pipsyp

Bit late to the party but my early 2008 2.4 AS had a rear view mirror. I removed it as whilst it was quite useful, asthetically I didnt like it and had a rear view camera anyway. So long as you have the right tools (notably the right size sockets, one of which has to be long reach to get to some of the bolts) it's actually not too bad a job to do, fiddly but not bad. I think it probably took me 30/40 mins to get it removed and all back together. Breaking trim clips on the boot trim is the biggest risk. Rear end looks far tidier without it, you'll just be left with a small half moon hole where the arm used to be. There are blanking covers you can get for them but they are like moon dust! As to the front wing unit, mine is in excellent condition but I find it as good as useless for helping with parking anyway, the minute it gets slightly dirty you can't see much out of it anyways. Perhaps I'm not using it properly I don't know 😆 I'd get it removed if it wasn't a quirky JDM trinket and I could be bothered to go to the cost of the bodywork involved to delete it. I expect you could source a replacement through Toyota (probably won't be cheap) or on eBay (though may be no better than what you have and/or need painting).

That's decent, a regular non-hybrid 2.4 could only dream of 40mpg! They aren't bad though given their relative size and weight.

Hi guys, Does anyone in the know, know what the part no's are for the front door outer window rubbers are (both sides)? Mine have gone rock hard and curly at the ends and cause the windows to judder most of the time when opened or closed so want to replace them (assuming they are still available). Thanks in advance!

Depends on the Alphard. I think the AH10 2.4 and 3.0's both have 70 litre tanks. The Hybrid I am not so sure on. The 2nd gen (AH20's) have a smaller tank and I think the 30's smaller still. I think last time my light came on, I managed to squeeze about 62 litres into it, which would imply the reserve is about 8 litres. Figure it's probably good for between c.20 and 40 miles depending how it's driven.

GLWT chap, I am sure it'll sell itself!

Most welcome Calvin, lights look great! Did you manage to do the rear mirror in the end? Had another thought....the scratch.....if you can get hold of some metallic black paint (same or similar) I've found really good success in placing a small amount on the tip of my finger and just running it along the scratches. Won't be perfect but it will make it a good 70/80 percent better and help take the eye away from it. A bit messy (for the hands) but might be worth a go?

Welcome Charlie! Don't despair, everything is rectifiable and as Rojie says, these vehicles as good and solid as they are, are getting on a bit so even the best ones often aren't without their occasional issue. If it's of any consolation, when I bought mine, I did so without really giving it the look over it deserves (got a bit caught up in the moment!). Whilst it was on the whole an excellent van and the sellers were v genuine, it did very quickly end up needing a new radiator and front driveshaft seal (was leaking some gear oil as well). Since sorting those issues and giving it a full service it's been good as gold however. In fact I mostly daily drive mine, and to have something that's going to be 15 next year and be turnkey reliable is quite something. Toyota's for you! If you have any particular queries just reach out on here, all a good bunch and very helpful 👍

No real cons to be honest, bar the following: They are/can be quite thirsty, particularly on A to B runs. A good motorway run at sensible speeds will see you return v high 20's/low 30's. Parts can be a challenge to source if damaged, particularly bodywork, but where there is a will there is a way. Some bits are shared with other more common EU spec Toyota vehicles so are easy enough to get through Toyota main dealers. Same goes for most minivan conversions to be honest, but just be aware with a pop top you'll get very close if not beyond the max height for alot of public car parks, so it can rather limit where you park the thing. We measured ours with a Drivelodge top (which is quite low profile) and it's about 6ft 10). The biggest pro is that the Alphard is a luxury vehicle that lends itself to conversion, whereas the Transporter (like many other camper conversions) start life as a much more basic panel van, so tend not to get anywhere near the refinement levels of the Alphard (the Alphards do also drive extremely well for their age).

The 2.4 is absolutely fine and more than enough engine for one of these IMHO. Don't discount one for what is otherwise the right van.

No worries, interestingly I think the headlamps have a bronze tint on them, so they will still retain a bronze look. You can definitely clear them up a bit though. Some decent cutting compound and elbow grease should do it 💪

Nigh on identical to my own, except mines a V, has the dark alcantara interior and has been camper converted. Looks a nice genuine vehicle, GLWTS am sure it will sell pretty quickly at that money. Note it might be worth your time and effort to pop the roof spoiler off and remove the rear mirror arm as the mirror is missing. With the right sockets and a deep socket extension not a difficult job and will look better without it 👍

Indeed part no above, any Toyota dealer can source these as they are a common part, think they are around 15 quid with VAT from memory.

I think I know what you mean..... I used to have a keyless 2017 Ford S Max that I used to be able to start, leave the vehicle with the key and lock it, so it ran and defrosted, all the while being locked and secure. I think it's about the only car I've had you could do that with. I have a 2015 keyless Hyundai Santa Fe at the moment and whilst it's possible to start the vehicle and leave with the key (at which point the car beeps externally as a reminder youve left the car on without the key with it) you cant then lock it. I think on some cars its possible to code for the remote functions to still work when the ignition is on, but I don't think the Alphard (or Toyota's in general) is one of those vehicles.

