Di2 Ultegra charging query.

[Dave B]

I have a bike with Ultegra Di2. The battery is one of the stick one stuck in the seat tube. I purchased it here from an awesome forum member and he told me to simply plug the charging connector into either shifter to charge the battery.

So last night I plugged it into the right side/rear shifter. Took it out this morning and absolute zero juice was transferred as the components didn't even pretend to be charged or moved.

I swapped it to the left/front shifter and removed a stopper "plug" in the shifter, where I then plugged the charger in.

When I get home I am going to see if it worked. There are no other places for me to plug the charger in that I can see.

Oh the battery level checker and system control box shows no lights lighting up.

So two questions:

1. Can I actually charge the battery from the shifters and if so, does a specific side matter?

2. Knowing nothing about Di2 (I have have Campy on my other bikes and no I do not care what brand I ride. Campy just fits my hands best.) What type of battery do I need to replace the current one? it is 10 speed, but don't know if that impacts the battery.


Appreciate any help and guidance. If you need more info from me then I will try to get it to you.

thanks

[madsciencenow]

I usually charge through the a junction box. There’s a small door on the left hand side (left orientated from your saddle position) that opens for charging assuming you have the stem mounted box.


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[echappist]

Originally Posted by Dave B

I have a bike with Ultegra Di2. The battery is one of the stick one stuck in the seat tube. I purchased it here from an awesome forum member and he told me to simply plug the charging connector into either shifter to charge the battery.

So last night I plugged it into the right side/rear shifter. Took it out this morning and absolute zero juice was transferred as the components didn't even pretend to be charged or moved.

I swapped it to the left/front shifter and removed a stopper "plug" in the shifter, where I then plugged the charger in.

When I get home I am going to see if it worked. There are no other places for me to plug the charger in that I can see.

Oh the battery level checker and system control box shows no lights lighting up.

So two questions:

1. Can I actually charge the battery from the shifters and if so, does a specific side matter?

2. Knowing nothing about Di2 (I have have Campy on my other bikes and no I do not care what brand I ride. Campy just fits my hands best.) What type of battery do I need to replace the current one? it is 10 speed, but don't know if that impacts the battery.


Appreciate any help and guidance. If you need more info from me then I will try to get it to you.

thanks

10 speed or 11 speed doesn't matter. It'll work on either

as for the charging, I'm not sure how you are actually able to plug the cable from the internal charger (left in picture below) into the shifters

The charging cable of an internal battery charger actually needs to go to an A-junction, be it EW90 (right in the picture below) or the in-handlebar RS910

What parts do you actually have?

[pasadena]

diagrams and info here

https://di2center.com/2019/08/24/di2...ow-do-i-charge

[Dave B]

Originally Posted by madsciencenow

I usually charge through the a junction box. There’s a small door on the left hand side (left orientated from your saddle position) that opens for charging assuming you have the stem mounted box.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

see I looked for that and there is no door. two wires come into it from the shifters and then one leaves the other end into the bike.

I have looked on google images for a charger like the one I received and nada, not a one like it. I thought you charged the junction box as well, but there ins't a way to connect the wire from the charger into the box. I can look again, but the seller said there wasn't and to charge it through the shifters.

[loxx0050]

I'm kind of confused as to your setup and what charging cable you have.

Is this the junction box you have:



If so they that doesn't have a port to charge an internal battery. You would need a newer Junction A like an EW90, RS910 or a MT800 or M9051 (MTB junctions). There maybe others I'm not aware of that have that port too.

You would be using what was pictured above the Shimano SM-BCR2 charging cable/port. Note that this is comes with a micro USB cable like you see on cell phones and USB-A side would plug into a computer/laptop or I just use one of my phone charger plugs since I now have nearly of dozen of those lying around.

[Dave B]

Originally Posted by loxx0050

I'm kind of confused as to your setup and what charging cable you have.

Is this the junction box you have:



If so they that doesn't have a port to charge an internal battery. You would need a newer Junction A like an EW90, RS910 or a MT800 or M9051 (MTB junctions). There maybe others I'm not aware of that have that port too.

You would be using what was pictured above the Shimano SM-BCR2 charging cable/port. Note that this is comes with a micro USB cable like you see on cell phones and USB-A side would plug into a computer/laptop or I just use one of my phone charger plugs since I now have nearly of dozen of those lying around.

It does look like that. At least it does to me.

I'll post pics when I get home as I am not near it.

It just seems that the charging plug I have does not fit into the open end.

I bought the entire bike here and was told by the previous owner to just plug the charger into one of the open spots on the shifter...under the hood.

Might be best to just take pics and go from there.

Thanks folks, I guess I'll be back with more info.

[robt57]

Sounds like early SM-EW67A front junction box and a BTR2 battery may have been put together.

Have to use a SM-EW90-A or SM-EW90-B front junction to charge any of the internal batteries I believe. Or bar end ports, forget pn.

Reading that somehow charging thru a shifter port somehow is not anything I am aware of being possible. Trying to imagine the connectivity to try it.

SM-BCR2: Battery charger for SM-BTR2/BT-DN110.

Now I have used the BTR2 internal with the SM-EW67A [test ride] front junction with a fully charged battery. Fully knowing I would have to put it back on the bike with the SM-EW90-A to charge it if I left it in place.

[echappist]

I suspect the system contains some jury-rigged pieces and is not actually fully Shimano made. Only the seller can tell you about all the precautions needed. Fwiw, is this your first time charging this?

[torquer]

One other thing to check (ask me how I learned this):
Use the Shimano plastic tool to make sure the wire is securely attached to the battery. The wire will stay in place if it is just pushed onto the battery, but it needs to click into place for the electrical connection to be made, and the tool gives you enough leverage to make that work.

[Dave B]

ok, popped home during lunch and took these.

There are no other charging ports, with out taking the battery of the seat tube...I assume.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/E6JkQ954W2rTdPfw7

[robt57]

That looks DIY all the way on the charger.

Yes, you have a SM-EW67A front junction box.

Are you sure you are plugging the DIY charger in as intended?

Also, do you have a BTR2 or BT-DN110 battery?

[Dave B]

Originally Posted by robt57

That looks DIY all the way on the charger.

Yes, you have a SM-EW67A front junction box.

Are you sure you are plugging the DIY charger in as intended?

Also, do you have a BTR2 or BT-DN110 battery?

Yes I use the shimano tool to push in the charger all the way in, that is all I was told was needed, so I thought I was doing as instructed.

With regards to any other info, I have no idea. I have never seen the battery as the seller said all I had to do, what he did, was to plug it into either shifter as it looks like I have done.

If this is wrong, then would it be safe to assume I need to buy things to get this to work?

[robt57]

I find myself wondering if that red molex connector does not have a purpose in the DIY plan there.

I suspect what you have is electrically correct if implemented as intended DIY or not.

No Shimano engineer is going to say that is correct.

If you happen to be in the PDX, I have the port tools. You could just look at the battery to see what it is. But I'd bet it is BTR2.

I've cobbled about every part of Di2, sans charging stuff.

You do have 6770 ST shifters FWIW. these are the 10 speed origs. I have some of those in use still.

[AngryScientist]

disclaimer: i dont know anything at all about Di2, but am familiar with electrical troubleshooting of all types.

when you say you have never seen the battery...

i would think the first thing you want to do is pull the seatpost, locate the battery and verify it is connected to the rest of the system.