Ultegra shifter not engaging

[CanucksTraveller]

My left shifter started developing a problem on a recent ride; It started intermittently, and then over the course of about 20 miles it eventually stopped working altogether:

Initially, when I pushed the brake lever across to get the chain on to the big chain ring, it would sometimes engage, but not always; I'd have to keep trying it multiple times and it'd eventually shift. The smaller trigger would always work and shifting down to the small chain ring was not problematic. After a while however, the lever was just useless, and now won't seem to engage the internal ratchet at all.

I've googled and it seems that the ratchet may have gone, and that the Shimano shifters are considered a non-serviceable part... a disposable part if you will, albeit a very dear one: The bike's only about 7 weeks old if that, and has covered 250 miles. Do you think it should go back to the (very remote) shop under warranty, (meaning a massive packing and shipping faff), or is a call to the LBS still worth trying?

EDIT: It is of course a Tiagra shifter, I think the mention of Ultegra must have been wishful thinking.

 

[Roadrider48]

Depends how you feel about paying out for a new one weighed up against sending it back under warranty.

 

[arch684]

Contact the place you bought the bike and ask if they will pay for a repair at your lbs.You never know

 

[Ajax Bay]

These STIs are not serviceable but an LBS may be able to make them work again, if you see the difference.
See my post on another thread for an image of the insides of an STI.

 

[Drago]

Back to the shop for a replacement.

And once that's done you can ignore all the guff about the superior qualities of Ulty.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Shimano shifters are so reliable that I seriously doubt that they have developed a fault. I would look elsewhere first, especially if it is a hassle to get back to the supplier.

I suggest the following. Loosen the cable anchor bolt on the FD and let the cable hang free. Now you can test the FD by hand to see if it moves freely. Now, pull on the cable with your one hand and attempt to shift with the other. That will test the shifter. Examine the cable and see if it moves freely across its entire run, right into the shifter itself.

 

[fossyant]

If its still buggered after checking above, take it back. It's brand new.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

Thank you all. There's no cable movement at the FD at all when moving the lever, so I'm suspecting a ratchet failure in the shifter. I've contacted the retailer and I'm waiting on their advice.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

They've come back to me already, they agree that it sounds like a shifter failure. They've asked me to remove the shifter (and the cable, just in case), and send just those parts back to them for replacement under warranty. I think I'm okay with fitting the replacements.
Thanks everyone.

 

[RoubaixCube]

First time you'll be out on the same bike after its back up and running, I bet you will be all like

 

[Yellow Saddle]

They've come back to me already, they agree that it sounds like a shifter failure. They've asked me to remove the shifter (and the cable, just in case), and send just those parts back to them for replacement under warranty. I think I'm okay with fitting the replacements.
Thanks everyone.

It's quite a pain when things go wrong so far from a supplier but good on you for not complaining about Plan B. Things are not always perfect and it is probably not the retailer's fault. In my days of supplying bikes and and servicing bikes for some very ambitious and far-off adventures on different continents, I had many sleepless nights hoping that nothing goes wrong with the customer's bike. When someone plans an expensive adventure or race for which they've trained many months, you tend to worry and self-doubt. It kept me us on our toes.

However, once the shifter is off, give it a look-over in any way. Pull on the cable whilst shifting and see if isn't something else, perhaps a faulty installation. At this stage it won't help but it will help you understand how to test these things looking for a cause and to see if it isn't something you can fix yourself without going to all the hassle of sending it back.

 

[User6179]

They've come back to me already, they agree that it sounds like a shifter failure. They've asked me to remove the shifter (and the cable, just in case), and send just those parts back to them for replacement under warranty. I think I'm okay with fitting the replacements.
Thanks everyone.

I got one Ultegra L/H Shifter replaced under warranty and it took six months , very slow process , was over the winter when I was on another bike so didn't really need it quickly .