PaulE

I suspect it might be that due to the noise it made before going wrong but how do I get it fixed is the big question. Des anyone know where it is, how to test it and how to fit it? I suspect the replacement will be an astronomical cost. Might leave it until next year as I have spent about a grand on repairs and service this year already and still have the sliding door lock to look at. The basic car and it's underpinnings are like new but expensive odd bits are wearing out.

Just had the van back from Toyota and the verdict is that the air con is faulty but they can't diagnose what it is as they have no technical info any more. They could spend an amount of my money trying but would be a shot in the dark. The good news is that the system is holding gas so is something else. If any members have any ideas or know of any garages with some expertise with Alphard air con I would be grateful. I do remember that immediately before it went faulty the noise from the engine sounded like a diesel???

I managed to find the actuator arm eventually after moving some trim but could only feel it not see due to a bracket. The arm does move when I set the temp to 25 or above and I did get heat- didn't realise the temp went so high so heater is working thankfully. At LO the arm does seem to tremble- is this a sign of wear? Thank you for the video - very well done. Thank you for everyone's help. The main thing is - does this affect the air con or do I need to look further? I am assuming Toyota did do the re-gas job correctly!!

Hi, couldn't find the flap but ran the engine to hot and ran the blower to the footwell (tapped a few things too). I am now reasonably sure the heater appears to be working -there was some heat in the vent. I was expecting it to be much hotter than it appears when raising the temp to 27 degrees (heater doesn't normally work until raising it to 25 degrees). Will have another look tomorrow. Thanks for the info. The aircon is still a problem so will contact Toyota again.

Had a re-gas at local Toyota today £109.90, I took a punt on not paying for a full system investigation which was £149,99 not inc. the re-gas. They said re-gas was successful so no leak, no issues but coming home it was not cooling as expected (not a hot day today), as an afterthought I tried the heater on full and that appears not to be working so must be a deeper issue. Any ideas??

have booked it in to Toyota , will need a mortgage to pay their fees. I had assumed the oil might need to be non conductive as the engine and hybrid system coolant has to be.

many thanks for the info, I will try local Toyota and see if they can help.

My air con has stopped blowing cold (in the hottest part of the year of course), have had to go back to the Eighties . Local garage says the hybrid requires specialist gassing as they use a different oil to the standard vehicle. Has anyone had experience of this and if so how did they get it fixed? Also can anyone tell me where the gassing points are on the series 1 or a diagram in case a garage has an issue finding them and also what type of oil and refrigerant is used?

I bought the Washinglee odb2 J2534 cable from Amazon a couple of years ago and it came with Techstream 14 - worked very well with my series 1 hybrid. It works with Win 32 and 64 bit so no need for a virtual window. It has a 1 year warranty and tech support (they were helpful as the version they originally offered didn't work but they sent me a download which did- have used it several times ). You may need to make your virus checker recognise it. still available at £59.99 Washinglee OBD2 Diagnostic Cable for Toyota Lexus Scion, USB Diagnostic Scanner Cable Compatible for TIS Techstream and 32/64 bit Windows : Amazon.co.uk: Automotive

Do we know if the electric motors ever need any maintenance, I think they may have some lubricating fluid in them but are they permanently sealed?

Josh, please put full details of your suppliers on the Forum, it would be a great help. Cheers

If it is the rear motor then it may not have anything to do with the cooling system as this to my knowledge just cools the inverter. I don't have any knowledge about the electric motors but hopefully it was a one off. Perhaps other members might be able to advise. Back to the inverter cooling pump they do have a finite life and it seems it is common to change them on all Toyota hybrids. I haven't found a video on changing the pump on the Alphard but may be worth changing before it fails if there is the budget to do it and keep the old one as a spare. A genuine Toyota one is about £250 but after market ones are available. I have attached the instructions (pdf) my supplier gave me and which I gave to my local garage- I accept no responsibility for them but the garage worked it out ok. I also attach a Youtube showing the coolant cap at 0.43. Hybrid coolant pump.pdf

Did you check the hybrid coolant level which is the cap on the RH side of the radiator (as you look at it) as the inverter cooling uses a separate part of the radiator (the bottom part- see diagram) to the engine side. I put this on a previous post. "You can usually check if the inverter pump is working visually. Put the bonnet up-wait until the engine is cool, start it and carefully remove the hybrid coolant filler cap which is to the right of the radiator as you look at it (opposite side to the expansion tank). You should see movement in the coolant, sometimes it bubbles up and down a little. If no movement then it might be the pump assuming the system is full. Don't run this for more than it takes to view and refix the cap. A diagnosis with something like Toyota Techstream would confirm. I had to change mine last year and had a code DTC P3130 Inverter cooling system."

