Matchbox Toyota

Nice one on the drop links, that is often the hardest bit with imports so it is a good result your local place had them. On the wiper blades, the part number mismatch is really common because Japan spec Alphard and Vellfire often use Toyota numbers that UK factors do not cross reference. A couple of practical options that usually get it sorted: Measure what is on the car now Just measure blade length in mm and check the fitting type. Most ANH20s are standard hook type arms, but some have the Toyota bayonet or a plastic top lock style depending on what has been fitted before so do not assume. Or buy inserts rather than whole blades If your frames are still decent, Toyota often sells just the rubber refills. Any Toyota dealer can usually supply refills from the part number and it avoids the adaptor issue. Or use a matching aftermarket set by length and adaptor If they are hook type, Bosch Aerotwin or Valeo equivalents are easy to match once you have the lengths. If they are not hook, you will need a blade that comes with multiple adaptors or the correct specific fitting. Cheers, Dave

the 1MZ FE pinout is a bit of a minefield because there are multiple ECU variants depending on year, market and whether it is VVT i, immobiliser, cable throttle versus ETCS i, etc. So the SAFC NEO manual often shows one Toyota ECU plug layout, but your Alphard ECU can be a different connector set even though the engine code is the same. Besst next step is to identify the ECU properly first. On the ECU case there will be a Toyota part number (starts 89661 or similar) and usually a Denso number. If you post those numbers and a clear photo of the ECU plugs and wire colours going into them, someone can usually match the correct EWD pinout. If you are wiring an SAFC,, the common signals you are hunting are typically MAF signal, throttle position, engine rpm, injector or ignition trigger, power and ground. The safe way to confirm them is with the Toyota wiring diagram for your exact ECU number, then verify with a multimeter or scope at the pin (for example MAF will be around 0.8 to 1.5 V at idle and rise with revs, TPS wil sweep smoothly, rpm will be a pulsed signal). Tradeoff is it takes longer, but it avoids killing the ECU by tapping the wrong pin or shorting a sensor reference. Also worth saying, on these imports an SAFC can cause more problems than it solves if the ECU is closed loop most of the time, and some 1MZ setups will throw fuel trim codes or run odd if the MAF is being altered too aggressively. If your aim is just mild fuelling correction, keep changes small and make sure you are watching trims. Cheers, Dave

Nice one for coming back with the info, that will save the next person a lot of time. That failure is really common on the 20 series Alphard Vellfire the little plastic tabs on the bezel fatigue and the whole switch pack ends up dropping inside the door even though the switches still work fine. Amayama is usually the safest bet because Toyota list that surround by spec rather than a simple colour choice, so entering your frame number and picking the correct trim level is the right way to avoid ending up with the black one. If you are fitting the new surround, worth checking the switch pack itself hasnt got any cracked mounting ears, and when you refit the door card make sure the harness isnt tugging on the switch pack as that seems to speed up the tab breakage. Let us know if the new trim sorted it properly and stayed put after a few days of use. Cheers, Dave

Hello mate If it was done properly with body schutz 14 months ago, you probably do not need to fully redo it yet. The main thing with bitumen schutz is it lasts quite well until it gets chipped or starts lifting at edges, and that is when it can actually make things worse by trapping moisture behind it. So I would not just blindly coat over everything again without a good look first. What I would do around September is a check and touch up rather than a full respray: Get it up in the air and inspect the usual spots on Gen 2: rear subframe, sills and jacking points, seams at the ends of box sections, behind plastic arch liners, and any areas that take stone impact. If the schutz is intact and well bonded, leave it alone and just repair chips and thin areas. If any sections are bubbling or lifting, that wants scraping back to sound coating, treat any surface rust, then recoat. Use a lanolin product (Lanoguard, Fluid Film etc) on mechanical bits and awkward areas: brake pipe runs, fasteners, suspension arms, around tank straps, and anywhere near rubbers and bushes. Lanolin is much kinder around plastics and rubbers and is good at creeping into seams, but it does wash off over time so plan on redoing it more often (usually annually). Timing wise, early autumn is about right, but only if the underside is dry and reasonably clean. Ideally do it after a decent dry spell, wash underneath, let it dry fully, then apply. If you apply onto damp grime you are just sealing in the problem. Trade off wise: schutz is tougher and more stone chip resistant but can hide corrosion if it lifts; lanolin is safer and easier to reapply but needs regular top ups and can attract dirt. If you can, post a couple of underside photos (rear subframe area and sills/jacking points) and people can usually tell you quickly whether it looks like a top up job or whether any prep is needed. Let us know how you get on.😉

