babyboomer

I have alluded to the problems I'm having working on a bike with a frame that comes apart. Every time I have to take it apart, at least one of the cables gets dislodged. The first time I took the frame apart, multiple cables got dislodged. After several iterations, I've gotten better at it so that I usually lose only one connection. The first time I put the cables back together, I assumed I was putting them all back in the right place. At the junction where I'm having a problem, there are a total of four connections. One of them is taped, so it never comes out. If it's not a loose connection that's causing the problem, then I'll have to start swapping the cables around to see which arrangement works.

babyboomer

What does it show up as?

Iride01 

If you had to tape your cables together, then I suspect you simply aren't putting them together correctly. You might need the Shimano tool TL-EW02. The cables need to be pushed in till you feel it seat with a click.

If you connect to your bike with eTube project and you don't even see the SM-BCR2 and the first device in the chain, then something is up. Probably with windows and the eTube software. Get that fixed first.

Otherwise everything else with your bike will be a mad scramble to find the single issue that might be your trouble. Which I've actually forgotten what your OP was for.

And as I said, if you ever had the old version of eTube, it actually has no known issues as does the new version. So unless you specifically uninstalled it.... it is still on your machine. I have both on mine. I just choose not to use the new till I hear they fixed the problem.

Jack Tone 

I don't know. See what's there now. Plug it in. See what's new. There should be one more item listed.

bahula03

Reinstalling E-Tube Project should reinstall the driver (the piece of software that allows Windows to talk to the SM-BCR2), and hopefully that'll get you to the point that you can diagnose what's happening. If you can't get Windows to see the SM-BCR2, I'd pack it in and take it to a shop.

Maybe worth noting, if you can get the computer talking to the bike, it can be helpful to disconnect components to isolate the problem (eg, if you think the rear derailleur is the problem, disconnect the shifters and front derailleur). Making sure you have the current firmware on the old components may also help things get to a working state.

babyboomer

Thanks for the suggestion, Jack. Unfortunately, nothing (new) is showing up under the device manager.

babyboomer

I guess it's possible that my SM-BCR2 has stopped working. Typically, I use it to charge the battery. It's been quite a while since I've tried using it configure the system.

Iride01 

Do you have another Windows machine you can plug it into. Even without eTube installed, at least you'll know it's working well enough to be recognized.

I would go on the idea that Windows for some reason isn't recognizing that it was plugged in. I had a Garmin device a long time ago that gave me fits with the USB connection to it. It was something in Windows 7 configuration with USB devices, but I can't remember what.

Jack Tone 

Can you connect to the bike and then try it. It probably needs power to show up.

babyboomer

Unfortunately, another computer is not readily available. I'll have to try finding one during business hours, when the prospects of finding a suitable donor are greater.

Sy Reene

Had this happen with my garmin a few days ago, and tried and a different cable. Voila! maybe worth trying

babyboomer

That's how I've been doing it.

bahula03

Just for giggles, I connected my SM-BCR2 just to the computer, and it shows up in device manager under "Ports (COM & LPT)" rather than USB in Windows 10. Also, if you launch E-tube with the SM-BCR2 not connected to the bike, it'll let you start the process of a connection check and prompt you to connect to the bike. If you click the connection check button with the SM-BCR2 disconnected from the computer (or if Windows doesn't recognize it), E-Tube will prompt you to connect a linkage device.

Stranger things have happened, but for the SM-BCR2 to fail in such a way that it still charges ok (which requires communication with the bike and uses the same USB port that the computer connects to) but no longer connects to the computer, seems a little too strange.

babyboomer

Can I get someone to tell me what the entry looks like when the SM-PCR2 device does show up in the Windows 10 Device Manager?!

bahula03

I uh...described what that looks like in the first line of my previous reply? Screenshot attached if that's more your speed

babyboomer

I don't recall your "description" being that specific, but if your previous response indicated that the device would show up as "SHIMANO SM-BCR2 (COMx)", then I'm sorry I missed that. Please accept my apologies. it's nice to know that it if I ever get it working it won't be listed as something cryptic and indecipherable. Thanks!

babyboomer

I just wanted to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all those who have participated in this conversation. Your contributions are greatly appreciated! There is no other site to which I subscribe where the response is comparable! Not even the one where I pay for the advice of experts. Although a resolution is still pending, I find comfort in the fact that so many of you have taken on my problem as though it were your own.

babyboomer

So far, I've tried three different cables.

