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2020 SRAM Force eTap shifter - battery drains in only 2 weeks
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On my wife's new Liv Avail Advanced Pro 1 the SRAM Axs eTap shifter on the right side is eating batteries. 3 batteries in 6 weeks, approx every 2 weeks. This is the CR2032 coin cell battery in the shifter, not the rechargeable derailleur batteries. The shifter batteries are said to last 1-2 years. The bluetooth antenna's are activated by motion detected by accelerometer housed in the rear derailleur (i believe) and we chalked the first 2 battery drains to hauling the bikes for many hours in our 5th wheel during some travel, without removing the derailleur batteries to deactivate the system. I thought it possible that bikes, which were opposing each other side by side may have resulted in shifter presses on the right side from bumping against the seat of the companion bike, and the system activating due to motion detected by the accelerometer. However, the bike has been home for the past 2 weeks and still drained another fresh battery in about 2 weeks.

We are pursuing warranty replacement, which shouldn't be too hard hopefully.

I also have the same SRAM group set on my BMC Roadmachine 01 and have had no issues.

Anybody else have this issue with SRAM Force eTap?
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Re: 2020 SRAM Force eTap shifter - battery drains in only 2 weeks [Troutd0g] [ In reply to ]
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My right shifter came with a dead battery and a slow leak from the reservoir. I'm currently waiting on a warranty replacement, but riding with the shifter. I'll update you if I drain the battery in the next week or so since I'm still riding the bike and have been waiting on a warranty shifter for the last 2 weeks. I just assumed I got a bad battery when the group set came.
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Re: 2020 SRAM Force eTap shifter - battery drains in only 2 weeks [Troutd0g] [ In reply to ]
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you need to update the firmware for the shifter, the SRAM AXS app is Android or IOs. Will update the rear der.
and prevent it from continuing to 'talk' the the shifter and activating it.

it's alive!

Anne Barnes
ABBikefit, Ltd
FIST/SICI/FIST DOWN DEEP
X/Y Coordinator
abbikefit@gmail.com
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Re: 2020 SRAM Force eTap shifter - battery drains in only 2 weeks [Troutd0g] [ In reply to ]
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Troutd0g wrote:

We are pursuing warranty replacement, which shouldn't be too hard hopefully.

I also have the same SRAM group set on my BMC Roadmachine 01 and have had no issues.

Anybody else have this issue with SRAM Force eTap?

Did you ever get this resolved? I've got a Force etap shifter that killed it's first battery in about 3 weeks on a brand new bike. No warning, but I can't say I was actively checking it. I put a new battery in and the shifter works again, but it won't connect to the AXS app any longer, so something weird is going on with the shifter. It's got the latest firmware and I spoke with SRAM support today and they were very helpful and said it sounds like I need a warranty replacement, but want to see if there might be another resolution before I have to swap parts, bleed brakes, etc.
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Re: 2020 SRAM Force eTap shifter - battery drains in only 2 weeks [bluto] [ In reply to ]
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Yep. Same problem here. Eating batteries. SRAM said to update everything but I was up to date. I’m sending the shifter back to Wiggle for a replacement.
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Re: 2020 SRAM Force eTap shifter - battery drains in only 2 weeks [Bishwan] [ In reply to ]
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I read somewhere that the batteries were only supposed to last 600 miles. I think it was a SRAM publication. So if you're expecting di2-level battery life (ie... forget about it for months and your fine), maybe temper those expectations.

Dr. Alex Harrison | Founder & CEO | Sport Physiology & Performance PhD
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Re: 2020 SRAM Force eTap shifter - battery drains in only 2 weeks [DrAlexHarrison] [ In reply to ]
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They’re supposed to last several months. The last one lasted two weeks in which time I rode 100 miles.
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Re: 2020 SRAM Force eTap shifter - battery drains in only 2 weeks [DrAlexHarrison] [ In reply to ]
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That's the derailleur batteries, 30ish hour life. The shifter batteries are something else entirely.
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Re: 2020 SRAM Force eTap shifter - battery drains in only 2 weeks [imswimmer328] [ In reply to ]
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Oops. You're right.

Dr. Alex Harrison | Founder & CEO | Sport Physiology & Performance PhD
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📱 Check out our app → Saturday: Pro Fuel & Hydration, a performance nutrition coach in your pocket.
Join us on YouTube → Saturday Morning | Ride & Run Faster and our growing Saturday User Hub
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Re: 2020 SRAM Force eTap shifter - battery drains in only 2 weeks [DrAlexHarrison] [ In reply to ]
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You're good. One main reason I prefer the idea of di2 over etap is because etap just has too many separate batteries to keep track of.
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Re: 2020 SRAM Force eTap shifter - battery drains in only 2 weeks [Troutd0g] [ In reply to ]
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I had something similar happen with my Sram Red Etap(11 speed). When I would get done riding I could hear the derailleurs, like the smallest little buzz and couldn’t figure it out.. and it drained the batteries super quick. I started leaving the FD in the small ring and the RD in the 11t cog, and the noise stopped and now the life of the battery is quite long. My bro science logic was, if I left them in the positions that require no juice then the batteries weren’t being used.. so, maybe try that??
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Re: 2020 SRAM Force eTap shifter - battery drains in only 2 weeks [Troutd0g] [ In reply to ]
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I wonder why some people choose Sram over Shimano. Short battery life, multiple batteries, breaking tabs, reduced reliability, about 250g heavier, and surely less aero given the bulk. Even if the first two points don't bother you, and the second two haven't happened, the last two stand regardless. For what? To save a few minutes during the initial install?
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Re: 2020 SRAM Force eTap shifter - battery drains in only 2 weeks [BigBoyND] [ In reply to ]
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I can’t think of a few reasons. 1.) Shimano does not make a x1 system(technically) 2.) SRAM has less letters and they are all uppercase 3.) Jan(pronounced Yawn, not Jan like the short version of January) uses SRAM 5.) I skipped number #4 but that’s because SRAM is built right here in the USofA and that’s what we do, #1 in everythin 6.) SRAM makes a cool trucker hat. Need I say more
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Re: 2020 SRAM Force eTap shifter - battery drains in only 2 weeks [BigBoyND] [ In reply to ]
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BigBoyND wrote:
I wonder why some people choose Sram over Shimano. Short battery life, multiple batteries, breaking tabs, reduced reliability, about 250g heavier, and surely less aero given the bulk. Even if the first two points don't bother you, and the second two haven't happened, the last two stand regardless. For what? To save a few minutes during the initial install?

