Rojie

2 hours ago, celiagy said:

Hey Steve, Roger and Paul. Thanks for your guys' replies. I used sandpaper and WD-40 to clean the electric contacts connecting the car to the battery, but the problem seems to still exist. Here is the photo:

Even new batteries benefit from a full charging.

I would not be buying batteries from Costco, but you already have.

A smart charger is well worth the investment, especially in winter, especially where you live.

I have a Ctek (Scandanavian brand) which also can test the alternator.

So check the leads to the alternator also.

Yours is a much younger model than mine; but I did find the mood lights where very easy to leave on a low setting without even noticing. Check.

Parasitic current drain is difficult to find, so exploring other options is worthwhile.

There are battery isolator switches available but they are obviously only of temporary help. 

AND check the connections at both ends of the battery leads !

19 hours ago, devonia said:

Good afternoon, everyone,

 

I've got a 2.4 AH10 Alphard that produced the above -- Could anyone explain how serious this is and how difficult/expensive to fix and where to get the bits needed?

 

 

Depends on where you are on Dartmoor but Snows (a Toyota main dealer) will do the work at Exeter, Plymouth or Paignton.

As it is an existing Advisory by assured it will be thoroughly checked at the next MOT.

As Lee, suggests, get them replaced before then.

What Ian was charged is ridiculous.

1 hour ago, Wendy Burr said:

Hello

Hoping someone can advise.  2005 Alphard 2.4 model.

I had the rear seats folded up and recently restored them to seat positions.  Unfortunately one of the seats has somehow missed connecting back in the floor slider properly.  The front connecting bar under the seat has gone in the rear connection point and the rear connection bar has nothing to connect to.  Seat cannot slide or raise to side as not in line with side arrow.  Completely locked seat.  Any ideas how i can realease the connection and put slider back in line?  

Many thanks

Woo

Hello Wendy,

Welcome to the Forum.

24 minutes ago, bellum said:

Thanks Lee, not yet, will try jump start today and then may consider charging the battery.

Am still interested if the correct battery is in this at the moment.

I agree with Lee; suspect battery.

Tayna Batteries is a good mail order supplier.

They will ensure the the terminals are in the correct position, the correct size, etc.

Be REALLY careful when changing the starter battery, reverse polarity, even for a moment, will blow fuses.

The bigger the better, ensuring it will physically fit and can be held in place.

The CCA is important for our upcoming winter.

The fact that the leisure battery is disconnected could be just isolation, but will prevent the alternator and split charging system from operating !

45 minutes ago, JAB said:

Hi All. I have just joined your club after purchasing a Alphard 2007 3 litre MPV.

I purchased it from Japcarfinder. As I live in Lincoln I have arranged for it to be delivered. Hopefully in about a week.

I am looking to tow with it and I am told that there is no manufactures recommend two weights give. 

So, I am interested if anyone out there is towing. What weight they hook up and the vehicle performance.

At the present I tow a 1650 kg caravan with a 2.2 diesel rav 4 manual.

Hopefully the Alphard will perform.

 

Fingers crossed.

 

Hello John,

Welcome to the Forum.

1 hour ago, Chrisnos said:

But the supercharged 4,5 v8 would get squirted off the road with one flick of my Alphard NOS switch and the black cat is dead, also you can avoid remapping and and just buy a super chip 

Understood, but my blower does not need refuelling, and lasts all day every day.

I think your Alphard on NOS may have some traction issues, and the Black Cat has Brembos all round to aid the avoidance of trees, hedges and other obstructions

Black Cat is limited to 155mph, but is happy to purr quietly along at whatever speed I wish.

Some XJR owners do upgrade lower and upper pulleys, improve the intercoolers, and air intake system.

600 horses and 600 ft/lbs is achievable, mine only has 400 and 400.

Me ? There is fast, and very fast; but I'm neither.

I regard myself lucky to have a limousine car and a limousine van.

9 hours ago, Steve60 said:

Hi everyone 

new to the forum and looking to buy a Vellfire as a new daily driver

I've trawled through loads of info (including this forum thanks to all for info) ref towing a caravan

our caravan  is a bailey senator series6 and has an mtpml weight of 1495kg

My dilemma is can i tow it with a 2.4 or do i need the bigger 3.5 engine variant as I can’t seem to find an answer anywhere 

sorry to blab on with my first post but hoping someone can possibly answer this

Thanks in advance

Steve

Hello Steve,

Welcome to the Forum.

I don't know much about towing; but I do know my driver's licence only allows me to drive up to 3500kg.

