Rojie

7 minutes ago, EaglEye said:

 

Ok

I found what it was

It's an 'Automatic High-beam System'

 

😝 😝 😝

These are the drawings I found !

But didn't have the mrs. phone to translate.

Well done for finding it.

1 minute ago, Rojie said:

 

My guess is, my guess is wrong !

 

I found it on an obscure EPC drawing, but there is no description. 

I am left wondering whether it is a sensor/camera for the pre collision system ?

I believe the PCS are rare, if that is what it is !

There is no mention of an auto dimming mirror in my Owners Manual, which is for the earlier Gen 1 models.

I also assume that any auto dimming mirror will need a 12 volt feed, so you will need to wire that into the headlining

12 minutes ago, Rojie said:

 

I'll take a look at the EPC.

 

Does the camera/sensor appear to be an OEM fit ? Professional ?

Or does it appear as an aftermarket part.

 

My guess it is a dashcam.

My guess is, my guess is wrong !

I found it an an obscure EPC drawing, but there is no description.

I am left wondering whether it is a sensor/camera for the pre collision system ?

I believe the PCS are rare, if that is what it is !

2 hours ago, EaglEye said:

It *may* be, but I can't be certain.. 

The one with the sensor thingy is from a 2012 3.5 GGH20W

The one without is from 2013 2.4 ANH20W

I'll take a look at the EPC.

Does the camera/sensor appear to be an OEM fit ? Professional ?

Or does it appear as an aftermarket part.

My guess it is a dashcam.

21 minutes ago, EaglEye said:

Hi guys~~

I'm looking to get an auto-dimming rear view mirror..

and came across different ones..

 

One with what looks like a sensor on the back of the mirror (or a camera??), and one without..

 

Can anyone tell me what is actually is please??

 

Thanks~

On 3/31/2022 at 4:51 PM, Chris.ac said:

https://pivotjp.com/product/3da/3da-t.html

(open link in chrome and it will auto translate to english)

 

I see this device, can be purchased for about £150.

 

From what I understand from the manuals, this device sits between the regular cruise control and the ecu, it can use the existing control stalk to control it, and allows you to set the cruise control up to 86mph.

 

It also incorporates a throttle response controller to set how 'eco' or 'sporty' your throttle is under foot.

 

Its quite expensive, but if people are looking for a way to partially unlock the cruise control speed limiter (68mph - 118kph as standard) AND add a means to tune their throttle response, this may be a good compromise, rather than going the hacked ecu route!

 

Anyone have any thoughts or experience? this is a toyota specific model, which means plug and play, I can see wiring harnesses listed for 10 and 20 series vehicles.

 

 

Hi Chris,

I just checked the vehicle lists, missed them before, and the Series 10 does not seem to be listed in the harness lists.

2 hours ago, TommyTinsel said:

I'm looking for a set of seat rails to explore a thought.

 

I don't want to risk cutting up the ones I have in the van. Rails from the rear of a 7 or an 8 seater 2002 to 2007 Would work. 

 

Has anyone got anything ? Happy to pay and collect if localish to Bath or could arrange courier and a payment into a bank account if further afield. 

 

Thanks 

Hello Tommy,

Welcome to the Forum.

The seat rails in the 7 and 8 seaters are different.

Most are the same.

I'll PM you.

Oddcouple may have some.

2 hours ago, drahpla said:

I do actually have a front camera, but it was part of an extensive aftermarket Japanese audio system, which I've removed. I've yet to either a; find the camera wire, b; install the new head unit I've bought, or c; figure out how I might make the front camera work with the headunit once I do install it. On the old system it had a switch that could bring the front camera in at any time.

Please share with us the make and model of your new head unit.

13 minutes ago, drahpla said:

Having only front corner parking sensors and relying on that bizarre little mirror thingy to see if you're going to hit something at the front seems, well, a bit silly!  Is it possible to get proper sensor coverage at the front by buying 2 more sensors, mounting them either side of the number plate, and wiring them in parallel with the others?

I assume you do not have the option with the three front cameras

Because  if you do, that and the front sonar should be adequate, but only adequate.

Should be able to get a set from Halfords, or similar.

Whether you can buy two more sensors and wire them in parallel ?

If you go that route that us all know how you progress.

Good luck.

13 hours ago, Chris.ac said:

a novel solution, well done.

I want to go one step further, have an external connector in the front grill, that I can plug into, even better if I can modify the alphard logo to flip up, use a standard EV charging socket.

 

Then, you could sneakily park in EV spots and plug in ( obviously it would not actually be a live connection from the EV charger to your car). have some animated red light near the charging socket to fool the casual observer that you are actually charging.

A sneaky EV sticker on the back (Easily purchasable) and bobs your uncle, an actual external socket you can use to jumpstart or trickle charge, plus the ability to use larger parking spots if not scrutinised too closely!!!!!

 

WHat do you think!!

Hi Chris,

Do EV chargers charge at 12v ?

All my machines are petrol, so I would not know yet.

