Mavic Zap
09-22-19, 10:05 PM
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Mavic Zap
Since there isn't much information out there on the Mavic Zap system, I thought I share what I've found after tearing the system apart. I know people still have these things since they people are still buy these things off ebay.
Here's a link to what the components are. BikePro.com / Buyer's Guide / Mavic Zap Rear Derailleurs - Bicycle Parts at discount prices / the Buyer's Guide / Bicycle Parts at their finest! / Professional Bicycle Source / Bike Pro
The electronics housing is actually two pieces. The back piece with the metal cap for the battery, holds the battery and circuit board. An outer case is glued with epoxy over the battery portion. There's sufficient epoxy there to seal the unit, which apparently is a source of some failures. There is a groove filled with epoxy where the wires run on the outside of the battery housing. The circuit board does not have any conformal coating to protect it from moisture. If you need to pull it apart, like to put in new wires, I suggest cutting the portion just past the battery to remove the case.
The cable to the switches are two conductor wires. The cable to the rear derailleur is 4 conductor. Haven't been able to figure out who makes the 4 conductor connector.
The switch is a rocker lever that pushes down on a membrane switch. The membrane switch circuit has two switches. The upshift switch simply closes the circuit. The downshift switch has a 10k resistor buried in the epoxy by where the wires are attached to the membrane switch. Open = no shift. Closed = upshift(smaller cog). 10k resistance = downshift (larger cog). Remember Chris Boardman's time trial bike with the toggle switch in the brake lever? Just get a single pole, double throw, mom - off - mom switch, connect one switch wire to the input, #1 output connected to the second switch wire, #2 output connected to a 10k resistor then the second switch wire. Mavic's Mektronics brifter uses the same logic. If you attached the shifter wires to the bike computer mount, you can use the Mektronic brifter to shift the Zap system. Mektronic brifter has three sets of switches. The top or up push to upshift (smaller cog) and the bottom or down does the downshift (larger cog).
The rear derailleur is installed with a hex wrench on the inboard side of the frame. Make sure the thumb adjuster is adjust so the pin is fully retracted so you can get a hex wrench fully inserted. Once installed, manually move the derailleur all the way to the inside or outside. Then adjust the thumb screw as necessary for proper alignment. The thumbscrew is also used to make minor adjustment in the shifting. The indexing is in the shaft so if it doesn't shift right, check the derailleur hanger alignment. Nice thing about this system is if the battery goes dead, you can manually shift to the gear you need by moving the pulley cage in and out.
Sutherland's manual shows you can change it from 8 speed to 7. Never tried it. It shows removing the outer cover of the derailleur, turn the screw 1/8 CCW to go from 8 to 7. 1/8 CW to go from 7 to 8.
Troubleshooting, well there's a box that Mavic made to check the system. Someone wants $1000 on ebay for it. The derailleur isn't serviceable so there's not much you can do to fix it. However, here's how you can check the electronics on a bench to see if it is functioning correctly. If you push a button, you should hear the solenoid engage and then about 2-3 seconds later, disengage. Pushing the other switch should engage the other solenoid on the other side of the derailleur.
If only one side is working, it could be the switch or the solenoid. To test the switch, push the button for the working solenoid. Within 2 seconds, push the other button and you should immediately hear the solenoid disengage. If it disengages, then there's a bad solenoid, time to find another derailleur. If it doesn't immediate disengage, it could be a bad switch.
If neither switch/solenoid works, you'll need to cut the switch wiring apart and check the resistance on the wires. The only thing left is to cut open the electronics and check the continuity of the wires.
As for how well the system works, the switches have very little tactile feedback. It doesn't take much to initiate a shift. The shift is completed within half a pedal stroke after pushing the button, using Hyperglide cassette. If you push the button without pedaling and pedal within 2-3 seconds it will complete the shift, beyond 3 seconds it cancels the shift. Rapidly tapping the button will shift the corresponding number of gears. Holding the button down will shift from one end to the other end.
Here's a link to what the components are. BikePro.com / Buyer's Guide / Mavic Zap Rear Derailleurs - Bicycle Parts at discount prices / the Buyer's Guide / Bicycle Parts at their finest! / Professional Bicycle Source / Bike Pro
The electronics housing is actually two pieces. The back piece with the metal cap for the battery, holds the battery and circuit board. An outer case is glued with epoxy over the battery portion. There's sufficient epoxy there to seal the unit, which apparently is a source of some failures. There is a groove filled with epoxy where the wires run on the outside of the battery housing. The circuit board does not have any conformal coating to protect it from moisture. If you need to pull it apart, like to put in new wires, I suggest cutting the portion just past the battery to remove the case.
The cable to the switches are two conductor wires. The cable to the rear derailleur is 4 conductor. Haven't been able to figure out who makes the 4 conductor connector.
The switch is a rocker lever that pushes down on a membrane switch. The membrane switch circuit has two switches. The upshift switch simply closes the circuit. The downshift switch has a 10k resistor buried in the epoxy by where the wires are attached to the membrane switch. Open = no shift. Closed = upshift(smaller cog). 10k resistance = downshift (larger cog). Remember Chris Boardman's time trial bike with the toggle switch in the brake lever? Just get a single pole, double throw, mom - off - mom switch, connect one switch wire to the input, #1 output connected to the second switch wire, #2 output connected to a 10k resistor then the second switch wire. Mavic's Mektronics brifter uses the same logic. If you attached the shifter wires to the bike computer mount, you can use the Mektronic brifter to shift the Zap system. Mektronic brifter has three sets of switches. The top or up push to upshift (smaller cog) and the bottom or down does the downshift (larger cog).
