn battery. Connected it (and only it) to the MT800 and the junction worked fine. The battery would also charge when I connected the charger. So I launched the eTube app and it immediately started to overwrite the firmware on this 2nd battery. After 15 minutes it seemed to be half way through. After 15 more minutes it hadn't moved from that halfway mark.

Again, I quit the app and again the junction seemed dead. This time I relaunched the app with the 2nd battery still connected to the junction, and it started to overwrite the firmware.

Questions:
1. How long should I wait?
2. If it doesn't succeed, what other options do I have?

Note: I do NOT have access to a PC at the moment.

Steve B. · Jan 12, 2018

I have been reading of a lot of folks that have bricked the system while attempting updates via BT and the tablet/phone apps. I’ve read the fix is hardwired from the PC app with a system reinstall. And that sometimes you have to try it a few times.

Marc and kop89 reported it here;

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/co...hing/ew-wu111-bt-dn110-ew-rs910-cannot-get-into-bluetooth-mode-help-363338.html

fronesis · Jan 12, 2018

Steve B. said:
I have been reading of a lot of folks that have bricked the system while attempting updates via BT and the tablet/phone apps. I’ve read the fix is hardwired from the PC app with a system reinstall. And that sometimes you have to try it a few times.

Marc and kop89 reported it here;

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/co...hing/ew-wu111-bt-dn110-ew-rs910-cannot-get-into-bluetooth-mode-help-363338.html

I was afraid that the PC answer might be the only solution.

Currently I'm 50 minutes into my second "overwrite." The progress bar has now gotten to about 65%, a good bit past the point where I abandoned it the last time.

Will report back one way or another.

fronesis · Jan 12, 2018

Update: the iOS app ran for 6 hours and was still showing tiny forward movements of the profess bar. But this morning when I checked it all I got was an error message and a bricked battery.

I’m now trying to install boot camp and windows 10 on my Mac, but Apple and Shimano seem to be on the same page: the brand new high Sierra OS doesn’t seem to want to let the boot camp assistant partition my drive.

So now I have a nonfunctional bike and a nonfunctional computer.

tony_mm · Jan 12, 2018

Why do you need Windows on your Mac?

fronesis · Jan 12, 2018

Your reply makes me wonder if I wasn't clear in my original post.

I have two COMPLETELY BRICKED batteries. Unplugging them and replugging them does not work. My system is completely dead.

I installed Windows on my Mac as a last ditch effort to salvage the situation.

But that seems not to have worked.

The battery is NOT recognized in the eTube app on Windows. I've tried it a dozen different times.

If I hook the system up to my complete bike, it recognizes the SCMT800 junction and the two shifters, but it doesn't recogize anything connected to junction B (the FD, the RD, and the battery).

If I hook it up to a separate junction A I have (for troubleshooting) it will recognize the junction. But if I connect my second backup battery to that junction, it will never recognize the battery.

Since neither battery will power the system, I can't use the bluetooth connection again: the SCMT800 won't light up and can't be put into connecting mode.

I guess my only option is to buy a new battery (but how do I know I won't just brick that too when I try to update its firmware) or see if a shop with the PCE1. I could also buy a PCE1 but those things are ridiculously expensive!

tony_mm · Jan 12, 2018

Sorry I did not know that there is an e-tube app on Windows.
(I only use the e-tube app on my iphone/ ipad)

fronesis · Jan 12, 2018

HELP...

So I'm now running Windows 10, and I'm the proud ownder of a Shimano PCE1.

eTube recognizes the PCE1, but when I connect it to either battery it does not recogize it.

I tried to "manually create a settings file" to write it to the battery, but when I try to write the system says it can't recognize an attached device.

IvanK- · Jan 12, 2018

It sounds like the same issue killed both batteries but it’s unclear why.

If you can’t even see the batteries in ETube then I think you’re SOL...I don’t know how you can restore them if you can’t even see them.

It sounds like from this, my own experience and that of others like the firmware update script Shimano uses is not very robust. There are too many firmware update failures discussed in forums.

Sorry I don’t have more for you.

fronesis · Jan 12, 2018

Another update -- with some success

Here's how to resurrect a bricked BT110 Shimano battery:

1. Install the Windows 10 eTube app.

2. Purchase the SM-PCE1 "PC linkage device."

3. After you launch the eTube app, DO NOT choose your bike type. Instead, click on the icon of the Di2 cable. (If you choose your bike type it will ask you to connect "to the bike" and this will fail to read the battery just as it does with the SM-BCR or with the iOS app.)

4. This will allow you to connect the PCE1 directly to your battery. It will try to recognize the battery, fail, and then ask you if if it's a battery that's connected.