So your van plus the caravan will be pretty close.

Another issue is towing with an Alphard / Vellfire.

There are differing opinions on this, but, you won't find the maximum towing weight on the vin plate.

Accordingly, some believe these vehicles were not designed for towing.

Who cares ?

Well your Insurer might !

You do see them with tow bars fitted, but many are used for mounting cycle racks.

My guess is, for towing your caravan you may also be looking at uprated rear springs and extra load tyres.

Perhaps other members will be able to clarify the issue for you; not least of which should be your proposed insurer.

Good Luck

11 hours ago, Arthur Berks said:

Hello I have bought a towbar and awaiting delivery tomorrow, is there anyone that has any wiring pics or information on a 12 pin wiring, also need the Vellfire 2009 wire colours please any help would be a bonus

Hello Arty,

Welcome to the Forum.

43 minutes ago, Jono49 said:

Hi I have a pending code on my 2008 Alphard 3.00 V6 I have changed the front oxygen sensor twice but it still shows a pending code & the engine management light still comes on. Anybody got a solution please. Jon

Hello Jon,

Welcome to the Forum.

I expect Picasso will help you on this.

3 hours ago, Wendy Smith said:

Hello Picasso and Big Nev, Many thanks both for your input.  Yes, I have photos of the melted ECU. The investigating garage suggest the damage caused to blow 30amp fuses, blown transistors, capacitors and resistors was voltage overload.  Very long story! Definitely ongoing feud with the original garage. In the meantime, if possible I would like to get it running again. 

If anyone has ideas to source another ECU?? 

Thank you for reading 🤞🤞

 

Hello Wendy,

I am so sorry to hear of your plight.

I respectfully suggest you contact Trading Standards in Plymouth (and possibly Citizens Advice) regarding liability for these issues, and formally report the issue. The fact that you have photographs can only be helpful.

Do you have any receipts from the original garage ? If so, I imagine Trading Standards will be very interested in those as it establishes a timeline.

Additionally, I request that you identify the (original) garage responsible for the meltdown by PRIVATE MESSAGE (which is private) to me and not through the regular forum pages.

Just following on from Lee, Picasso, I had an ECU for a Ford repaired at reasonable cost; but, from your description yours is unlikely to be repairable.

However, some outlets will sell reconditioned items without a trade in.

2 hours ago, Kash said:

I suggest we create a post for series 20 like we have for series 10 for all manuals and add stuff there please rather than having to rely on people DM'ing members. That should help find things for new owners/members without having to poke some of the mods/admins.

Good idea, but there are various copyright issues to contend with.

What are your tyre pressures ?

XL (Extra Load) tyre could help too.

Heavier duty rear springs are available, I believe.

Please send me a Private message for the location of the garage.

2 hours ago, glarhzilla said:

Hi all I'm in the process again of looking at a purchase of a Vellfire. I'm sure I read somewhere before that the road tax was a flat rate or did I misread something and the tax increases annually like any other car? Thanks again.

The Tax increases as and when the Government chooses, as most other taxes do.

On 6/22/2025 at 9:27 PM, Luckyluckyme25 said:

Hi, I am a new member and a new Alphard owner, and really pleased to have finally secured one!  A question, is it possible to reduce the body roll on an Alphard on corners and adverse cambers?  I have seen with VW vans they is a recommendation of fitting anti roll bars, has anyone done this.  I usually drive low, sporty cars, so may just be over sensitive !

Any suggestions gratefully received.

Hello Gina,

Welcome to the Forum.

I am very close to you at Paignton.

Perhaps you could send me a Private Message with your registration so I can check your MOT history.

I can also advise a local garage, other than Snows, that will work on your van.

You have bought a limousine version of a people carrier so it will wallow a little when compared to your 'sports' cars.

Tyre pressures, and tyre wear, are a good places to start; and adopting a more leisurely driving style could all help too.

3 minutes ago, r4chelp said:

I'm looking to increase the ground clearance on my 2008 Toyota Vellfire (V6, 3.5). I found this 40mm lift kit. Does anyone have experience installing these or can provide a rough estimate of the cost of getting them professionally installed? Thanks! 

Hello Rachael,

Welcome to the Forum.

Are you aware whether, or not, your wheel and tyre combinations are the OEM sizes ?

Has your van been lowered, by changes to the wheel tyre combination, or by a lowering kit ?

13 hours ago, JonJones said:

Gaaah! I didn’t realise this was in the later model Alphard section. I just went to do this on my 04, dropped the steering wheel and it’s totally different! 

