david

I have lost the pop out cover that sits in the spoiler over the top brake light. Having trouble sourcing a replacement. Any ideas? Thanks, Dave

thanks graeme, job for the weekend.

2003 Alphard. Was getting intermittent beepings from my nearside rear parking sensor. On investigation found it hanging by it's cables. Thought I would just reach up and pop it back in but can't get my hand more than half way up the gap behind the bumper. Any ideas anyone? Maybe there is a way at it through the back door or perhaps the rear bumper can be disassembled? Any information gratefully received.

Took my 2003 Alphard in for repairs yesterday. It needed new front bumper and wing. First place I went to for quotes gave the sharp intake of breath and the "Gonna have problems sourcing spares Sir, they'll probably write it off". Second place, Premier Motors, a Ford dealership said "That's no problem Sir. We're dealing with Alphards all the time. We just order up the spares from Japan and they're here in a couple of weeks. Quicker than some UK suppliers" The bill was about £3,500 (about £4,500 with the courtesy car)and is being paid for by third party's insurers. No quibbles.

Had a bumper to bumper knock with an old dear who forgot to give way to the right while I was on a mini roundabout. Irreparable damage to front bumper assembly. She has admitted liability but is very keen to avoid insurance involvement. I'm happy to go along with that and try to save her hassle for years to come. Also I know the right people to get the bodywork done. However, can't seem to source a replacement bumper assembly complete for a 2003 Alphard. Only ones I can find are in a really bad condition. Anyone know where I could get hold of a half decent replacement? Thanks, Dave.

Took the cowling off underneath the steering wheel and discovered just by chance that if I jiggled the wiring loom leading to the immobiliser then she would fire up. Aha! I thought, dodgy connection, how am I going to find out which of the wires was the culprit.(Auto electrics are a complete mystery to me!) Then I saw that one of the wires had previously been cut and a connector spliced in. Replaced it with a new connector and haven't had any problems since, although I wonder why the wire had been cut and jointed in the first place? Still not 100% convinced the problem has gone away for ever but I guess time will tell. Thanks for your input. Dave

Hi All, I would like to visit an old mate in Antwerp driving my 2003 petrol Alphard through Eurotunnel.. If I stay out of city centres do I have to worry about low emission zones through France and Belgium Thanks, Dave.

That's very interesting Terry, but can you give me a clue what chip I would need for a 2002 2.4 Petrol Alphard. Don't really want to start taking my one and only key to pieces to investigate. Thanks, Dave.

Thanks All. Job for the weekend.

Hello All, Sure this will have been covered before but can't find it. I was fitting a band expander to my 2002 Alphard radio (which works just fine now) but of course I dropped the shift lock button into the bowels of the centre console. Any videos online or any tips on how the heck I can get at it? The console seems pretty bullet proof. Cheers, Dave.

Thanks Guys, really helpful info. Since it's in my nature to avoid any kind of decision making I will do as Rojie does and use E5 when available and E10 when not!

I have a 2003 Alphard Friend of mine tells me that using E10 will cause huge problems because of high ethanol content. It's getting dificult to find E5 fuel on the Island. Are the warnings about using E10 on an older petrol vehicle justified? Could I use E10 with an additive of some sort? Sure this has been discussed before but my mate has really put the wind up me with his horror stories! Thanks, Dave.

Thanks Andrew, really helpful.

I've had to source a replacement side mirror for my black Alphard, but of course not the right colour. Money is v tight at the moment so, could I spray it myself with a decernt quality can of auto spray paint? Anything I should be aware of?

Sometimes my 2005 Alphard just will not start. Ignition lights everything up and engine cranks and cranks but it just wont fire. Go back 15 minutes later and she will start in an instant! That's if I haven't flattened the battery! Have tried touching throttle and not touching throttle doesn't seem to make any difference. Can you still flood engines these days? Could it be my battery? Even with the battery fully charged could it be lacking some punch? Any ideas?

Very occaisionally my Alphard will not start. All electrics are live and engine cranks but will not fire as if no fuel getting through. I have discovered that if I put gear into Neutral it starts OK! Is there a Park/Neutral safety start issue here? Anyone else had this problem? Thanks, Dave.

Thanks so much. That's really helpful.

My Alphard has the original Japanese radio/cd player. I have fitted a band expander and can get UK channels but reception is very poor, Is there an aerial signal booster available? Or better still, can anyone recommenf a replacement double din UK unit that will go in without too much trouble. Nothing fancy, no sat nav required but Bluetooth I guess. I'd be very grateful to hear from anyone who has had experience of this. Cheers, Dave. Hi again. Just seen this advertised for £180 which seems very cheap! Is it compatible with the Alphard, the ISO wiring harness for example? XTRONS Double 2 DIN 6.2 Inches HD Touchscreen Car Stereo DVD GPS Navi Player with Screen Mirroring Function

Thanks Patrick, I'll give them a call.

I have just acquired a 2005 Alphard and love it. However, the van came with only one key which is falling into pieces. Where and how can I get hold of a new key and get it programmed, or if that's not possible can I just get a new shell complete to drop the old guts into. I'd be grateful for any info. Dave.