New owner, car just landed - help with to do list!

[Nell]

Hi,

 

I'm a new member and looking forward to Alphard ownership - very relieved that my Alphard has finally landed. I bid on it in in January and have been waiting to collect it since then! Its a 2007 MS platinum selection? 3.0 V6 84,000kms 4B. I have imported a car before and took it for both an IVA and MOT so I've some experience, but it was much newer and German so more familiar to me to work on I guess.

 

now I've the challenge of preparing the car, with all sorts of ideas running through my head and with this can I just ask, what is a best practice to do list on a fresh import Alphard prior to making it roadworthy? i.e. if this was on your drive what would you start with and finish at prior to making it roadworthy?, and where best to buy bits from (service, fog lights, how to tackle the fog light etc). I've fitted towbars on 3 cars so not shy of the wiring element if that is necessary.

 

initially I want to get it driveable, with future plans to hopefully convert to a camper. but there's no rush on that part.

 

any advice welcomed thanks. I suppose I need to order some bits first but wondering what is necessary.

 

thanks,

Neil

[Baz]

Morning Neil.welcome.there is endless things you can do to them but there is one thing I would say is a must and that is to get the underneath under sealed as they don’t have any rust protection on them cause Japan doesn’t salt the roads.

[Rojie]

2 hours ago, Nell said:

Hi,

 

I'm a new member and looking forward to Alphard ownership - very relieved that my Alphard has finally landed. I bid on it in in January and have been waiting to collect it since then! Its a 2007 MS platinum selection? 3.0 V6 84,000kms 4B. I have imported a car before and took it for both an IVA and MOT so I've some experience, but it was much newer and German so more familiar to me to work on I guess.

 

now I've the challenge of preparing the car, with all sorts of ideas running through my head and with this can I just ask, what is a best practice to do list on a fresh import Alphard prior to making it roadworthy? i.e. if this was on your drive what would you start with and finish at prior to making it roadworthy?, and where best to buy bits from (service, fog lights, how to tackle the fog light etc). I've fitted towbars on 3 cars so not shy of the wiring element if that is necessary.

 

initially I want to get it driveable, with future plans to hopefully convert to a camper. but there's no rush on that part.

 

any advice welcomed thanks. I suppose I need to order some bits first but wondering what is necessary.

 

thanks,

Neil

 

Hello Nell,

 

Welcome to the Forum,

 

As Barry says, undersealing is vital.

 

The MOT is a good place to start.

Essential anyway, but will provide a 'clean sheet', or a to do list.

 

Do you intend to convert it to a camper ?

[Nell]

Hi thanks for the replies,

 

Yes i bought it with the intention to convert it to a camper in the end, but initially I've got the MOT, service, and now undersealing to do on my mind. this is so I can drive it about a bit and check all is well with it first.

 

For the service,

I'm not sure the extent of service to go to i.e., oil, filters, plugs,............even timing belt?

 

For the MOT,

I'm not sure best way to tackle the fog light,

I also need new front tyres which is easy enough.

 

with regards underseal do people use lanoguard? or is a full blown permanent underseal treatment the way to go?

 

thanks

 

[stopgapcat]

I'll add a couple of things...

 

The three spark plugs at the back of the V6 are difficult to get at. When ours was serviced for first time locally, the mechanic found that the front three and rear three were different makes and ages - this suggests that on a recent service in Japan, only the ones at the front were actually changed! Worth knowing, and it's worth fitting long-life plugs if you change them due to the difficulty in getting at the rear ones (Iridium plugs I think he fitted).

 

Ours is a 2006, so we are sticking with E5 petrol - you might like to do the same.

 

Hope you enjoy your new wheels!

[Catweazle]

https://www.japeurocarparts.co.uk/search.php?id=0&vid=2117&make=7&modelID=2104&id=0#results

[dezufo]

19 hours ago, Nell said:

Hi thanks for the replies,

 

Yes i bought it with the intention to convert it to a camper in the end, but initially I've got the MOT, service, and now undersealing to do on my mind. this is so I can drive it about a bit and check all is well with it first.

 

For the service,

I'm not sure the extent of service to go to i.e., oil, filters, plugs,............even timing belt?

 

For the MOT,

I'm not sure best way to tackle the fog light,

I also need new front tyres which is easy enough.

 

with regards underseal do people use lanoguard? or is a full blown permanent underseal treatment the way to go?

 

thanks

 

Hi, welcome to the world of Alphard ownership.

Due to the age, if there is no record of a cam belt change then get it done along with the pump and tensioner, best to do a full service oil & filter, spark plugs, cabin filter, air filter, aux belt. The engine is non-interference so no major damage will be done if the cam belt goes awol.

 

Fog light; Option 1, replace the reflectors in the bumper with led lights and wire them up as fogs, you can get them on amazon

Option 2, convert the offside reversing light to a rear fog with a red lamp, just make sure that the lens next to it is not a brake light

Fog switch; you can get one off ebay that will fit into the switch openings in the dash and pick up the power from the loom behind or use a piggy back fuse off the fuse box in the drivers footwell, make sure its a switch for a Series 10, 2002-2008

Check the wiring loom behind the bumper as you might find that there is spare connector that could be used for a fog light, the cars used on the north island of japan had fogs fitted and there was also an option of a winter pack, toyota have a standard loom that just means connecting up items when specified

 

Parts of the car are galvanized but it's best to get it under sealed. With a lanolin based underseal like lanoguard, lanoshield etc you do not have to mask off any rubber components as it will not rot them unlike the oil based under-seals, also being clear it does not "hide" any problem areas.

 

Speedo/Odometer: Option 1: You can get replacement dials from Lockwood International that read MPH but leave the odometer clocking up in Kilometers, they are fairly easy to change and there are guides on the Lockwood web site on which dial for your model and how to change them, if you do fit a dial just leave a note for the mot tester that says the odometer reads in kilometers other wise he is likely to put it down as miles, it does not have to be entered as miles on the paperwork

Option 2; Have an electronic chip fitted that converts the input signals into miles but get written proof of the initial km reading then the reading after the chip is connected as the reading can be clocked, what should happen is the initial km reading stays as is and then miles are added as and when used, so the reading is a mix of km & miles

Option 3; Leave the dials as standard and use a GPS device for the speed

 

Check the dates on the tyres, do not rely on the depth of remaining tread, when I got mine the tyres were 8yrs old but still had very good tread

Check the rear axle bushes as they do rot/split although the mot should pick them up

Check if there is a date on the battery as it might be well past it's best, the cars can sit around at the auctions for weeks, possibly months, then there is the time it takes to ship them, once the voltage drops below 10.5v the cells can get damaged beyond recovery, replacement type is a 005L minimum 65Ah

 

You might want to disconnect the toll reader system it's either the slot on the dash or fitted elsewhere e.g. centre storage cubby, you can use the power to it for usb sockets, the aerials for it, top of windscreen, can be done away with and the wires used to pull other wires in if needed

For parts and service items check Autodoc, Ebay, even Toyota sell on ebay, Febibilsteign, Blueprint, use the link for part numbers then use them as a cross reference  Amayama.com

[Rojie]

Pete provides a very comprehensive list.

 

The non interference is very important.

Although owners should not rely on that design feature rather than having the belt changed (V6 only); especially if you intend long distance travel as you will still face a long distance flat bed recovery !

 

Battery voltage, a battery voltage of about 10.5 is likely to be a shorted cell and will never receive or hold, a full charge.

 

I particularly like Pete's suggestion about having the kilometre reading witnessed, by an independent, prior to fitting the chip conversion.