Alphard Club

Note: No special tools are required to carry out the task except for general workshop and hand tools. Note: Disconnect the battery negative terminal before commencing work on the engine First step is to loosen the Right-hand Front wheel nuts, raise the vehicle on that side and support on an axle stand. Undo the wheel nuts and remove the wheel. Remove the plastic undertray at the lower part of the front bumper and also the one covering the auxiliary drivebelts under the wheel arch. Remove the auxiliary drivebelts and place aside if reusing, although if worn, then replacement at this stage would be the sensible option and cost effective in the long run. Tip: keep the old belts (if still serviceable) in the boot as a spare if needed in a road-side breakdown situation. Remove any electrical connections that are in the way and pull the loom in towards the engine and secure with a Bungy strap. Next, you are ready to remove the top engine mount. Before proceeding, it will be necessary to support the engine by placing some wood between the trolley jack and the sump and gently raise the jack until the wood is just contacting but no more. Remove any bracketry to gain access to the timing belt covers. The engine stabiliser bar is okay to be left in position or pushed over towards to the rear of the engine. Loosen the crankshaft pulley bolt and undo a couple of turns. Using a suitable puller, slightly withdraw the pulley from the crankshaft, remove the bolt and then fully remove the pulley. Once the upper and lower covers are removed you have then revealed the timing belt. It can be a fiddle to remove the alloy engine bracket (use a female torx socket to remove the studs) Replace the crankshaft pulley retaining bolt and tighten. Now you are at the tricky stage of timing up the engine prior to removing the belt. This is a good time to have a short comfort break because the next stage will require some concentration. Rotate the crankshaft pulley in a clockwise direction until all of the notches in the pulleys and castings are in alignment (see diagram). The camshaft pulleys should now also align with their respective timing marks. See diagram (below) for more information on the alignment marks. Slacken off the tensioner and remove the timing belt. Remove the tensioner, guide pulley and idler pulley. At this stage, it would be prudent to replace the water pump as well as this is also part of the timing belt setup and if it starts to wear on the bearing or leak then it can compromise the engine durability and it is the additional time to replace it at a later date. Bear in mind, the bearing in the pump has also done the same amount of work as the other bearings! On reassembly, it would be wise to use a thread locking adhesive to ensure that none of the fasteners loosen of with vibration from the engine. This should be applied sparingly to all crucial nuts and bolts within the engine. When fitting the new tensioner, ensure that the retaining pin is still in situ. This must only be removed once the timing belt is in position and the tensioner can then apply pressure to the belt. The belt should be positioned so that the timing points are still aligned and when you are happy, release the pin. Check camshaft and crankshaft pulleys are positioned correctly then turn the crankshaft two complete turns (760 degrees) in a clockwise direction. The timing marks should still be aligned correctly. A final tighten and check on all components within the timing belt area and you are ready to replace the plastic covers and rebuild the engine in reverse of removal. Remember to apply thread lock to all vital fasteners. Ensure all fasteners are torqued to the correct setting and refill cooling system (if drained) When starting the engine for the first time, it should be allowed to idle for a period to check for noises and leaks. Always a good idea at this stage to recap all of the work carried out and ensure that everything has been fitted and tightened correctly, including wheel nuts!

This works for both 2.4 and 3.0. This guide is based on the 3 litire model, but you can do the same process with the 2.4. You just need to locate your MAF sensor beforehand. This will be situated after the air Filter box and the engine. MAF Sensor on the Toyota Alphard - 3.0 V6 What is a MAF sensor? Your mass air flow sensor or “MAF” detects the volume of air as it enters your engine by heating up a thin wire or resistor. The computer in your car then measures electrical resistance through the MAF as the air flowing through the sensor cools its components down. With a firm understanding of how much air is flowing into your engine, the computer can then direct fuel injectors to add more or less gasoline to the air/fuel mixture. First off you are going to need a can of Isopropyl Alcohol (excuse the state of my old can ) Also be weary of buying MAF sensor cleaner. It's the same stuff and it's twice the cost. Go to your local maplin or ebay and purchase a can for around £4 You also need a stubby screwdriver. I lost mine so using a short screwdriver. Unscrew the top housing of the sensor and gently remove. This will expose the red diode (does not look red at the moment as it's dirty) Spray this diode with Isopropyl liberally. Now for the dodgy bit. Some people recommend not to touch the sensor, however, i have always given mine a very light rub with a cotton wool bud. So be careful here. The dirt is now off the diode. Now look inside the may sensor assembly and you will see two small blades. Give then a good squirt. Shake off residual alcohol and wait for the sensor to dry. Takes about 5 mins. Refit to car. If you had a Check engine light due to the MAF sensor then this is a good time to disconnect the negative terminal on the battery for 15 mins to reset the ECU and clear any codes. I have seen the car also go in to limp home mode by simply having a dirty sensor. The dealer hates people knowing how to clean these as most of the time all they need is a simply clean while the dealer wants to help himself to £200 from you for simply replacing a dirty sensor. All Done for just £4 and 15 mins you could say a whole bunch of notes.

