Hi, I bought my 2007 Alphard v last year and when the weather is warm/ hot the fan comes on when stopped and starting again, it did overheat last year, low oil just after it was dropped off from dealer, it's only done 44,500kms and is a import, is there anything I can test myself ?

When does it overheat? Each time you run engine?

Could be the thermostat is not fully opening.

i would check thermostat, water pump, radiator (not radiating the heat out) and also is the fan doing its job properly which may be result of thermostat

Also, do you actually have coolant, not just water? check header tank for red coolant (not brown) if its green then its the wrong stuff.

I remember when i was in the philipinnes and the taxi was overheating.. apparently does it now and again and all the chap was doing was adding fresh water.. i was trying to tell him he needs coolant, went in one ear and out the other lol

letting it overheat can run the risk of blowing head gasket! did it once on a Lexus.. i was like driving a massive vape machine

Thank you chris, I did think of that as it takes a long time for it to warm up in the winter, also trying to find someone in my area who are good with alphards as it could do with a service, I live nr st briavels gloucester, I did change the air filter as the old one was very dirty with a little oil on it, Is it true that you test the oil level when hot? sorry so many questions, I am 68 and worked on vehicles all my life but arthritis issues get in the way, I haven't done many miles since last year and it's only at 44,500 kms (27.000 miles) I was going to use it to go round europe so I need to make sure it's in tip top condition, thank you yours john.

9 hours ago, Chris.ac said:

When does it overheat? Each time you run engine?

Could be the thermostat is not fully opening.

1 hour ago, Alphard Club said:

i would check thermostat, water pump, radiator (not radiating the heat out) and also is the fan doing its job properly which may be result of thermostat

Also, do you actually have coolant, not just water? check header tank for red coolant (not brown) if its green then its the wrong stuff.

I remember when i was in the philipinnes and the taxi was overheating.. apparently does it now and again and all the chap was doing was adding fresh water.. i was trying to tell him he needs coolant, went in one ear and out the other lol

letting it overheat can run the risk of blowing head gasket! did it once on a Lexus.. i was like driving a massive vape machine

1 hour ago, Alphard Club said:

i would check thermostat, water pump, radiator (not radiating the heat out) and also is the fan doing its job properly which may be result of thermostat

Also, do you actually have coolant, not just water? check header tank for red coolant (not brown) if its green then its the wrong stuff.

I remember when i was in the philipinnes and the taxi was overheating.. apparently does it now and again and all the chap was doing was adding fresh water.. i was trying to tell him he needs coolant, went in one ear and out the other lol

letting it overheat can run the risk of blowing head gasket! did it once on a Lexus.. i was like driving a massive vape machine

Thank you steve, Yes I was thinking of changing the thermostat, can't do a lot these days I'm 68 and have joint problems, It's only done 27 ,000 miles and I think it was a taxi, but I think it was possibly run on 0-20 sae oil for mpg, It did run low after it was delivered and I suspect it was driven hard on a hot day, was much better when I filled up with 10-30 sae,I have a new oil filter and was going to try and change my selfe, I don't think the stat was opening properly as in the winter it was taking a while to warm up, as I want to use it to go round europe I need to make sure it's ok, since my normal mechanic closed 5+ years ago it's been hard to find a good one, I am a member of the AA and maybe should ask them? Having worked on vehicles since I was 15 It's difficult to let someone else do things as they just want to get the money, I was thinking of getting owners manuals in english as it may help, I was also wondering if the radio system/sat nav can be reprogrammed? Looking at getting an overdrive fitted to make it easier on the engine, I did a check from the auction house that it came through in japan and nothing came up there, thanks for your correspondence steve, your john.

Hi John!

If the engine was slow to warm up, the thermostat would be open, or partly, as it isn't shut to stop the flow from the engine until it is warm.

That would NOT lead to an overheat situation.

When you say overheat, do you mean the temperature gauge goes right up to the top?

As an aside, I don't think - my opinion - it was a taxi, as I reckon it would be MUCH higher mileage if it was.

I'm sadly with you on the arthritis condition, genetics from my dad, still mostly able to do stuff, but starting to be a bit restricted. And yeah, too many garages don't really know their posterior from their elbow, but will happily take your money for a "diagnostic" visit, which usually tells you sod all. Because physical faults aren't detectable by digital communications.