If the AC light is flashing on a 10 series Alphard and it is not going cold, that usually means the AC ECU has seen a fault and has disabled the compressor. Low gas can trigger it, but so can pressure sensor issues, compressor clutch problems, or the system being open to air. On the 2006 2.4, if you have discovered the condenser has been removed, I would not bother with a simple regas place until the hardware is put back and the system is checked properly. Any proper air con specialist should be able to do this, but you want someone who will do a vacuum hold test and leak test, not just try to fill it and see what happens. Best bet would be:Get a condenser fitted, ideally a new one. If the system has been open for a while, also replace the receiver dryer if it is separate, as the desiccant will have absorbed moisture. That can cause poor performance and internal corrosion later on. Have the system vacuumed down for a good while, then check it holds vacuum for 20 to 30 minutes. If it will not hold vacuum, it is pointless adding refrigerant yet. Only then should it be regassed by weight, using the correct amount of R134a and the correct oil amount. On who to use, the suggestions already posted are decent for Alphard-aware places. Aikotech in Wigan, Kaspar, tends to understand imports and the “not on the computer” problem. Nippon Auto Spares Derby may be able to help with parts and possibly fitting. Any competent local air con specialist should also be able to do the work, but I would avoid somewhere that only does fast-fit top-ups. You may also need to supply the condenser yourself if their parts system cannot find it It is worth noting that condensers are fragile and do corrode, so I would avoid used unless you are really stuck. If you can, post back whether it is definitely a 10 series and whether it has front-only AC or front and rear AC, as that can change the plumbing and the number of places it can leak. Dave

Yeah, that is basically the concept. It is a CarPlay or Android Auto box with its own screen, and it piggybacks the factory head unit mainly for audio. On Alphard or Vellfire imports, that is often the least painful route because you avoid fighting Toyota proprietary wiring, CAN integration, and the “everything is in the factory screen” problem on higher spec cars. Where it can be genuinely better than a phone in a holder is the integration side of things, assuming the kit is decent. Audio routing is one of the main things to check. Many of these units can feed the factory unit via AUX or FM, not just Bluetooth. AUX is usually the best quality and has the least lag if your Japanese unit has it. Bluetooth is convenient, but it can introduce a tiny delay and sometimes lower quality depending on codec support. Steering wheel controls and microphone support are also worth checking. Some units support steering wheel control pass-through and an external mic. That is a big usability jump compared with having a phone in a cradle, especially for calls. Reverse camera and front camera support can also be useful. Some units can accept camera inputs and overlay guidelines, which can be handy if your factory screen is Japanese only or awkward to interface with. Boot speed and stability is another point. Linux-based ones can be quicker and less crashy than Android screen units, but you are trading flexibility for simplicity. On the radio point, it is worth being clear that most of these add-ons do not magically convert your factory Japanese FM band. They usually just provide internet radio apps through CarPlay or Android Auto, or they include a separate DAB module if you buy that option. If you want proper UK FM and DAB integrated like OEM, you are still looking at band expanders, converters, or fitting a UK-spec head unit, and each option has compromises. If anyone is considering one for an Alphard or Vellfire, the practical checks I would do before buying are: How does it connect audio to the factory unit? AUX would be my preference, then Bluetooth, with FM last. Does your car actually have AUX in? Some JDM setups hide it or do not have it enabled. Does it support steering wheel controls and factory amp systems, especially JBL? Where is it going to mount without blocking vents or looking too aftermarket? If Ldrego has it fitted, it would be useful to know which audio method you are using and whether there is any noticeable lag on navigation prompts and calls. It would also be interesting to know how it behaves on JBL-equipped cars. Sorry for the length.. brain dump

