Shimano Di2 Maintenance?
 

hello, finally i own a fresh bike with an electronic drivetrain.
Now the first question regarding it , did it request some kind of unusual maintenence or just the classic maintenance?
there is anything i should know?

Wax your chain and charge your battery from time-to-time.

No maintenance. You can in theory, regularly check for system updates and install them. I've an Ultegra Di2 as well as XT Di2, I've never done system updates. My attitude is they work perfectly so why ?. As well the Shimano e-tube software was futzy when I first started using it, not sure Shimano fixed stuff, not wanting to find out. The road system I've had 4-5 years, never touched it. The nice thing about electronic is other than charging the battery(s) they need no maintenance.

Check the battery level once a week, more or less depending on how often you ride.

Check for firmware updates via the eTube app (you can check the battery level via the app as well). Install as necessary.

Ride. 😎

Service your bike as you are used to. Wash, lube, etc. clean your derailleur pulleys as you have in the past, but other than charging I’ve never had to do anything specific to my DI2 since 2013 (albeit 2 different dura ace groups)

on my old roadbike i was waxing the chain since 5-6 years... but on this one i'am kinda afraid to ruin something since every 12s drivetrain seems to be very fragile to me....

i already done some few updates but the firmware one seems to required a bunch of cable just to do it... and looking here and there on internet seems problematic too since it can get stuck

Di2 seems pretty bulletproof to me. I wash my 11 speed Ultegra Di2 bike normally with MucOff cleaner and a garden sprayer. I use the Finish Line electronic drivetrain cleaner spray occasionally to clean out the levers and derailleurs, but I'm not sure that's 100% necessary. That stuff seems to be some sort of electronic contact cleaner.

Like any derailleurs, I have found that the derailleurs will have shifting problems if you don't degunk and lubricate the pivot points periodically. A quick, precise and quickly wiped off shot of WD40 at the pivots keeps everything running smoothly for me.

In three years of owning the bike, I have never updated the firmware or used eTubes. It works fine. The battery charges with no issue.

I have another bike with a mix of Rival and Force AXS. That stuff seems equally bulletproof. I've heard the newer 12 speed Di2 stuff is more up to date, but SRAM's AXS app is clearly at least a generation beyond my 3 year old Di2.

That is an interesting point. Wax per se should be harmless, but the initial shifts can be a bit rough because of the stiff chain. One thing you can try is to run the chain back and forth over and around a piece of PVC pipe until it is flexible. Another is to add a bit of mineral spirits to the wax mix, which will make it softer.

As for cleaning, I just use a damp microfiber disposable towel. I also have a steel frame, so I am a bit paranoid about getting water intrusions in the BB etc.

I did one firmware update when I first got the bike in 2014, and since everything works how I want it to, I haven't bothered since.

12 speed is not fragile at all. Wear rates are typically lower than older systems.

I've given my 12-speed Di2 some hell and it's been fine. Definitely not fragile.

Lube your chain and recharge your battery. That's about it.

I’ve got almost 30,000 miles on 11 and 12 speed electronic shifting bikes, all with waxed chains. Zero problems.

45,000km on an 11 speed Di2 system. Aside from regular cleaning on the cogs and chain ring, not to mention changing the chain when needed, I have not done any maintenance to the Di2 system - battery charging asdie. I think you will be fine.

I took an huge amount of rain. Can I use wd40 on derailleurs to remove degree and humidity as wd40 claims?

Btw chain has been cleaned and lubed based on old fashioned way.

I'm sure you could, I use to use WD-40 quite a bit. But since before I got my Di2 bike I sort of lost favor in soaking everything with WD-40. I just wipe the water off my bike as best I can and then put a box fan nearby to circulate air around it. Chain gets the usual lube.

Charge your battery with quality phone brick - never use a computer USB port.

Find out about "crash mode" and how to reset it.

If your indexing is not accurate, have your derailleur hanger checked before you adjust anything.

I would clean with the electronics cleaner like the Finish Line E-Shift. It is good stuff and does a nice job. Other than that and checking battery and charging once and a while and doing occasional firmware updates really nothing crazy.

we ride 5 times a week, 200 miles give or take. Haven’t charged the Di2 since before thanksgiving. Garmin tells me we’re still at 70%.

in my experience, you can go a couple of months before checking the charge.

What's wrong with a computer USB port for charging?

Generally not enough power running through it to properly charge. I think it can sort of slow charge it over a really long period but an iphone brick or something larger will be much quicker and make more sense.

Low amps damages the battery over time.

OK, that's where I thought you were going. From what I can see the internal battery has a 500mah capacity. An older PC could take several hours to charge the battery, but it will eventually charge. A newer PC with a 4.5W or 7.5W or USB-C 15W USB interface will charge the battery in an hour or less. Your computer manual shoud tell you the power rating of your USB interfaces, or just try it and see how long it will take.