5. Say yes, and then it will try to overwrite new firmware. Note: it may fail the first time.

It takes less than a minute to overwrite the firmware. Once it does so successfully, your battery is restored with the newest firmware.

I agree with IvanK: Shimano has written a lousy script to update firmware, and if it fails on your battery you are basically out of luck. Both the iOS connection and the computer connection through the BCR require a properly functioning battery, since that's the brains of the system. Once the battery is bricked, the only option is the above one.

Adding insult to injury is the fact that Shimano charges $150-$200 for the PCE1. Ridiculous!

One can only hope they fix whatever the broke: i had done a half dozen firmware upgrades through the iOS etube app, and they'd all be fine. This one cost me about 5 hours and $160.

IvanK- · Jan 12, 2018

Thanks Fronesis.

This is almost certainly going to help someone.

Another page added to the di2 trouble-shooting manual.

Steve B. · Jan 12, 2018

A thanks for the updates.

An option for the bricked battery and if you KNOW it's a bricked battery is remove battery and take to your friendly LBS that has the SM-PCE1 and have them diagnose and re-flash the firmware.

fronesis · Jan 12, 2018

Absolutely an option for some.

But for me, and maybe some others, the friendly LBS is not at all interested in Di2 issues – would rather tell you why you should have been riding mechanical in the first place (which sounds about right to me at the moment).

drj564 · Jan 12, 2018

I’m new to DI2 and updated the components via I-Phone. I had some difficulty when E-Tube tried to update the battery but I got through it. So now after reading this I’m wondering if there is any reason to update in the future? This is assuming everything is working correctly.

Steve B. · Jan 13, 2018

Well, Tuesday my group arrives and I start installing.

This is making me SO confident !, LOL.

tony_mm · Jan 13, 2018

I have Di2 for 2 months (R9170) and made several updates etc.....with my iPhone/iPad and never had a problem....

upstateSC-rider · Jan 17, 2018

I have to say...I have my first di2 bike en route (supppsedly with the latest fw) and you guys are seriously scaring me.

How often are these fw updates done or needed?

kestrel242 · Jan 18, 2018

You'll probably have to update the firmware on the wireless unit whenever Shimano releases one (not sure about the frequency). Everything else, I'm not sure you'll ever need to update if you're happy about how they work and don't feel the need to change anything.

Steve B. · Jan 17, 2018

I installed an 8050 upgrade yesterday- shifters, F & R derailers, internal battery, WiFi, cables and junctions.

1st thing the iPhone app did, no choice, was to update the WiFi unit. Then it gave me options to update all or one-by-one, which is how I did it, including battery (last). It took all of 10 minutes, maybe less and went well.

So that part good to go. The app is seemingly missing stuff, and the F shifter isn't doing what I want, but that's another post.

Canecreekfreak · Jan 31, 2018

Just wanted to say thanks for starting this thread and posting your solution. I got a new bike with Di2, and had the same bricking of my battery happen to me. I just ordered the SM-PCE1 as my 3 closest LBS don't have the tool. I'm pretty confident that using the tool will solve my problem. So thanks!! :thumbsup:

fronesis · Feb 4, 2018

Sorry your battery bricked too! But glad to hear my notes helped.

As I said in the previous post, the one trick to using the PCE1 is to make sure you don't choose "type of bike" but instead click on the icon of the di2 cable – that's the one that allows you to write firmware directly to a single device. Hope you are able to resuscitate it. In my case the PCE1 worked successfully on two different bricked batteries: on the first one I had to try the firmware overwrite twice.

Canecreekfreak · Feb 5, 2018

Yup, I followed your instructions, and my battery was back up and running within 5 minutes. I also failed to update the firmware the first try. Worked perfectly the 2nd time. Thanks again!

Victor Peirce · Feb 24, 2018

I upgraded to the new battery and BT module today so I could use the IOS APP to manage my Di2 and activate synchro shift which works really well.

However, as reported above the BT connection dropped whilst updating the firmware for the new battery. Thanks to the posts above I took the bike to my local bike shop who had a PCE1 and restored the firmware on my battery. It was a little bit of a fiddle and the mechanic ended up connecting the battery directly to the PCE1 as Etube would not recognise the battery whilst attached to the bike.

I have lost confidence in the APP for updates and will revert to the PC for updates. I may also invest in a PCE1 at some point.

I have been running Di2 for two years without issue and find it generally very reliable. However as with telescopes the software is generally poor and PC based. The APP seems better but they certainly have not got it right yet! The manuals also leave a little to be desired.