Three beeps and three flashes on these usually means the car thinks a door is still open or it is seeing a fault in the unlock circuit, so it refuses the command. The fact it will lock from the fob but not unlock from the fob or the drivers switch (with ignition on) is a good clue that the unlock side of the system is what is failing rather than the key. A couple of quick checks that narrow it down fast When you unlock manually with the key, do any of the other doors try to unlock on their own, or is everything completely dead and you have to do them one by one Does the dash show any door ajar warning when all doors are shut, including the tailgate. If you press unlock on the drivers switch with the ignition on, can you hear any faint click from the dash area or door, or absolutely nothing Common causes on 20 series Alphard Vellfire Door lock actuator failure can stop that door responding, but it would not normally stop the drivers switch unlocking all doors. Still worth checking if one door is reporting ajar, as the car can behave oddly if it thinks a door is open. Body ECU or its unlock driver is failing. People often describe it as the relays sticking, but it is effectively the unlock output stage not driving the actuators properly. That matches lock working but unlock not from anywhere. Practical next step if you have access to Techstream or a decent scan tool Check the Body ECU for DTCs and live data for each door courtesy switch. If one door is showing open when it is shut, fix that first. If all door status looks correct and there are codes relating to door lock motor or unlock circuit, that points more to wiring or the Body ECU output. Also worth a basic electrical check Confirm the drivers door switch connector is seated and the wiring in the hinge area is not cracked. A broken unlock wire in the door jamb can kill the switch function, but it would not usually stop the fob unlock too, which is why I am leaning ECU output or a system wide inhibit from a door ajar signal. If you can answer the three questions above, especially whether any door ajar is showing and whether there is any sound when pressing unlock on the switch, it will help the group pin it down quickly. Hope it works out!

If you mean the black Bowden cable that links the outside handle to the rear latch, that is separate from the power sliding door drive cable you have just done. Toyota usually lists it as an outside handle to lock cable or door lock control cable rather than part of the motor cable kit. Best places to get one for an ANH10 import are a Japanese parts broker who can order by chassis code and door side. Amayama, Partsouq, JP Car Parts, or your local JDM importer parts contact. You give them ANH10, year, and which side sliding door. Breakers and Facebook owners groups. Used is often fine as long as the inner wire is not frayed and the ends are intact. Toyota dealer can sometimes supply if they can pull up the Alphard EPC, but some dealers will not touch grey imports or will not find the VIN in their system. A couple of practical tips before ordering though, make sure it is definitely the handle to latch cable and not the child lock or lock actuator link. The handle cable usually has a plastic outer sheath, a metal inner, and clipped ends at both the handle carrier and latch. If the ends are different to what you need, it will not fit. Measure the cable length and take a photo of both end fittings, as there can be small changes across years and between left and right doors. If you can post a photo of the cable ends and confirm whether it is nearside or offside sliding door, someone can usually point you to the right part number or a breaker listing. If you do manage to fix it then let us knpw