3 hours ago, OldWellhouse said:

Seeing the mentioned issues with the gas struts on tailgates I'd be cautious. Maybe it's possible to get more heavy duty struts though, they seem relatively cheap on Ali Express. 

Be cautious with rear struts from AliExpress; especially if you are increasing the load they have to lift.

I bought some for my MZ G Edition, electric tailgate.

The ones I bought, knowingly were Gen 2; I have a Gen 1 !

They didn't fit. My fault.

I will say they looked fit for purpose, and other members have fitted them successfully.

There is a large letter printed on the OEM parts.

That is the type number, be careful you get the correct one.

OEM ones are expensive.

There is a UK company that I started to work with, but I decided not to continue.

I think there are back boxes that fit on a tow bar, if you have one.

I would not try to fit a back box to the actual tailgate, but that is just me being cautious.

Good Luck

4 hours ago, justin_n said:

Hi, 

 

I'm new to the forum and would like to know which Alphard variant I should be trying to find. 

 

Which is the most reliable and best fuel consumption. There is the 2.4, 3.0 and which generation before 2009 or after 2009? 90% of the time this will be used as a family car doing short runs.

 

My budget is max £10k. I am looking for a comfy 7 seater Toyota.

 

 

 

Also I previously owned a Hilux 3.0d4d auto. Does an Alphard have similar reliability?

 

 

thank you

Hi Justin,

Welcome to the Forum.

What is known as the Gen 1 ran from 2003 to July 2008, with a facelifted upgrade in 2005.

Several cosmetic changes were implemented. The gearbox of the 3 litre was increased from 4 to 5 speeds.

I think the 2.4 remained 4 speed.

Gen 2 from 2008 to 2015 is a very similar vehicle but with different body panels, seats and larger engines.

I believe there was a facelift in 2011.

Seven seaters are available in both models.

There are not many Gen 3 vehicles around yet, so my comments do not refer to that model.

Being a Toyota, all Alphards and Vellfires, imho, are equally reliable. Whether that is better, or worst, than a Hilux I have no idea !

At your budget you should have a large choice of Gen 1 vans, and some early Gen 2 ones too (just).

There are all petrol, no diesels. Quiet and vibration free (almost).

I feel sure you'll receive many other opinions from experienced users.

Good Luck.

The only concern some owners have about the 3 litre V6 is the cams are belt driven. The other engines are chain driven

7 hours ago, Ian24 said:

All done, absolutely stunning job.😎😊

Beautiful. Well worth the wait.

7 hours ago, Alphard Club said:

Wow thats amazing job, also cool to see 3 rear seats, given me an idea now

 

Also, i had this idea of keeping the sunroof and adding a poptop without cutting the roof. use the sunroof to gain access.. wonder if that would work??

Great idea.

I guess it depends how strong the roof area is around the moon roof.

Not designed to bear the localised weight but certainly designed to protect the occupants in an rollover accident

Please send me a PM and I'll give you the contact details of the convertor I use, and recommend wholehaertedly.

He has fitted many pop tops, several different brands too.

I feel sure he could help you decide.

Sorry, but he won't be able to actually do the work as he is far too busy !!

1 hour ago, starider said:

Hi,

When our Alphard is not used for a period of time, especially during winter months, there is always a little concern about the battery discharging, so as all our farm machinery is individually connected [via a cigarette lighter socket] to a 1.5amp trickle charger, which keeps the batteries topped up when the machines are not in use, I have decided to fit a socket in the Alphard. The lighter socket fitted as standard only works with the ignition on, so I have fitted a socket in the drop down pocket to the right of the steering wheel and connected to the battery via an extra fuse box.

Toolstation can supply the charger.

I have 6 chargers around and just switch them on occasionally for a few days.

Hi Starider,

I bought a new charger recently as my then current (pun intended) one had been used by Henry Ford !

Having done some research, as we all do, I discovered my main battery is a Lead Calcium variety.

Those, according to what I was able to discover, require a higher output voltage from the charger, otherwise they will never reach full charge (which may, or may not, be of concern).

Accordingly, my lastest new charger outputs a significantly higher voltage than the more usual chargers.

I have also been thinking of winter charging.

I intend to fit the new charger in the van, plug into my EHU and keep the leisure battery topped up.

Thereby the van will be on constant trickle charge.

Actually, I need to check, I think the charger turns itself off after 10 days; so I need to be careful.

As you and I have a similar model, I have also been thinking of fitting a cigarette socket (fused but not wired through the ignition) to power another charger powered by another EHU socket ( I have 5 !). I also have several cigarette sockets but the are all wired across the leisure battery.

Accordingly, I could charge both batteries independently, all for the cost of another charger, without touching either set of battery terminals.

Plug in to the EHU and go.

This technique will also automatically operate when hooked up to an EHU at campsite (or anywhere with 230v).

Great minds ....

Food for Thought.

If I am overlooking anything, please let me know before I smoke something !