By Steve from the Toyota Owners Club I wanted to share my LPG conversion on my Toyota Alphard with you, in case anyone ever had any question regarding LPG and where to have it done properly. I recently bought an Alphard for the family, and what an amazing day van it really is. Had so many well thought out features that i have ever seen in a car. From Lane Assist, TEMS suspension, AFS (Adaptive Front-lighting System) electric curtains power doors all round and rotating rear seats that really make it an amazing family friendly car. My one is the 3ltr V6 with 220bhp 1MZ-FE lump as seen in the Lexus RX300 and the Camry. As you can imagine it is not the most economical car to run which averaged around 23-26mpg. (still miles better than a guzzling Elgrand) I decided that LPG was the way to go and get the Alphard converted to LPG pretty quickly after buying. I had seen a lot of good reviews on the Lexus Owners Club regarding Profess Autogas in South Wales. They seemed to have had really good reviews from members so decided that although they were some distance from me, it was all about good reputation and quality when it comes to doing a proper quality install on my car. So, last week my Alphard went in for 2 days to have the installation by Andy at Profess Autogas Picked her up 2 days later and I was amazed how they managed to very neatly tuck away all the LPG pump, filter, and flashlube bottle and even the ECU was tucked away out of view. The trunking used also matches the original factory trunking which made it even harder to spot that it has an LPG install. The system installed was the Stag Q-MAX-6 Plus. With the stag system you do not need to make visits to the LPG installer for tweeks (unless there a hardware fault) This can all be done with a USB cable and laptop. This will analyze the LPG system and send the report to Profess who can then tweek your LPG ECU if necessary. The same goes with each 10k service. You replace the filter yourself and also link up the ECU system so it can be checked to ensure the LPG is operating as efficiently as possible. This saves trips and half day out from work On the fuel filling point I have a reducer fitted (see pics below) within the fuel filler cap, so nice and neat with no gastly filling ports on the side of the car. Have a look at some pics below of the install. I highly recommend Andy at Profess Autogas. His website is here: http://www.professautogas.co.uk/ .

Hunting for a code read for the Alphard can be a nightmare. After having a a check engine light appear I suspected it was an o2 sensor. I needed to check the code first so I hunted high and low for the right reader and after the 5th attempt I managed to find the reader that reads my 3ltr V6 JOBD. Have not tested this on the 2.4 yet. Need to see if anyone has had success. I will update this when i find out. The ICarSoft I905 (Toyota Version) Available from UK Parts Direct

The tyre pressure for 225 55 17 size tyre should be somewhere between 38 and 40 PSI depending on load. 205/55/16 95H = 2.3 BAR / 33 PSI 225/55/17 = 2.6 BAR / 38 PSI SPACE SAVER (Skinny Spare Wheel) = 4.2 Bar / 61 PSI 2.1 BAR / 31PSI 2.2 BAR / 32 PSI 2.3 BAR / 33 PSI 2.4 BAR / 35 PSI 2.5 BAR / 37 PSI 2.6 BAR / 38 PSI Will update this with more information

Not totally complete but almost. If you have any part numbers then let us know and we'll add to the list. 3.0 V6 & 2.4 Alphards Cam Belt Kit (Buy from a reputable seller as many cheap fakes available online) Blue Print: ADT37334 (3 Litre) 2.4 Does not require timing belt. Water Pump Blue Print: ADT39148 Oil Filter Blue Print: ADT32108 (3 Litre) Blue Print: ADT32112 (2.4) 90915-10004 Toyota OEM 2.4 90915-20003 Toyota OEM 3.0 90915-YZZD1 Toyota OEM 2.4 Hybrid cabin filter (for 5 speed) Blue Print: ADT32512 (2.4 & 3.0 Ltr) 87139-28010 Toyota OEM Air Filter Blue Print: ADT32279 (3 ltr) Blue Print: ADT37267 (2.4) Oil Petronas 5w /30 Fully Synthetic (ACEA A1/B1) (3.0 Ltr) or other quality Fully Synthetic oils. Coolant OATS Anti-Freeze Spark Plugs Toyota OEM: 90919-01210 (3 Ltr) Toyota OEM: 90919-01184 (2.4) Fan Belt/ AUX Belt Toyota OEM: 99366-31040 (3.0 Ltr) Blue Print: AD06R1036 (3.0 LTR) Power Steering Belt 99364-80880 OEM Toyota High Level brake light Bulb: 955 12v 16W Wiper Blade Sizes 26' Driver 16' Passenger Side Lights 501 ATF Transmission fluids. Highly recommend Opie Oils http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-1432-atf-automatic-transmission-fluid-for-cars.aspx Make sure the specifications are for the Toyota T-IV ATF oil. Fuches is a good brand. Oil Strainer: OEM 35330-28010 (Transmission Gear Box Oil Strainer Filter Assembly Accessory) You can get this from Lindop Toyota Mail order from john.devlin@lindop.toyota.co.uk Auto Jap Spares do a Kit with Plugs, Oil Filter & Air Filter. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/123377568634?ul_noapp=true

Why not drop in and break the ice by introducing yourself. We are a friendly bunch who are Alphard owners just like you. Pop up a pic or two of your Alphard as well You cannot reply to this post. Simply Click Here and then press the button Start New Topic