The rear derailleur is installed with a hex wrench on the inboard side of the frame. Make sure the thumb adjuster is adjust so the pin is fully retracted so you can get a hex wrench fully inserted. Once installed, manually move the derailleur all the way to the inside or outside. Then adjust the thumb screw as necessary for proper alignment. The thumbscrew is also used to make minor adjustment in the shifting. The indexing is in the shaft so if it doesn't shift right, check the derailleur hanger alignment. Nice thing about this system is if the battery goes dead, you can manually shift to the gear you need by moving the pulley cage in and out.
Sutherland's manual shows you can change it from 8 speed to 7. Never tried it. It shows removing the outer cover of the derailleur, turn the screw 1/8 CCW to go from 8 to 7. 1/8 CW to go from 7 to 8.
Troubleshooting, well there's a box that Mavic made to check the system. Someone wants $1000 on ebay for it. The derailleur isn't serviceable so there's not much you can do to fix it. However, here's how you can check the electronics on a bench to see if it is functioning correctly. If you push a button, you should hear the solenoid engage and then about 2-3 seconds later, disengage. Pushing the other switch should engage the other solenoid on the other side of the derailleur.
If only one side is working, it could be the switch or the solenoid. To test the switch, push the button for the working solenoid. Within 2 seconds, push the other button and you should immediately hear the solenoid disengage. If it disengages, then there's a bad solenoid, time to find another derailleur. If it doesn't immediate disengage, it could be a bad switch.
If neither switch/solenoid works, you'll need to cut the switch wiring apart and check the resistance on the wires. The only thing left is to cut open the electronics and check the continuity of the wires.
As for how well the system works, the switches have very little tactile feedback. It doesn't take much to initiate a shift. The shift is completed within half a pedal stroke after pushing the button, using Hyperglide cassette. If you push the button without pedaling and pedal within 2-3 seconds it will complete the shift, beyond 3 seconds it cancels the shift. Rapidly tapping the button will shift the corresponding number of gears. Holding the button down will shift from one end to the other end.
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09-22-19, 11:57 PM
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This is excellent information, it’s just missing pictures!
I’d like to hear more about what’s it’s like to ride.
I’d like to hear more about what’s it’s like to ride.
09-23-19, 06:19 AM
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Thanks for posting this.
Currently working on a bike with the Mektronic system.
I'll read this about 11 times and then give it a try. (bought a whole pack of fresh batteries)
I have 2 RD's and two sets of the handlebar switches, plus the Mektronic brifters and the head unit. Hmm...
The "how to test it on a bench" seems the most useful. Mine is 9sp.
Currently working on a bike with the Mektronic system.
I'll read this about 11 times and then give it a try. (bought a whole pack of fresh batteries)
I have 2 RD's and two sets of the handlebar switches, plus the Mektronic brifters and the head unit. Hmm...
The "how to test it on a bench" seems the most useful. Mine is 9sp.
09-23-19, 06:47 AM
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Unfortunately I deleted all the pictures after I finished my project of hooking up a Mektronic brifter to a Zap derailleur. I'll see if I can find some of the parts again.
As for Mektronics, I downloaded the following files from Mavic.
As for Mektronics, I downloaded the following files from Mavic.
09-23-19, 08:15 AM
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I set one of those on the owner’s bike for him. Every once in a while when we rode together I would reach down and unplug it at a stop sign.
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“One morning you wake up, the girl is gone, the bikes are gone, all that's left behind is a pair of old tires and a tube of tubular glue, all squeezed out"
Sugar "Kane" Kowalczyk
“One morning you wake up, the girl is gone, the bikes are gone, all that's left behind is a pair of old tires and a tube of tubular glue, all squeezed out"
Sugar "Kane" Kowalczyk
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09-23-19, 10:18 PM
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Top is the switch housing.
Middle is the membrane switch circuit. The traces was damaged by the previous owner. In the far right end is the 10k 0603 surface mount resistor.
Bottom is the membrane switch dome. The steel pieces are what closes the circuit.
Middle is the membrane switch circuit. The traces was damaged by the previous owner. In the far right end is the 10k 0603 surface mount resistor.
Bottom is the membrane switch dome. The steel pieces are what closes the circuit.
11-28-21, 09:25 PM
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The 2 year update. 5.2volts is the magic number. New battery is about 6.3-6.4 volts. When it gets down to 5.2 volts, the derailleur will freak out and shift to the smallest cog. Manually moving the cage to another cog results in the derailleur shifting back to the smallest cog. Only way to stop this mid ride is to pull the cable.
The shifting is actually really reliable. With a hyperglide cassette, the shift ramps really determine how fast it can shift. It takes about half a revolution of the top pulley to move the derailleur.
The only complaint I have is the lack of tactile feedback from the Mektronics shifter. It's a little overly sensitive. Press and hold also makes it shift undetermined number of gears, it can do the entire range.
The only complaint I have is the lack of tactile feedback from the Mektronics shifter. It's a little overly sensitive. Press and hold also makes it shift undetermined number of gears, it can do the entire range.
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