6 minutes ago, Alphard Club said:

Rather than posting it externally we can create an Common FAQ section, something i have been meaning to do for a while and is on my mind to do soon as well as guides section for questions just like this.

Thanks, Alphard Club,  for looking into this suggestion by Teekay.

29 minutes ago, Lucky87 said:

 

I was as surprised as you are.

 

Method was:
I collected the vehicle from seller on 12th April and filled the tank from empty to the brim with the supreme fuel which cost me £107 Approx. I recorded the mileage (km) at the filling station. 
 

When the tank was between a third and a half full I topped it up (to the brim again) with 33.2 litres of the low grade fuel. (The km had gone up by 268km) Therefore indicating I had used 33.2 litres of the E5 since filling up the first time. 

 

I then used the second batch of fuel (which would have been a mix of the two - roughly 60% E10 to 40% E5)

 

I then filled up the vehicle a third time, this time when the light came on the vehicle took 60.9 litres to refill and I had driven a further 272km since fill up number 2. 
 

I was very surprised by the results, I did use the air con slightly more in the second period and I was driving more frequent short journeys as opposed to the first time.  
 

I drive minibuses frequently as part of my job and have been trained to be very light footed on the gas/brakes. My style of driving could be described as a snail on Valium.

 

This being said I really noticed the difference between the two fuels, the vehicle purred and drove beautifully on the supreme, it felt like acceleration was slightly more erratic and the engine felt like it wasn’t as smooth on the E10. 

I have now refuelled with E5 and will repeat the process.  I am unsure if Esso in Cornwall sell 97 Octane or 99 Octane fuel but whatever it was it ran beautifully. 
 

This third time I filled up with 97 Octane E5 from Texaco. Unfortunately the closest Esso from where I live is 25 miles away.  I will definitely fill up there again if I am in that area though. 

Small point for your awareness.

As I have previously posted elsewhere on the Forum, most E5 sold in England has no ethanol.

However, almost certainly, Cornish E5 does !

1 hour ago, Torq2u said:

Jenny asked about tailgate AND sliding doors.

 

I am interested in what to use to lubricate the doors which could be running more smoothly than they are - and so maybe overloading the motor? I think grease could collect dirt and clog the sliders up. So, silicone spray or WD40?

 

I used silicone spray on my tailgate struts and that cured the squeaking.

I don't believe my door slides need lubricating; but I am very interested in any suggestions for when they do.

The garage that services one od my cars uses white grease on door hinges etc.

It makes a real mess !!!

Hello Heather,

Welcome to the Forum.

Do you mean you cannot shift the gear shift except into the drive position, and then there is no movement of the vehicle.

This might be one for picasso

Please send him a PM if he doesn't reply to this thread.

2 hours ago, Thys said:

2007

3l v6 G model 

Mostly urban on cornish lanes

A very disappointing 😔 18mpg. I use E5 and E10 

T

 

Hi Thys,

You have a 5 speed auto; so I doubt you ever get into 5th gear !

32 minutes ago, R4v3n said:

Well economy is a question of price for 100km (or for 60 miles in your case). And fuel price is a question of taxes.
Ecology is another problem. E85 is emitting way less co² than any other fuel, but is emitting a bit more HC than regular (but it's still nothing compared to diesel).

BTW, E85 is very interesting for racing thanks to his burning temperature and his knock resistance.

Forgive me, but what is E85, 85 Octane ?

If E85 is what I think it is, 85 per cent ethanol, my guess is unless you have a drag racer, you have no need for it.

2 hours ago, R4v3n said:

Oh ok, I understand so.
Living in France, the majority of our highways are limited to 81 mph, so consumption is way higher.

As other members have said, the way to economy is 60mph.

Unless doing vast distances, and France is a large country, extra journey time is significantly compensated for by increased economy.

Especially for us pensioners !

32 minutes ago, Teekay said:

Issue is date of manufacture is not on auction sheet. So I'm not sure how to find out.

 

Also dvla want some BIMTA certificate - not sure what that involves. Might have to look up / call them.

No it isn't !

So either the DVLA has access to a 'Japanese' database, or as the delay between manufacture and registration is normally quite short; maybe they just ignore the difference.

I don't know. Interesting.

I assume you are importing your vehicle yourself ?

You need advice from someone that has done it before.

BIMTA, I believe, is a mileage certification. I don't know, but should, where they are created.

Hopefully someone on this Forum will help you

35 minutes ago, Teekay said:

Thanks Rojie. Hard to find this detail online.

Car from Japan Google.

Good site.

7 minutes ago, starider said:

Hi, Just had 4 days away on the Caravan and Motorhome Club's excellent site at Merrose Farm near St Mawes, Cornwall. All went very well,the awning worked a treat and made us realise that an electric air pump would be a pointless expense, as the hand pump supplied with the awning is perfectly adequate. The magnetic awning rail worked quite well,but we're considering a fixed rail.

All in all an enjoyable mini break!

 

 

 

 

 

River Fal. Very nice.