It would be interesting to see how many Forum members have a hybrid especially series1 and how many have had issues with the hybrid system and at what mileage. A hybrid battery should last 200,00 miles but not without some attention within that time and getting to find someone who is capable and willing to repair/ service them correctly is a big issue ( I suspect it is an issue with all EV cars new and old). My battery needed repair at about 67000 miles and I was lucky to get Mark at Hybrid repairs Torquay to do it and the vehicle was down for 3 months it also needed a new inverter pump shortly after but that might be the interval when servicing is needed. Since then the vehicle has been very good except having to recently change the V belt tensioner which took a while to get. I would consider a 2.4 petrol version if you are put off the hybrid as these are more likely to be repaired by most garages and give good mileage.

I have ordered a new primary release motor from ebay which might do it but I notice that the door will open via the button on the dash suggesting this might not be the fault. The door will also not open from the inside using the handle- does anyone have any ideas please.

My passenger slide door black button has been a bit temperamental for a while but doesn't work at all now. Power door is fine by pulling the handle. The 12v battery has started draining overnight since the button went fully faulty. If I turn the power doors off at the dash switch then the 12v battery has been fine. I assume the drain might be due to the power being always on if the dash switch is left on. Can members advise what I need to repair or replace the button mechanism (inc. part no. if possible) and how do I remove the door trim to get to it? Just a thought- have always had an issue with 12v battery drain if van not used for a few days especially in winter. Wondering if the power doors have always been the issue?

You can usually check if the inverter pump is working visually. Put the bonnet up-wait until the engine is cool, start it and carefully remove the hybrid coolant filler cap which is to the right of the radiator as you look at it (opposite side to the expansion tank). You should see movement in the coolant, sometimes it bubbles up and down a little. If no movement then it might be the pump assuming the system is full. Don't run this for more than it takes to view and refix the cap. A diagnosis with something like Toyota Techstream would confirm. I had to change mine last year and had a code DTC P3130 Inverter cooling system.

My coolant is full (Toyota Pink) but I always have to turn it up to 27 to get any heat. Perhaps this is normal. Good job you looked at the coolant level though.

I have a Nextbase dashcam I originally plugged into the 12v lighter socket but later "hardwired" it to the 12v socket positive connection using Wago style connectors incorporating an inline fuse I bought off ebay (I removed the centre console panel to get to it- make sure you put tape over the gear lock button to stop it falling out). I think I had to solder a short lead from the lighter socket red lead as it is very short. The cable can be pushed behind the headlining where it meets the windscreen and then behind the grab handle covering and then down behind the pillar- it is easy to prise the covering and push the cable behind. Under the dash below the steering wheel I found a nut for the neg connection and then ran the red pos connection to the lighter socket- I think I extended the red lead to do this - the cable will go through a small gap from the footwell to the centre console but is a bit of a phaff. It is an easier connection than trying to get to the fuse boxes on the hybrid but the dashcam is only on when the ignition is on. If you want "always on" recording another member might suggest something. Cheers

This download was 139mb and was checked by my virus scanner ok- haven't looked closely yet but seems very detailed -1375 pages.

I Found these on a Mexican website and downloaded the series 1 manual and it appears very detailed. 1375 pages via pdf and it only cost £17. There are other series also at low prices. I think these may be similar to the Russian manuals you see online as a few Russian words come up. The link is below and I have added a couple of screenshots to give you an idea. Regrettably no hybrid manuals. Search: 6 results found for "toyota alphard" – MANUAL TALLER

I purchased a rear wiper from ebay £6.99 fits and works fine. Rear Window Wiper Blade 16 Inch 400mm Exact Fit For Toyota Alphard 2003-Onwards | eBay

Found this company on ebay called "Million Parts". They have broken an Alphard hybrid for parts so if you are looking for anything they might be worth a try. They may have other Alphard bits also. alphard hybrid | eBay https://www.ebay.co.uk/str/millionpartsltd

Just had the garage check it and you were correct- it is the belt tensioner- need a new belt also so if you can advise the part no. it would be appreciated. Garage say I can still use the vehicle which is a relief. Thank you for the help.

Yes please let me have part no. for belt- local garage checking it tomorrow, cheers.