Rojie

Hello Sunday Welcome to the Forum.

Try reading Chris.ac There is a lot to read but he is very knowledgeable on Gen 2 and electrics.

Can't help you with the key I'm afraid. If your van was a Gen 1 I could but not a Gen 2.

Looks like a box that makes Porsche noises ! Many Alphies are upgraded by their Japanese owners. It's a Japanese thing! So it could be anything. I humbly suggest that, unless it is in the way, leave it alone; otherwise you may encounter electrical issues

And the knowledge it was going to be put to auction.

Sorry, I should have said mine is a converted vehicle.

I replied to your other thread too.

Good price. All I would suggest is you get what you pay for. However, I do think that some companies offer ridiculous prices hoping you accept. Without naming names, some offer exorbitant quotes; and of course, brokers add their margin too. When using brokers please ensure you know which company is the actual underwriter. To be honest, how much do I pay? Not sure ! About £450 for agreed value.

Hi Lee, I believe road tax is based on the year the vehicle was made, not the year it was imported. If you are paying £295 I would suggest you are paying the single fuel normal rate.

Normally your importing dealer would change these and you would never be the wiser. I am assuming you imported this Vellie yourself.

Hi Teekay, Wheel offset is important. It is a measurement relating to the distance the wheel is offset from the centre of the wheel bearing. Changing this is not to be recommended; as it changes the clearances within the wheel arch, thence bearing load. These clearances can, of course, be measured; but not while under full dynamic loads; cornering and braking especially. Therefore, you need to know the wheel offset. From memory, most Toyotas are 43mm. You must check this as my memory is not what is was!. Also rolling radius is important for all the reasons above, and the accuracy of your odometer. Ideally, the new rolling radius (and hence circumference) should be the same as your current one. There are charts available to compute these measurements on the internet. Some even identify changes in clearances within the wheel arch. I doubt any of them include our dear old Alphies though. All the above also applies when lowering (or raising) your vehicle ride height.

£426 to £465 doesn't seem excessive to me.

Yes, you do need to ensure the MOT station records the mileage as Km ! As many stations won't notice, or care !

Hello Wai, Welcome to the Forum.

Hi Wai, (pun Intended), Many owners convert to mph. But some don't, and they do pass the MOT. The only issue, in my mind, is that your indicated speed is in Kph. When driving in Spain I had a window sticker to enable rapid cross referencing. I suggest you ask you intended MOT station, just to be sure and give time to find another MOT station or convert the odometer.

Just a little short story to add. As I mentioned, I frequently travelled back and forth to the Costa Blanca. Santander to Madrid, then Alicante. Easy ! And back, easy ! 10 hour journeyeach way; which always took me longer, plus an overnight stay in Madrid. I ALWAYS worried about breaking down in the middle of nowhere ! Believe me, there is a lot of nowhere. To the point, please ensure your insurance will cover all costs to repatriate you to your home. I never had an issue; but my friend did. His experience, in detail, is a very long sad story; but, suffice to say, it cost him thousands.

Hi Steve, Welcome to the Forum.

Try eightseater.blog.com for exceptional info on the HDD unit.

Hello Theresa, Welcome to the Forum. Good to hear you are enjoying your Alpharding

I doubt it is a coolant issue, more like air in it. However, with winter approaching rebalancing the antifreeze is always a good plan.

Hello, Welcome home, safe and sound. Thanks for all your updates, not to forget the photos. I am hoping, when you get settled back into your usual routine, you can produce a synopsis for us all. I hope, if you are able, you can specify where your fuelling stations were. I feel sure this would benefit other members planning, or hoping, to make the same trip.

Hello Alan, I expect Picasso may answer this for you. Previously he has advised this can be air in the system. If it is, he is also able to provide a process to fill it properly. I feel sure the process is already on here; so if he doesn't reply you need to search the Forum thoroughly. Search box is on your home page.

Hello Frank, The real issue here is safety. Seats are crash tested in the location they are designed for; the seat chassis, I believe is part of the testing. I don't believe the middle seat will fit. I have an early swivel middle seat, don't ask why, and it is totally different to the Captains seat fitted to my facelifted Gen 1. Try North Star, IOW, for the seat swivel plate; although they may only fit, rather than supply. They are expensive. Some other companies offer universal swivel plates. Be cautious, it is my opinion that most are intended for VWs.

I now have several sets of Master keys, thanks to my auto lock smith. I don't mess with any of them. How my vendor managed to conceal the poor key from me I don't know; but there were no innards, nothing. Imagine my surprise when it worked, albeit with a smart remote attached for opening doors and the tail gate. The immobiliser chip is in the key blank. I bought mine from the internet, about £14. It MUST have the 4D67 chip in it. Your machine appears to be an early Gen 1; mine is the later Gen 1. My keys look similar to yours; but not identical. I'll send you a photo of my skeletal key ! The other recent thread that is on this subject has a photo of my complete key, the correct one from the internet.

As Chris.ac states, there are more than 1 ECU involved. It is the immobiliser bit that is tricky. I have a key without any buttons or innards, the 4D67 chip is included in the key blank (if you get the correct one) has been matched to the car. It starts the car; without ANY issues with the car. This is the key I use daily with the attached remote smart key. Timpsons did cut my key, but I had the car there to ensure the key fitted the ignition but It didn't start the car. Timpsons did not programme the immobiliser chip. I had to find an Auto Locksmith willing, and able, to do that part.