Rojie

Hello Molly, Welcome to the Forum. Is this a problem on a vehicle you have just bought, or a new problem on a vehicle you have had for some time? Is your starter battery in tip-top condition ?

Hello Dean, I'm sure Picasso will answer this asap.

Hello Billy, Welcome to the Forum.

I believe mine is plastic, the rest of the 'wood' trim certainly is.

Wishing all Club Members a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year for 2025. HAPPY ALPHARDING and CAMPARDING.

Thank you for this update.

Good approach. I have another vehicle on which the starting could be marginal; but the vehicle ran OK otherwise. Eventually, despite knowing the battery was (showing) fully charged I still had charging issues. I went to Kwik Fit for a (free) battery test; result was a low performing cell but only on cold cranking. I fitted new battery; result ? No issues.

Hello Jonathan, Welcome to the Forum

Hello, Welcome to the Forum.

I'm sorry. I mis-read your question. No front two-wheel drive vehicle will need a differential in the rear. They do mean a 4wd. I assume this is because the 4wd machines are sensitive to tread wear and grip on all four wheels. Uneven tyre sizes and wear can lead to the wheel speed sensors reporting issues when there are none.

Members should be aware that hybridrepairservice,co.uk/ has previously objected to less that favourable comments on this forum, and some comments were removed. As a consequence, any future negative reviews will also be removed as this forum is in the public domain. Notwithstanding that, there have been many favourable reports about the effectivity of services provided. However, it is true to say that true 'experts' in the maintenance/repair of hybrid vehicle battery systems are few and hard to find. Imho, the Exeter facility is well worth an enquiry, but he is very busy, at times, as Hybrid the version of the Alphard / Vellfire becomes ever more popular.

No. It does not have a LSD or need one. Although, one was available as an option on some models. What do you mean ? Spare tyre ? Your spare tyre under the boot floor ? Yes, of course, subject to its condition. A spare tyre mounted on the tailgate ? Yes, subject to how it is safely and securely mounted. Although I am not aware of any retail hardware to achieve this.

Hello Daron, Picasso, not Picassio, is an expert on these JPNZ manuals. Unfortunately, there are no decent Workshop Manuals available. I have heard that some are available in the Russian language, but since the invasion of Ukraine even those are unavailable due to sanctions on communication channels. Should you find one, please post a link on this Forum for the benefit of all Club members.

Hello Greg, Welcome from afar to the Forum. Check your 'mood' lighting is switched off. It is very easy to leave it on low, which will not be noticeable unless pitch dark. Get a smart charger and ensure you keep your battery fully charged at all times (especially when your winter months arrive). Some, mine, will indicate a faulty alternator too. Even a new battery will need toping up if your journeys are all short, so the purchase of a charger is an investment, not an expense.

Thanks to Rachael, I think Road Tax will soar for most road users. Perhaps she will be taxing cyclists next !

Hello Shaun, Welcome to the Forum. Don't you have a three way switch near the rear view mirror? I haven't checked mine though !

I had considered doing something very similar. I have a CTEK smart charger that comes with a set of small crocodile clips that do have a detachable lead. If the crocodile leads are detached a set of leads with 'washers' attached (that will pass over bolts attached to the battery) can be attached. So, the plan was to attach the washer leads to the leisure battery, and use the croc leads to charge the starter battery when necessary. The washer leads would connect to the CTEK via an EHU and mains outlets in the van. I am ashamed to say, I never got around to the washer leads being attached to leisure battery. Maybe in spring !

Hello Matt, Welcome to the Forum. Thank you for the update. Please provide more info for members and customers if, and when, you get any.

If you use jump leads you will still need to fully charge both batteries, so quite a long run will be needed, or a very long charge, preferably with a smart charger. It is likely that you will need to 'reset' the windows, and maybe the moon roof if you have one.

Hello Jilly, Welcome to the Forum. Getting parts for an Alphard can present problems. Picasso, here on the forum will provide part numbers for your vehicle, and often where to buy them. Body panels can be tricky, and expensive; although available from overseas shipping can be horrendous. Before buying any Alphie make sure you know where you can get it serviced properly. Good Luck

Hi again, I started to do some research on these superchargers despite, what I believe, will be very limited interest from (UK) owners (even excluding the cost of parts). Most of the kits I found were of 2015 ilk, or so. Possibly of use to you, but maybe not with your much more recent power plant. During a very quick search, none that I found, seem to offer alternate pistons to produce a lower (non-boosted) compression ratio. I guess with present day electronics pre-ignition could be avoided. We all know that Alphies and Vellfires are very popular in Japan, and there must be many 'customizers'. (Check Amayama). I am sure HKS are a very competent and reputable producer; but what I did notice (in the HKS literature) is Toyota will not work on modified cars, and I expect after-market modification will invalidate all warranty claims; possibly important to you with such a recently made vehicle. As I say, I have a factory supercharger fitted to one of my vehicles. It transforms the car from a limousine to a racer by simple use of the right toe. It also has Brembo brakes, very wide tyres, rear wheel drive, a limited slip differential, uprated suspension all round and is low to the ground. It runs about 400 bhp and 400 ft/lbs stock. It is very quick when not in the usual casual limousine mode. My Alphard has none of these features (but is top heavy when cornering), but still provides a very comfortable limousine experience. So Good Luck with your quest. Please let us all know how you satisfied you become, if you proceed. Respectfully.

Chris.ac produced a definitive bulb list to the Alphie. Your may wish to check his topics (there are quite a few !).

A jolt ? Have you driven automatics before ? Most automatics will produce a (small) 'jolt' when initially shifted into drive as the auto-transmission loads up ready to move off. Keep the footbrake in until you are ready to move off. They will also move (settle) forward or backward (depending on the slope) a little when parking up unless you apply the footbrake first. It really depends on the magnitude of your jolt whether you have a problem, or, more likely, everything is OK.

Nice suggestion.

You have my entire admiration for even tackling this job (especially in your somewhat remote location).