Login required to started new threads

Login required to post replies

Bricked Di2 Battery BT-DN110
Quote | Reply
The Shimano e-tube app on the iPhone bricked my new battery when it tried to update its firmware to new version (should've known better than trusting wifi and bluetooth for firmware update, as an engineer myself.) But long story short, after many retries with different iPhones, iPads, delete then re-download the app, etc., the battery is still bricked: won't charge, won't power the junction box, nothing. My search told me that I will need a PCE1 cable/thingy to connect it to a PC to somehow overwrite the firmware, but I don't have one. I may have to take it to the LBS to get it done. At the mean time, just curious, does anyone else encounter this problem before (again, my search tells me this is not an uncommon issue)? And if so, what did you do to get it fixed.
Quote Reply
Re: Bricked Di2 Battery BT-DN110 [dalava] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Same thing happened to me. I bricked mine even after reading about the issue in the e-tube app reviews and on the Shimano e-tube project website. Luckily I had the SM-BCR2 battery charger that you can also use as a PC link device. Downloaded the PC app from the e-tube project website and was back up in about 15-20 minutes. The biggest delay was finding a Windows laptop (we've switched to Mac but the kids still had an older Windows one). Apparently the laptop e-tube project is Windows only.
Quote Reply
Re: Bricked Di2 Battery BT-DN110 [dalava] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Try disconnecting battery from wire and re-connecting it.
Quote Reply
Re: Bricked Di2 Battery BT-DN110 [dalava] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I bricked mine by not closing the App correctly. I tried everything like you did. Gave up took it to LBS. Guy there fixed me right up and didn’t make to much fun of me while doing it. Less learned. Close the App. Wait for confirmation.
Quote Reply
Re: Bricked Di2 Battery BT-DN110 [dalava] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Have you tried connecting it to a PC running the etube software via your charging USB wire?
Quote Reply
Re: Bricked Di2 Battery BT-DN110 [dfroelich] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
dfroelich wrote:
Have you tried connecting it to a PC running the etube software via your charging USB wire?

I don't have a PC nor the PCE1 thingy that connects the battery to the PC. I will have to take it to the LBS, I think.
Quote Reply
Re: Bricked Di2 Battery BT-DN110 [dalava] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
How do you charge it?
...with one of these: https://www.competitivecyclist.com/...rnal-battery-charger ?

If so, use that to plug it into a PC. The PCE1 connector is only needed if things get really borked. Yours may not be.
Quote Reply
Re: Bricked Di2 Battery BT-DN110 [dfroelich] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
dfroelich wrote:
How do you charge it?
...with one of these: https://www.competitivecyclist.com/...rnal-battery-charger ?

If so, use that to plug it into a PC. The PCE1 connector is only needed if things get really borked. Yours may not be.

Thanks for this... I just tried it and plugged the charger's USB into a PC running E-Tube software. It recognized everything except the battery. Looks like the battery is really hosed and need the PCE1 for a full restore of the firmware. I am so bummed by this, be an software engineer myself, that I didn't even think twice before agreed to updating the FIRMWARE of the battery.

With their renowned reliability, I think Shimano really needs to look into this piece of software and the process they update the firmware. Bricking a consumer device is not acceptable in this day and age.
Quote Reply
Re: Bricked Di2 Battery BT-DN110 [dalava] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Bummer. Yeah, the general rule is to update the battery first, by itself, then the other components.

While updating via BT is super handy, I'd rather do it with USB since I am wary of dropping the connection and something messing up midway. PT pedals are the same way, but they have a pretty robust recovery option.
Quote Reply
Re: Bricked Di2 Battery BT-DN110 [dfroelich] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
dfroelich wrote:
Bummer. Yeah, the general rule is to update the battery first, by itself, then the other components.

While updating via BT is super handy, I'd rather do it with USB since I am wary of dropping the connection and something messing up midway. PT pedals are the same way, but they have a pretty robust recovery option.

The other thing to say is that even if you know that you have to disconnect the Di2 wireless connection in the app before closing, the reason the thing gets bricked on first installation is that the battery ships in a barely-charged state. When you connect to the system, it then tries to do the firmware update, but the battery runs out and you are hosed. That's when you go to the LBS and get them to plug in their Windows computer.

Interestingly, even if you run Bootcamp on your Mac to boot up a "native" Windows system, it still doesn't work due to some PC-specific USB drivers. Thanks, Shimano.

So the thing to remember when upgrading to wireless Di2 is always, always fully charge the battery before doing anything else.

Ian
Quote Reply