I don't think an overdrive is a possibility, that's an extra function of a gearbox, major mods to something that was never supposed to have the extra drive ratio.

Cheers, Nev

Edited Saturday at 08:20 PM5 days by BigNev

Hi Nev, I think it was due to not much oil being in there as well, the guy must have ramped it up from wales when delivering,It didn't go all the way up but 3/4 of the way up the gauge with the fan on, but slow to warm in winter and with the latest hot weather when I stopped and started again the fan came on, I just need to be sure it's ok, It could be an age thing as it's 2007 , also difficult to get under as it has the skirts on it and was supplied by a specialist dealer in japan hence the Alphard(v). I was thinking of getting the parts and getting a mobile mechanic to do it as there are a couple locally, also do the oil at the same time, sorry to hear about your arthritis, It's terrible rheumatoid last 3 years and osteo from an accident in 1974, (RTA) and have done heavy work all my life, thank you for your reply and wish you well, yours john.

Hi John,

Ah that's a good thing hey, yes it got very hot, but not disastrously so. That low oil won't have helped a lot.

My apologies for covering basic stuff, I acknowledge you've been working on cars all your life, like me! But sometimes I get too focused in one direction.

The oil level will rise when hot, if it's anywhere between min and max when cold, that's sound. Checking it after a drive should be left long enough for the oil to drop back into the sump. Opinions differ, mine is roughly 5 to 10 minutes.

Quite a major question here now - is the air con on, or the airflow/temp set to Auto? As of course that will bring the fan on.

Now it's been turning over in the back of my mind, as Chris raised, if the stat is stuck partially open, it would lead to a longer warm up, but depending on the length of that, could possibly also restrict flow enough when it's hot.

But I would have reckoned not so much at a stop / go situation. Unless of course the fan was on from the moving, and only became audible when you stopped.

As the other guys have said, have you managed to check if the coolant expansion reservoir has coolant in it? And a nice pink colour?

And do your best to see what condition the front of the radiator is in, with a torch from the front of the car. Of course the Air Con condenser coil is in the way.....

If it's got muck blocking the airflow through both coils (far less likely with your mileage, and in general the condition cars seem to be from Japan), or the coils are in a poor state, then that will be a factor.

I don't know if there are 1 or 2 fans on yours, if it's 2, are they both working?

If the rad check out OK, (if it doesn't they seem to be easily available), then a new stat, with a coolant change (check on this but Toyota Pink Long Life Coolant!) and oil / filter change, by one of those mobile mechanics, and you can chat to him about the car while he does it - I would !!

I'm a tradesman, gas & heating, and like it when people are interested in what I'm doing for them.

I'm a bit odd, I don't bother one bit if they watch what I do! Because I talk too much, I just carry on chatting while I work. I even have "Nev The GAS man" on my van number plates.....

Like you, heavy work for a lot of years, now getting worn out, great hey!

Cheers, Nev

Edited Sunday at 10:12 AM4 days by BigNev

Hi Nev, yes I think I shall talk to a mobile mechanic and see if I can get an oil change and do the stat at the same time,, I have an oil filter already and when I was sourcing parts somehow AI became involved and told me where to get original toyota parts and it happens to be a motor factors I've used before and told me the price and part number, so it may be the way to go, I'm not great with computers as only really started using them 5 years ago, I was trained as a pneumatic and hydraulic fitter and precision engineer in the 70's, was brought up in road transport and done many different jobs, also a TIG welder, paint processor and colour matcher, Ahh all sorts, hee hee, I have always checked the oil when they are cold but have read the same from hot leave for 5-10 mins but I think a good service is in order, I may be able to get the guy to put new return pipes on an old terrano I have as the mice have eaten mine, just been pulling out bramble today and cooking sunday lunch so shall have a look at the toyota tommorow, I was with a garage for 25 years and he retired, so went to a dealership and paid top price for my 2003 2ltr petrol mitsubishi io, and they did a poor job as I didn't tell them what I used to do, last year went to a first fix place but they make money out of parts so I can't trust them to get the best, it's terrible, I was wondering if I could get the radio system sat nav reprogrammed? or just do it all separate with new units, both vehicles try talking to me but it's all in japanese so can't understand what there saying,:-) anyway thanks for your input Big Nev. yours john.