Hello John,

Welcome to the Forum.

7 hours ago, AlfVellfire said:

Hi, I've just brought a 2008 Vellfire but I'm wanting to change the centre console as mine is still the original Japanese version.  Can you please let me know where I can get an English version to fit my vehicle and be compatible with the DVD player or a new back screen compatible with the new centre console screen
2008 2.4 Petrol
I'd like it to do much of the same as the original i.e. steering wheel buttons and current cameras.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thank you in advance.

Hello Alfi,

Welcome to the Forum.

Is your van an AH10 model, or AH20 ?

2008 is a crossover year

This is a very popular topic.

You should search for Head Unit

20 minutes ago, andyc said:

So far new tyres. Changed gear box fluid. New driveshafts (including CV).

Still bad on hills.

I think that's why the Japs are sending them to us

It isn't the Japanese sending them to us.

It is we Brits importing them.

1 hour ago, sue jones said:

anybody had any luck doing this reversel of 2nd row of seats in ah20,  interested in doing this to ours when we get one ,thanks sue

Hello Susan,

Welcome to the Forum.

On 6/15/2025 at 6:17 PM, NorthBoy said:

HI, I hope everyone is having a great weekend.

 

I've been busy removing the rear two seats and the running rails that attach on the LHS and RHS side of the vehicle.  I sued this Forum and the TC's Anything Goes videos on You Tube for assistance.  I am now however stuck, and it is driving me nuts.

 

1.  Firstly,  as is shown in Picture 2, the metal clips in the bracket are all raised - how can I lower them?  Not sure how they ended up like this, but I can't find away to release them so that lie flat within the bracket housing - Is it possible?

2. Ideally, I want to remove the two brackets that move along the runners on the floor tbh.  This will create a completely flat surface for what I want to do next.  However unlike series 10, I can't see blots that would allow me to unbolt the runners and slide off the brackets.  I've read the other advice for Series 10 and was hoping to following that method, but my runners appear bolted to the underside of the vehicle. with no access from within the vehicle itself  Also the bolt (picture 4) on the end of the runner also seems like it is fixed with tag-weld.  Is it possible to remove the ends and runners, or do I need to have them unbolted from the underneath of the vehicle?  If that is the case, can that be done DIY, or is it a trip to a garage.  If so anyone know of a garage/fitter who can do this.  I am based in the midlands.

 

Any help on this will be hugely appreciated.

 

Simon

Firstly,

Do you have a 10 series, as in your profile, or a 20 series ?

Your profile needs to be accurate or members will not be able to provide relevant guidance !

I believe on either, you have to partially remove the rails and slide the seat carriers out.

Refitting, as they say, is a simple reverse process.

The good news is if you have a series 10 that is done from inside, the not so good news is if you have a seies 20 it is done from underneath the van.

On 6/16/2025 at 8:40 AM, NorthBoy said:

Rojie,

 

Do you have the name of a garage in Coventry?

 

Many thanks,

Simon

 

 Please send a Private Message to Picasso.

35 minutes ago, DaveAn said:

Hi Folks, greeting from Northern Ireland. I'm the happy owner of Bertha,  a late 2007 facelifted AH10 that I bought in Glasgow and ferried home. Over the past month, I have noticed that about five miles into my journey, the engine warning light comes on (P0793) and she won't get into top gear (4th). At some point prior to this there is a fairly clunky gearshift - only the one -  which seems to be part of the picture.

 

This is not affecting me massively during the week as I'm in rush-hour traffic during a 10 mile commute so my need for 4th gear is limited. But at the weekends when we like to stretch our legs a little, it's a pain to do 60+ miles in 3rd gear.

 

I have seen 2 similar threads by Sorocco (March 2023) and Lucho (Jan 2025) and have reached out to them.

 

1. Has anyone any insight into this?
2. Can I do the work myself? Specialists who deal with Auto-boxes are (a) as rare as hens teeth and (b) not within 60 miles of me. I'm technically still a chartered engineer even though I haven't got down and dirty in many years.

 

VIN is ANH10-0195197.

Hello David, 

Welcome to the Forum.

36 minutes ago, Chippymart said:

Scrubbed washed polished inside and out total valet (knackered) but worth it. Just the head lights to do. 

Any tips? 

This was covered very recently by Monster S and/or Alphard Club, and others (including me) !

53 minutes ago, Picasso said:

I just paid 0.75p aliexpress for the same kit should be here next week 

Hi Lee,

Let me know how you get on.

At that price I'll buy a bag just in case !