Yeah for some reason factory xenon bulbs tend to cost a fortune. Thankfully there's no need to buy them anymore as most of the companies that make the OEM bulbs (primarily Philips, Osram but also others) sell them aftermarket. I've been thinking about doing mine at some point as Xenon bulbs do age and don't burn as well as when new (so light output affected). Philips xtremevision Gen 2 are probably the way I'll go. Just have to be careful replacing bulbs pre FL Vs FL as the bulbs are different....believe pre FL (non adaptive) Xenons are D4R and the FL (adaptive) Xenons are D2S. 59 quid for a pair of bulbs is good though as that's about the price of one Philips xtremevision.

Sorry Dave, I've realised you have an AH20 (Mk2), mine is an earlier AH10 (Mk1). The AH10 definitely has illumination in the auto shifter, not sure about the AH20. I should think that it ought to, unless Toyota removed it for cost cutting! As to your other question, that's the factory light and rain sensor. Definitely don't remove that! The other little square one with etc written on it is part of the Japanese automated road toll system, that can be removed/hidden behind the roof lining. You might find some stick on antennas on either side of the front and rear screens. These are etc antennas and can also be hidden/removed.

Hi Dave, yes it is. Probably a blown bulb

Agreed, the Hybrid in full working order is quite a cool thing (and inherently 4 wheel drive) but there is alot more to go wrong with it Vs a regular 2.4, which if you get a good one it's a fairly bombproof motor. Probably fair to say much of the economy gain is probably offset by the extra weight of the hybrid gear, likewise performance. The 2.4 is actually a great thing, naturally the V6 offers more (and more effortless) performance, but it's a nice, torquey motor, doesn't mind revving and actually delivers quite a surprising turn of pace if you rev it out/use the gears and that's coming from someone who likes cars and has owned/driven a few half quick ones. To bumble about in it's also quiet and pleasant - suits the relaxed gait of the vehicle perfectly (it handles tidily, but the steering is like a buses and it's certainly no performance car). Urban MPG is a bit garbage but on a motorway run it'll achieve 30mpg which is impressive given its size. They also run great on E10 fuel (from personal experience), so no worries there either. As to some points to think about....... Get a facelift Alphard it possible, particularly anything 2007 onwards as the 2.4 engine received some mods around then which make it more reliable (they can be known for burning oil). If you cant find one privately, look to a specialist importer. My vehicle came from Stuart Spencer Autos (SS Autos), whilst I bought mine privately the previous owners purchased the vehicle through them and had them camper convert it and had a very good experience so figure that's worth mentioning. Most specialists will also fully service, Clean MOT and underseal the vehicle so you know you are getting as close to an A1 vehicle mechanically as you can get that way. Anything you get, ensure the following: That you do a CarVX report on it, so you can see its history prior to being imported, also the report will contain details of its import sheet identifying its spec, grade etc and will also serve to verify the mileage it came into the country with. The better importers will convert the clocks to miles and MPH and perform mileage correction (which should come with a BIMTA certificate) but the export KM mileage and BIMTA mileage should largely marry up. Mine retained the 180kmh clock, but reads in MPH, as does the mileage in the digital ODO. Some don't do this and just change the dial face, so it techically reads MPH, but clocks mileage in KMs still. Completely depends on importer. The car may not come with any service history from Japan. This isn't unusual and isn't reason to be deterred from buying. The Japanese are all pretty fesidious with maintaining vehicles (and they need to for their vehicle inspections which I gather are far stricter than UK MOT's) and if it comes in as a high grade (3.5/4) you shouldn't be concerned. Make sure everything on it works, particularly the Xenon headlamps, and power doors/tailgate if it has them. Not a major drama but it can be a bit of a pain and expense to fix these if they don't work. The level sensors can fail on the Xenons, and the door motors do eventually go (the motors go, or the cables snap one or other) but all fixable. Ensure the Takada passenger airbag recall was carried out. I'm not aware of an imported vehicle that hasn't had it done yet but it's a possibility. There is a link to the Japan Toyota website on here somewhere where you can check this against the VIN. Note these often come in with their factory Japanese spec CD/MD/Nav/TV double din head units. The language on some of the buttons is in Japanese and I believe its not possible to change the user language on the unit either. Also without an FM band expander it won't pick up much FM radio. Most importers resort to fitting a double din touchscreen unit of some sort to get around this, and can be done so that things like the factory steering controls and reversing camera are retained. Some functionality is no doubt lost (I believe the factory head unit can be used to alter some vehicle settings, trip computer perhaps). If going down the conversion route I can tell you...... A decent van fresh imported will be 8.5/9.5k there or there abouts. To then do a conversion (rear kitchen (sink, hob, fridge freezer) pop top, 12v electrics and mains hook up, you are looking about same again. I know all this as I am fortunate enough to have all the purchase and conversion invoices from the previous owner (original importer). When I see similar vehicles being sold well in excess of 20k it stings knowing this, so just be mindful of this if you end up buying a converted vehicle. Alot to take in but hope it helps!!