On the 20 series Vellfire Alphard with the factory multi speaker setup, the original Toyota amp under the passenger seat is doing a lot of the heavy lifting and the Android head unit usually only feeds it a low level signal (often with questionable pre out voltage and EQ). That is why it can end up sounding a bit flat and underpowered once the OEM head unit is gone. Re the APX 4 question, that is a 4 channel amp, so it is normally used to run either: 1. Front left right plus rear left right (most common if you are bypassing the Toyota amp for the main cabin speakers) 2. Front active setup (tweeters and mids separately) if you are doing DSP and active crossover 3. Rear section only, for example sliding doors plus third row, if you keep the fronts on a different amp Physically, people tend to mount a small 4 channel either behind the glovebox passenger side (as Shx82 mentioned), under a seat, or in the rear quarter boot trim. There is no fixed location from Toyota, it depends on wiring route and heat space. If your question is specifically whether it is meant just for the third row, not necessarily. It is just four channels, so you choose which four speaker feeds you want it to take over. Practical next step is to decide if you are keeping the factory amp for some speakers or doing a proper bypass. Mixing can work, but the tradeoff is tuning headaches because the Toyota amp may have built in EQ and crossovers that do not match your new speakers. If you can share which speakers you still have on the Toyota amp and which are on the Focal Impulse, plus whether the Android unit has proper RCA pre outs, people can suggest the cleanest wiring approach. Let us know what you have planned for the rear and third row and if you want to retain factory fade balance and steering controls. :)

On the 2005 hybrid Alphard conversions Iv'e seen, the aux 12V is normally under the drivers seat, and the passenger seat area is taken up with hybrid bits (cooling fan, relays, battery ECU and the end of the traction battery). So if you have a heater unit under the passenger seat, that does not rule anything out. It is very likely the 12V is still under the drivers seat or has been relocated nearby by the converter. A flat or weak 12V battery will absolutely stop a hybrid from booting up properly even though the traction battery cranks the engine. The car still needs a stable 12V supply to wake up all the ECUs, close the HV contactors, run relays, etc. It is common to see the voltage look OK at rest then drop hard when you go IG ON, and if it dips too far you get no READY and lots of odd symptoms that look scarier than they are. A few practical checks before worrying about the DC DC converter. First one would be to measure the 12V at the battery posts with a multimeter: engine off should be roughly 12.6V fully charged, 12.2V is already pretty low. or Watch it while you go to IG ON and then try for READY. If it drops into the 10s, the battery is suspect even if it is “newish”. or once you do get READY, the DC DC converter should charge at about 13.8 to 14.4V at the 12V battery. If it is still sitting at 12.x when READY, then you start looking at DC DC, fuses, wiring, earths. If it does need a battery, capacity matters more than silly high cranking amps on these. AGM tends to cope better with the constant parasitic drain from alarms, ECUs, locking, etc, especially if the van sits. Also worth checking for any additional leisure battery split charge setup the converter fitted, as a wiring fault there can flatten the aux battery quickly. If you can post what symptoms you are getting (no READY, dash lights, clicking relays, etc) and the voltages you measure, people can usually point you the right way pretty quickly. Let us know how you get on. Good luck mate!

Yep they do have a rear washer, and on the 10 series Alphard it lives up in the rear spoiler. What you are seeing sounds right, it is basically a little nozzle sitting behind that small hole and it can be hard to see or feel from the outside. If you try it and get nothing, a few quick checks that usually narrow it down: 1. Listen for the rear washer pump when you operate it. Some cars have a separate pump for front and rear, others use a valve, so the sound can help. 2. Check the rear wiper arm area for any signs of water dribbling out from behind the trim. If the pipe has come off or split inside the tailgate you will often get wet trim but no spray. 3. Poke the hole gently with something soft like a cable tie, the nozzle can block with wax or limescale. Avoid pins or drills as you can damage the nozzle and make the spray pattern worse. 4. If it only dribbles, suspect a partial blockage or a kinked pipe where the loom and washer hose pass through the rubber gaiter at the top corner of the tailgate. That is a common pinch point, especially if panels have been removed for conversions. Trade off wise, getting to the hose run inside the tailgate can mean taking interior trims off, so it is worth doing the easy external checks and the gaiter check first before you start pulling conversion panels. Let us know what happens when you operate it and whether you can hear the pump, that will steer the next step. cheers

