ultegra left sti- same problem as the 105s?

adamdavi3s

Hi All,

Today my left Ultegra STI (triple) stopped indexing.
It shift from the lower to mid ring but it will just not hold its position and drops back to the lower as soon as I let go of the lever.

Has anyone experienced this with an Ultegra before and can anyone suggest a solution? i think it is JUST (days) over 12 months old and has a maximum of 1500 miles on it

tomb8555

I managed to break an Ultegra triple shifter by setting the stops too tight on a double FD. It broke the ratchet so you could shift up to the big ring but it then wouldn't release back down unless you released the cable tension.

I bought an Ultegra double left hand shifter body (just the lever/mechanism) from CRC for ~£70 and swapped out the broken one.

John.T

Loosen the top limit screw a touch. It could be stopping the mech going far enough to let the ratchet catch. If the chain then goes over the ring loosen the cable a little. When the chain is on the big ring you should be able to move the cage a (very) little further out with the lever or you can damage the ratchet. This, and a weak ratchet, is the reason for many 105 lever failures.

adamdavi3s

Yeah I've done a full adjustment from start to end and I'm sure it's the sti not the adjustment, it was running very smoothly!

adamdavi3s

Silly question, can I send this back to Shimano myself?

I've got a set of 6700 working now as I need the bike, but it seems a little stupid to chuck the 6600 if they can be replaced under warranty!

beverick

adamdavi3s wrote:

Silly question, can I send this back to Shimano myself?

I've got a set of 6700 working now as I need the bike, but it seems a little stupid to chuck the 6600 if they can be replaced under warranty!

Couple of things here:

Firstly, under consumer rights legislation you should go back to the retailer in the first instance as they are still obliged to act on your behalf although, as the item is over 6 months old, you'll have to prove that it was faulty at the point of sale if you want them to repair or replace the item.

Assuming there's no undue wear and tear, accidental damage or other circumstance that's caused the fault (in which case you'll be correctly invited to replace the item at your cost), the retailer will almost certainly refer the item, and most probably you in person, to Shimano anyway. More competent/professional retailers will send them off to Shimano on yoiur behalf - especially if it's a shimano service centre.

Seconldy, if the retailer turns you away the item is covered by Shimano's warranty so contact them directly (and mention your experience with the retailer).

Bob

adamdavi3s

Hi Bob,

Thank you for the very comprehensive reply.
I have been in contact with the LBS and he is happy to accept them back and also return them to Shimano for me

cooper.michael1

We can only hope this new generation of STI's have been built to be more durable...for what they cost...

adamdavi3s

Well we'll see....

Like many others, I am not sure about the wide-open build of the 6700 sti!

cooper.michael1

Yeah, Shimano have to be careful now. After I fell foul of two STI failures (105 5600 & Ultegra 6500) I swiched over to Campagnolo, but of course that can be a bit of a faff in terms of compatability.

...With SRAM now on the scene, too mant more dodgy STI levers, people will switch quite readily I think.

Shimano make some great kit, but these have been letting us down for years.

jeepie

I am absolutely gutted as I'm facing a 140 pound repair bill for a snapped 105 LH shifter. Apparently as I'd been riding the bike for four years this is "acceptable" usage. In my eyes, though, given what they cost, they shouldn't bust and be non-servicable. My next bike I'm giving SRAM double tap a go as the rachet mechanism for the front mech has to be under high tension and is very easy to snap on 105 and I could see the same thing happening again and another sizable bill.... (mechanics feel free to wade in!)

cooper.michael1

I've lost faith with them because I remember when this generation came out they were specifically marketed as 'borrowing the tough design of internals from the MTB shifters'. Yet seemingly every time they have issues, of some kind.

The problem is the magazines when reviewing shimano gear seem scared to criticise it. (££££ in advertising revenue). I noticed this month in one mag the new 105 is reviewed and they describe the new £190 levers at the best value piece of road kit shimano have ever made. No mention of the woeful record of reliability, just some waffle about the hoods being comfier.

@Jeepie

You can buy a pair of Campagnolo Veloce/Centaur levers and a Jtek Shiftmate to convert, and you will have perfect shifting, for less than £140...with no worries about future big bills.

Alternatively Fudge Cycles usually have some good deals on SRAM shifter and Mech sets.


....I just dont know how shimano have got away with it for so long!

nickwill

A I've discussed in another thread, I've had woeful reliability from Campag levers and since I made the change to Shimano, I've discovered several others who have made the move for the same reasons. Amongst my cycling friends, I don't know anyone who has had problems with Shimano!

adamdavi3s

To be honest I have never ever had a problem with shimano before and will be sticking with their kit regardless!!!

jeepie

cheers for the thoughts cooper.michael1. Interesting that others have had probs with Campag....I agree that the durability of these components is certainly not covered in the reviews and I read with a rye smile the Cycling Plus review of 105 this month....I ride hard and often and want something to last at 150 quid! I am gonna try SRAM next as I'm sufficiently aggrieved to move away from Shimano!

Will keep monitoring and posting on here as it's real world experience that counts! I like the idea of trying some Veloce too as my sister has this and likes it..

Wappygixer

As a mechanic I see vary few STI/Ergo problems.
Most of the problems I do see are with STI's and this is because they have been stood and the grease has hardened.
I run both Shimano and Campag and have no gripes with either.
When you think of how many shifters Shimano sell compared to how many break then its a ver ysmall number.
You will always see a few people like on this thread complaining of a fault but you will never see a thread saying how great this product is and how well it has lasted, if you did it would be massive.People tend to shout about poor quality but keep quiet about great items.

adamdavi3s

Exactly the reason I am sticking with Shimano.
I'ev used ultegra for years and never had a problem before and I am sure it will be many many years again before I get another problem!

satanas

I'm still using my 1991 mark I Dura-Ace STI levers, and have had no problems with the more recent Dura-Ace 7800 levers either. The ones that seem to be troublesome are the triple levers and (especially) the double/triple levers. I used to work in a shop and we had quite a few of the 2006/2007 105 LH levers fail, but all were replaced under warranty with no hassles. It is important not to make the cable too tight with these, otherwise the biggest problem is with dried-out grease as Wappygixer says; this can usually be fixed with Teflon spray lube. IME Shimano - at least here in Oz - are very good about warranty replacements.

jeepie

Hey Satanas,

Thanks for your reply. My LH 105 shifter (double/triple I think since the shifter broke during an overshift to the third ring) is from the 2006/2007 batch, however, since these only have a two year warranty period I can't get it replaced under warranty as the warranty has expired. I guess I'll just have to chalk it down to experience and suck it up....

I am hopeful that the problem will not reoccur.

Cheers!

J

satanas

I was using 2006/2007 to indicate the model as I cannot remember all the model numbers off the top of my head. Usually when the STI levers fail they are either DOA or soon after. Pity yours didn't fail sooner - kind of.

Also, if the action seems to be getting worse fairly rapidly it's worth checking that the inner wire isn't on the way out. With the Dura-Ace 7800 RH levers - and maybe others but the DA get the highest mileage usually - the cable tends to fatigue and then fray about 1cm from the nipple where it gets repeatedly bent. The broken strands then create friction inside the lever until the cable breaks. The remains of the cable are extremely tedious and time consuming to extract, so much better avoided; it typically takes the best part of an hour. I've never seen a LH STI cable break, probably because people shift much more often at the rear, so less fatigue.

jeepie

Great. Thanks for the advice satanas. Will keep an eye on the rear cable. Happy cycling!