Sorry to hear this, this is highly unusual as the chain really (with regular oil changes and ensuring the oil level is kept above min) should probably outlive the car assuming everything else is well. Possible the tensioner has started to fail, or the oil level has run low at some point preventing the tensioner from doing its job properly (sure they are probably oil fed) leading to the chain stretching. Suggest finding a good independent garage to do the job, you may also find buying the parts from Toyota the easiest thing as whilst many main dealers won't/don't like to work on Alphards, their parts depts won't have issues sourcing parts for you....particularly given that engine is in other vehicles like Camry's and Previa's (which have been available in the UK). Their prices also often aren't as silly as you'd think they'd be and it's often the case you buy cheap, you buy twice particularly with something so important. I'm not from the area but these guys might be worth a look? https://www.toyo-tech.co.uk/

DAB service is pretty mixed across the UK anyway TBF. You'll most likely find if you spend alot of your time in the sticks, by the coast or somewhere where there is alot of hills/inclines that there really is no such thing as good DAB. I've had factory DAB in numerous cars and they've been just as flakey/willing to flick to FM where possible. I think a roof mounted antenna can definitely help as it will no doubt help you capture every last bit of signal, but again you can't manufacture signal.....if it's bad in an area, your service will be bad (just perhaps a little less so) regardless of the antenna type. I'm of the mind that it's more down to the quality of the film antenna you buy, and how it's mounted that makes a difference (with some caveats). I'd suggest.... Buy branded.....i.e if you have a Pioneer head unit, buy a Pioneer antenna. If not just buy a good known brand. Not all film antennas are equal for sure. Make sure it's installed correctly, by that I mean: Correct orientation (vertical, doesn't matter if pointing up or down) Is properly earthed to the A pillar Is powered/active (most are and can be powered directly by the headunit, rather than a dedicated 12v feed). Is installed leaving some reasonable gap between the antenna and top of windscreen Main caveat is don't bother with one if you have a polarised or heated screen, complete waste of time.

I'm tempted to give 99 a go on my 2.4 and see if it makes much difference on the next tank. Mine seems to run just fine on E10, though I do nearly always use branded (Texaco) fuel and not any old carp. I think it's much the case that E10 won't be damaging, but you'll probably get a little more power and smoothness from showing it the higher octane stuff. I had a 2005 Audi A3 2.0 FSi previously and that was one of only two engines in the VAG range that didn't properly support E10, not because it wouldn't run on it but it would eventually destroy the HPFP on it as Ethanol was corrosive to it. That said whilst I always ran it on 99 I know for a fact it was run on any old carp for years and never showed a problem so I do suspect some of its manufacturers just back covering.

Sorry you're right! I knew it was CC based but was completely wrong with my figures (other than the over 1.6). DVLA don't make it overly clear/well publicise any of that info as far as I can tell (had a good scour of the internet and not much info...what there was, really was varied!)

Be something pretty wrong if they did! All the same happier that my car lived nowhere near Fukushima 🙂

Sorry my bad it is 325 per year! 2 litre and below it's quite a bit less (around half that).

I thought it was something like this too, though believe it's dependant on it being under or over 2 litres and is a fixed price (though no doubt goes up a bit year on year). Technically therefore a 2.4 and 3.0 Alphard costs the same to tax. I recall being surprised at the cost of the tax when I bought the vehicle....wasn't that high (I want to say 225 for the year).

Mine has a very nice Pioneer Double DIN fitted, wireless carplay/android auto, DAB, Bluetooth, works with the factory steering wheel controls and reversing camera. Can't fault it at all really, bar the fact the head unit was hideously expensive and super glad someone else had it done! Agree with the others tho, the factory headunit is a bit limited as most of the buttons are marked in Japanese and I don't think it's possible to set it to English at all. Also as others mentioned without a band expander fitted the FM radio likely won't work properly, so you'll be left with CD and MD players which I guess also have limited use nowadays. I'd go with getting that unit fitted, but if you play CDs at all then you'll probably want something with a CD player. I agree about CarVX as well, a really useful service. As with most imports despite being Grade 4 mine didn't come over here with any real past history (despite obviously being very well maintained and cared for), so I didn't know where in Japan it came from, whether the mileage correction on the BIMTA certificate married up with its export mileage and also didn't have the auction sheet or photos. Admittedly some of it may have been lost or not passed on by previous keepers but such is life. For the sake of 20 quid, I now have proof the car came from Osaka (so nowhere near Fukushima - but I believe it's a Japanese legal requirement that they have to be tested for contamination before export anyway), went through two MLIT tests, was a high grade import (I was told it was a 3 or 3.5 most likely by the original keepers, it was better than that) and had no other known issues. Great thing to have if you ever want to sell the thing on as proof of provenance.