On these imports the “55D23L or 90D23L” marking is the Japanese sizing and post orientation, so the first step is matching physical size, terminal layout, and the hold down clamp, then worry about Ah and CCA. For ANH20 and GGH20 owners in the UK, a very common upgrade is a UK Type 068 battery (Bosch S4 026 or similar) because it gives you more capacity and cranking, and it generally sits in the tray fine. The height figure can look scary on paper, but it includes the terminal height and most people report no bonnet clearance issues. Still worth a quick measure if you have extra covers or sound deadening. Tradeoffs to be aware of If your Alphard has stop start (some Vellfires do), you want EFB or AGM. If it does not have stop start, a decent conventional flooded lead acid like the 068 is usually fine and better value. Bigger Ah helps if the car sits for weeks (alarms, keyless entry, trackers, aftermarket head units all nibble away). But it will not fix a parasitic drain, it just masks it for longer. Practical next steps Check what you have now: D23L means positive on the left as you look at the posts. Some UK batteries are the opposite, so make sure the polarity matches your cables. Measure your tray length and check the clamp reaches. Most 068s are about 261 mm long vs roughly 230 mm for the D23. If you are regularly leaving it parked, consider a smart maintenance charger on the jump point or battery, and maybe get the standby current checked if it drops quickly again. If you post whether yours is ANH20 or GGH20 and whether it has stop start or any extras like camper kit, dashcams or trackers, people can steer you to the best exact battery type and spec. Let us know what you end up fitting and if it solved the sitting issue

Yep, on the 2.4 hybrid the coil packs sit on top of the rocker cover and access is mainly from the airbox side, so removing the air filter housing is usually the first step to get decent access to the plugs. Once the airbox is out you should see the coils lined up on the head, unplug and unbolt each coil to get to the plug underneath. Worth noting the trade off is it is a bit fiddly rather than difficult, and it is easy to crack old breather hoses or tug the MAF wiring if you rush the airbox removal, so take your time and label any hoses you pull off. If you end up doing the job, let us know your exact model code and year and whether it was the 2AZ based hybrid, as there are a couple of small layout differences between variants and it may help another member thanks

@Lally On the 2010 Alphard the factory main dipped beam is typically a HID setup, and that uses D4S bulbs (as Chris said). Best way to be 100 percent sure is to look at the sticker on top of the headlamp or pull the bulb and check the marking, as some imports have had lamp units swapped over the years. A couple of practical points before you order: If it has HID D4S, do not fit D2S as they are not interchangeable (different ballast and no mercury in D4S). Also worth replacing in pairs because an old bulb and a new one will often look different in colour and brightness. If yours turns out not to be HID (some conversions exist), then it will be a different bulb type altogether, so that label check matters. If you can, post whether your lights are HID with a ballast under the lamp and whether the bulb cap says D4S, and we can confirm. Let us know if that sorts it.

Hi Dave That behaviour is pretty common on the Japanese HDD units in the 20 series. What you are seeing on the CD playback screen is usually CD Text (data stored on the disc) or a temporary lookup, but when you hit Record the unit switches to its internal Gracenote style database entry for the ripped album. That database is Japanese market, so if it finds a match it will populate the HDD entry in Japanese and overwrite what you were seeing on the live CD screen. A couple of practical things to try before resigning yourself to typing it all in If there is an option in the audio settings for CDDB or Gracenote language or character set, set it to English or Roman where available (not all models have it). Or try ripping with the unit disconnected from any phone tether or external nav disc and see if it behaves differently, sometimes the lookup mode changes depending on source. Or if the disc definitely has CD Text and it still flips to Japanese on record, there usually is not a proper fix other than editing the HDD metadata after the rip. Trade off wise, manually editing is a pain, but it is the only reliable way to keep consistent English titles on the HDD. If you can share the exact head unit model number from the screen bezel or settings page, someone might be able to confirm whether your version supports an English database or firmware option. 😐