Iride01 

Does the LED light up on the SM-BCR2 light up when you plug it in to the connection on your bike and a phone charger or other 5 vdc adapter?

If you get a light, then I tend to believe that the issue is elswhere. Maybe several places. One between Windows and your USB port not recognizing the SM-BCR2 being plugged in.

The other, that you simply didn't plug the wires in the new components in correctly. Did you push them in until you felt or heard a click?

The earlier reference you made to taping everything together to keep the wires connected just sounds hokey to me. I would do that for moisture protection, but not to hold things together to maintain a connection.

babyboomer

The output parameters of the USB ports in the power strip that I use are 5 volts at 2.1 amps.

babyboomer

It's apparent that I never should have mentioned the tape that's "securing" one of the cables to the junction. A couple of the responses I've received include references to that. Perhaps that bit of information is doing more to confuse than clarify.

For the record, I did not perform the original Di2 installation. So, most of what I'm describing in this post is the way I found it. The purpose of my exercise is simply to replace the battery and d-fly units with ones that support synchronized shifting. Otherwise, except for extending a single cable, I did not perform any rewiring.

I never said that I "taped everything together to keep the wires connected." What I was describing was a single wire that someone (else) had taped to Junction B. That wire comes out of the port and does an immediate 180 degree turn. I don't know the reasoning behind that design decision, but again, it was not my doing. I suspect the wire was taped to immobilize it.

I do know the mechanism by which e-tube wires are connected. For the sake of brevity, I have not given a blow-by-blow description of each step in the process. So, if I don't say that I snapped the wires together, it doesn't mean that I didn't try.

The only time I have noticed the LED on the SM-BCR2 is when I have plugged it into a power strip. I hadn't noticed what it does when I plug it into a USB port on my laptop. However, I don't know that I've ever seen the LED on when plugged into the laptop.

Iride01 

That doesn't answer my question.....
I don't care what it did in the past, I want to know what it's doing now.

You might solve your issue quicker and cheaper by going to an LBS. Sure you can DIY it, but you might pay a higher price for that education. Right now, we can't even establish whether or not your battery has a charge, nor can you connect eTube project to your bike.

And did you ever look to see if the old version of eTube is on your machine? As I said, some people have had issues with the new version of eTube on Windows PC's.

If I were in your situation and wanted to DIY it, then I'd first get the issue resolved with the SM-BCR2. If you can't get to another Windows machine with it, then borrow someone else's SM-BCR2 and see if it works with your laptop.

I'd also go back to square one with the components. Get the Di2 dealers manuals that cover the installation of them and make sure it's all up to par. You can make it all function with out the SM-BCR2, but you won't do any re-assignments of buttons and stuff with out it.

babyboomer

Yes, the LED comes on when the SM-BCR2 is connected to the bike and a power source. In my case, that power source generates 5 volts at 2.1 amps.

I first noticed the connectivity issue between the e-tube software and the Di2 system while running version 3.4.5. I updated to version 4 hoping that it might be a remedy. It was not. So, connectivity is an issue regardless of which version of the software I use.

I'm not averse to visiting an LBS. These days, it takes weeks to get an appointment for service. I've already started that process. In the meantime, I thought I'd see what I could figure out. The Internet! Ain't it grand!

Jack Tone 

I missed whether you've tried putting the old battery back in to test it. I know the bluetooth module doesn't work with that one, so remove that, too.

Badger6

If you need to reload the firmware (to the battery, since the "brain" of the system sits on the battery, or to any component, your RD could also have corrupted FW), and it sounds like that is what you need to do...you won't be able to do with the consumer grade SM-BCR2 PC Link that came with the bike. In fact, you won't really be able to do much of anything beyond program a functioning Di2...which for most people is good enough. But, to do a system recovery and reload the firmware onto the battery module, you need a SM-PCE02 and SM-PCE1, but at double the price of the SM-BCR2 (if you had to buy that), it's not something many folks with one Di2 equipped bike are willing to purchase. But, most reputable bike shops have them.

Before you go to ripping the whole system apart, confirm all of your cables are properly seated (clicked in), and take the bike to a shop and have them put it on the diagnostic link, I'm guessing that in less than 5 minutes all fo your issues will be resolved.