Still just went for a ride and very impressed with synchro shift on some of my local climbs. My thanks to Quest Bikes in Worthing for recovering the battery for me, one of the few work shops I tried who had a PCE1. Cant believe what Shimano charge for a PCE1.

fronesis · Feb 25, 2018

Victor Peirce said:
the mechanic ended up connecting the battery directly to the PCE1 as Etube would not recognise the battery whilst attached to the bike.

I have lost confidence in the APP for updates and will revert to the PC for updates. I may also invest in a PCE1 at some point.

Just to underscore a key point here: if your battery is bricked, the eTube app connected through the junction will not work. This holds true regardless of whether you connect through a bluetooth connection with the iOS app, or through a USB connection on a PC.

Once the battery is bricked, the PCE1 is the ONLY option, as it allows you to connect directly to the battery.

OldManRoubaix · Mar 20, 2018

G'day, I just joined up to give thanks to the posters in this thread so, Thanks!

I've not long got back in to cycling and figured I'd treat myself to the new fandangled ultegra di2 on a Specialized Roubaix. My last bike was terribly uncomfortable so I've gone the opposite direction but still wanted some speed.

Anyway, I went and bought the EW-WU111 module, I knew of some horror stories so I tried to be careful but once it got to updating the battery, same story as was told earlier, very slow, not getting anywhere after 61 percent, figured it's not going anywhere so shut it down, deleted the app and started again, same thing, then I did it again, this time I get success but still no gears, no lights, nada, by this time I'm convinced that I've got to take my bike to the shop, very inconvenient, I then happened to notice something that said unpair from my phone so I did and luckily I saw the lights flash and voila everything was working.

So basically saved myself a trek to the shop by simply unpairing from my phone. Hope this helps someone else who will inevitably go through the same thing. I'm just an old guy trying out new things. Love my bike and the Di2. All the best.

Victor Peirce · Mar 20, 2018

OldManRouba

Thats good to know, if I get stuck again I will try that before heading back to the bike shop! My battery was defiantly bricked and I will use the laptop to update the battery in future but it is nice being able to see the system on your iPad and make adjustments. Was also well with the upgrade just for synchro shift! Enjoy the Roubaix, very nice bike.

Steve B. · Mar 20, 2018

There was this very useful post on BikeForums.net posted by TimH

"Never use a wireless connection to update firmware for the wireless unit itself.

In general, updating firmware on any device via a wireless connection is not a good idea and particularly problematic when updating firmware on wireless devices such as the EW-WU111 itself.

Firmware updates on any device require the device to be rebooted. Rebooting the wireless unit interrupts wireless communication to the unit and so the final part of the update cannot complete. A wired connection is much more reliable for reestablishing connection to a device which is rebooted. Always use a wired connection for updating wireless unit firmware. "

Dry Side · May 1, 2018

Just as others had happen, I tried updating my XTR Di2 on my CX bike with the iOS eTube app via my iPhone. Sure enough it bricked the BT-DN110 battery. Since I have several Di2 bikes I went ahead and ordered the SM-PCE1. I was familiar with the E-Tube app on Windows which I run on my Mac via BootCamp. I had previously used it with the Di2 USB charger without issue. However as noted it won't work to fix a bricked battery. SM-PCE1 to the rescue. Takes a few iterations of the eTube app trying to recognize the bricked battery before it reinstalls the known good firmware. Problem solved. Thank you everyone who contributed to this thread. I will no longer use the iOS E-Tube app and stick to the SM-PCE1.

whizwith · May 12, 2018

I updated a 2014 Ultegra 6870 di2 setup by adding the BM-DN100 External Battery Mount, and the EW-WU111 Wireless Unit and got stuck in a couple of places that have been described here and thought this might help.
I downloaded the E-Tube app to my Android phone. It connected via bluetooth and immediately started to update the firmware, but then got disconnected, and I couldn't reconnect, no matter how many times I uninstalled then reinstalled the app and bluetooth pairing. I started to despair - it was the middle of the night and I wanted to ride in the morning, and there was no way to get the PC software.
On a whim, I grabbed an Android tablet and downloaded E-Tube, took out and reinserted the battery on the bike, then paired with the tablet. The app started to update the firmware of all of the components, until it got to the battery holder, which was stuck at 55% for about 30 minutes. I closed the app and of course, nothing worked, and I couldn't reconnect, even taking out the battery, charging it, putting it back in...
As a last resort, I disconnected the bluetooth pairing with the tablet, and fired up the application on the Phone. It connected, the app started, and it said the firmware was corrupt and would be reinstalled and not to disconnect. It installed the new firmware and then I was able to proceed and setup synchroshifting.
So you might be able to avoid having to plug it in if you use 2 or more devices and switch devices when you get stuck/bricked.
YMMV. Cheers!

Di2 Firmware – how long to update/overwrite battery firmware

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