smurf

There is no official way of disabling the passenger airbag that I have been able to find.

If you are handy with electrics and happy to research, it would be possible to install a switch into the circuit to the airbag, but it can't just switch out the loop as it will put on the airbag light. It needs to disconnect the airbag and switch in a resistor so that the ECU thinks the airbag is still there. As to the value of the resistor required, I've no idea, so that is where the research is needed. 

Is the temperature control flap moving?

This video will help to locate it 

It is strange that Adrian Flux said they didn't know what an Alphard is as many owners, myself included, are insured with them.

All you need to do is switch off the courtesy lights via the switch on the overhead light in the front of the car.

The gen 2 hybrid is a much improved version of the type over the gen 1. More resilient hybrid components, more powerful, and more economical. £12k would possibly get one. 

As regards hybrid battery repair, they aren't as fragile as people fear and you are actually in exactly the right part of the country if you were to have any hybrid issues as one of the most highly regarded repairer is based in the South West and travels all over to repair hybrids, including Alphards. https://www.hybridrepairservice.co.uk

I think I read somewhere recently about a mention of a Torsen diff being an option, so they might be a rare beast. 

It will probably be in a container and on its way to Africa for a new life, sadly. 

I have a 2003 hybrid camper conversion with about 80000km under it's belt. 12km/l is similar to what I have achieved recently when driving about unladen on mostly motorway journeys. I tend to stick at about 60mph (100kmh) on the motorway. 

Have you looked into doing a battery refresh? Basically the battery is very slowly charged above normal and then slowly discharged, before repeating. 

Very common on Prius, and many other hybrids. I did it a few years ago on a Honda CRZ and got a huge amount of battery capacity back.

One of the downsides to owning an import is the parts situation. Some garages simply aren't interested in doing work on them because they can't consult any information that gives times for jobs, like they can with cars sold here, and they can't just give their parts supplier a registration number and get the part same day.

Finding a garage to do the work is half the battle, and you've got that far. It may be far simpler for you and the garage if you just source the parts they say they need and save them the hassle that they probably don't want. Brake consumables are readily available online, including reputable names and OEM.

I don't think there are any UK market Toyota's that share brake parts with early Alphards/Vellfires, but others may know for sure. I've just googled the Toyota part number for front pads for my 2003 hybrid, and the only hits were for the Alphard and Estima.

The dust is just a cosmetic issue as the alloys get dustier quicker than normal.

Greenstuff pads will probably make a small improvement to braking efficiency, but they do create a lot more brake dust. 

If it exists, it will probably be somewhere on the website linked here 

It isn't easy to say without truly knowing how your brakes are performing, but I think you will find that this is just the way they are, and you aren't the first to comment on it.

I can certainly sympathise as I have become used to cars with brakes that are very strong with little pedal pressure, and find braking in the Alphard reminds more of cars of old. Gentle pressure does very little, I've found, and I've got a hybrid that also has the advantage of regenerative braking at the same time. 

No it isn't. All Alphards are Euro 4 compliant, but earlier vehicles need the certificate of conformity from Japan to prove it to the DVLA, who will then update the information to make it ULEZ compliant. 

Loads of people have done it, but one example is here in the forum 

You get the Certificate of Conformity from here: https://japaninspection.org/certificate-of-conformity-coc/

Once you have that, you provide it to the DVLA and they will update your V5 to have ULEZ compliance. Having an LPG conversion doesn't make a difference either way. 

The rubber cover came out very easily. It is held in place by a couple of clips, one at each end. These clips are held in the gutter with adhesive pads and also need removing, but they can be easily levered out.

I used sikaflex 522 adhesive.

I had to drill a hole to accommodate the self tapper. It's only purpose was to hold the rail in place on the curved front end while the sealant went off, so you may find an alternative method could work.

The rail has had some use this summer, and at time we were being battered by high winds, but the rail hasn't budged one bit. 

I find I need to give the edge of the bed a shove with my knees as I pull on the cord. This helps with the initial lift, and once it has been raised up a few inches it then easily pulls upright with the cord.

If you are finding it difficult to get it all the way back into position then the runners may need a bit of lubrication to help it to move freely. 

Approx £600 from AliExpress. See the most recent posts on this thread - 

A bit closer than London, but still not local

https://www.facebook.com/100083159659072/posts/pfbid0jkFsojFALTHuiyhXs7z6BLrFH4X6FYsN88wSWBuoV7zmmz7yvGWrQ7iF9xjUEfBGl/?app=fbl

It isn't possible to get a regas without a pressure test as it a requirement of how the machines work. The machine removes the gas and oil, puts the system under vacuum, and waits. If it loses vacuum it will not put gas back in. This is to stop the unnecessary release of refrigerants into the atmosphere. 

If you put the heater temp to max it should drive the flap all the way in one direction. If you then put the temp to LO, it should drive the flap completely in the other direction. If it is doing this, and you still don't get cold air on LO, there is something else going on. 

If the heater doesn't work until you raise it to 25 Deg then it sounds like your heater flap isn't working. 

Have a look at this thread...

Is the heater flap moving? It is located on the driver side of the centre console down at feet level. 

Lots of people have used him. I've only read good stuff, so you should get a reliable diagnosis. 

There are some voltage or current transducers (I can't remember which) within the inverter that can break and are very inexpensive to buy and easy to replace. Other than that, inverters are expensive. £5k brand new, probably upwards of £1k second hand. Batteries aren't necessarily that expensive to repair if you know what you are doing. 

Removing all the hybrid running gear would be an epic task, and I doubt worth the effort over just buying a non hybrid Alphard. It would need a complete engine and gearbox, and all the associated ECUs. There is also the motor generator that is part of the rear axle. Then god knows how many other tentacles going through all the other systems in the car. Not a conversion for the faint hearted. 

The DVLA will not hand out previous keeper information to the general public anymore, and previous keeper details haven't been included in the V5 for a number of years now.