Just n=1, but I've been using eTap (both generations) for nearly a decade. Never had short battery life nor heard of anyone having short battery life (outside of internet threads). Multiple batteries can be a benefit. You're not hosed if one dies. Also never broken a tab or heard of anyone breaking a tab, and this includes gravel, cyclocross use. Reliability? Never had the smallest issue. Essentially 100% reliability. This is probably approaching 100,000 miles, many of them pretty brutal. On my first-gen RD I crashed in a crit and it shaved *a lot* of metal off the RD. It looks awful. But it functioned great for years after that, recently sold it in the classifieds here, presumably still functioning out there somewhere.

Maybe I'm just super lucky, though.

Weight - valid point - just don't care that much.
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Re: 2020 SRAM Force eTap shifter - battery drains in only 2 weeks [jaja518] [ In reply to ]
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jaja518 wrote:
I can’t think of a few reasons. 1.) Shimano does not make a x1 system(technically) 2.) SRAM has less letters and they are all uppercase 3.) Jan(pronounced Yawn, not Jan like the short version of January) uses SRAM 5.) I skipped number #4 but that’s because SRAM is built right here in the USofA and that’s what we do, #1 in everythin 6.) SRAM makes a cool trucker hat. Need I say more

I'm like 99% sure Sram components are not made in the US. Noted on the others. Lol
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Re: 2020 SRAM Force eTap shifter - battery drains in only 2 weeks [BigBoyND] [ In reply to ]
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BigBoyND wrote:

I'm like 99% sure Sram components are not made in the US. Noted on the others. Lol


Taiwan, mostly (excluding some things like Zipp wheels). But it's worth mentioning that the bulk of the engineering is U.S.-based. So you can blame Americans for all your concerns. :)
Last edited by: trail: Apr 12, 21 14:41
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Re: 2020 SRAM Force eTap shifter - battery drains in only 2 weeks [Troutd0g] [ In reply to ]
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I should have followed up with the resolution to this issue. After warranty replacement of the shifter there has been no reoccurrence of the problem. Apparently there was a short in the shifter electronics. System has been functionally perfect ever since.
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Re: 2020 SRAM Force eTap shifter - battery drains in only 2 weeks [trail] [ In reply to ]
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Just n=1, but I've been using eTap (both generations) for nearly a decade. Never had short battery life nor heard of anyone having short battery life (outside of internet threads). Multiple batteries can be a benefit. You're not hosed if one dies. Also never broken a tab or heard of anyone breaking a tab, and this includes gravel, cyclocross use. Reliability? Never had the smallest issue. Essentially 100% reliability. This is probably approaching 100,000 miles, many of them pretty brutal.

N +1 for me. I've had four etap setups over the last 5 years or so and never had one issue. I don't think I even replaced the coin battery in by first etap blipbox, even after like 3 years of riding.


The main issue I have with Shimano is the prospect of some wire becoming lose / broken / crimped somewhere in the frame - I've personally seen and heard of too many horror stories of people on Di2 arriving at a race after travel only to find some shifting issue due to a broken connection or wire - case in point Sam Long last weekend! Not an issue if you never travel, but for triathletes that can be an issue. That said, both are great systems and it just comes down to personal preference.




Last edited by: SAvan: Apr 15, 21 1:21
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Re: 2020 SRAM Force eTap shifter - battery drains in only 2 weeks [Troutd0g] [ In reply to ]
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You guys dont ride in rain? I am going through a shifter in 6 months. The battery cover simply isnt tight enough.



Last edited by: ldr: Jul 13, 21 19:21
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Re: 2020 SRAM Force eTap shifter - battery drains in only 2 weeks [ldr] [ In reply to ]
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ldr wrote:
You guys dont ride in rain? I am going through a shifter in 6 months. The battery cover simply isnt tight enough.


Did you grease the o-ring/seal?
Last edited by: nevertoolate: Jul 13, 21 21:28
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Re: 2020 SRAM Force eTap shifter - battery drains in only 2 weeks [nevertoolate] [ In reply to ]
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I do. Heaps. Also tried taping it shut. Issue is the rain over here is like a waterfall. Even supposedly waterproof garmins, powermeters give up...
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Re: 2020 SRAM Force eTap shifter - battery drains in only 2 weeks [bluto] [ In reply to ]
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If you change the firmware it becomes even worsr. So, thats no solution at all and for service, SRAM do not know what service means. You have to send back the bad shifter and I still wait for over 3 months. We call this in Belgium, a **it company
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