Laurence

Possibly using a temporary power supply via the obd socket would maintain the ecu memory while the battery is changed.

I got fog light replacements for the reflectors in the rear "bumper" panel, from Amazon for less than £20 if I remember correctly. They have two light levels so appear to be stop / tail lights but by selecting the stop light connection, they make a good fog light.

I have been driving automatics for about 35 years now. Occasionally when I drive a manual I forget and wonder why it's not changing gear itself!! I always park in the same place on a virtually level drive. I'm inclined to think the last two replies are hitting the nail on the head. It's quite possible I have let it roll forward in park before applying the parking break and then selected drive with the transmission under tension. It's only happened 3 or 4 times in just over a year. Many thanks everyone. I will make a conscious effort to do things in the right order.

A few times I've had a jolt from the transmission when I first take it out of park after starting up. After the initial jolt everything is fine. It's probably after the car has been unused for a week or so. Has anyone else experienced this?

It seems there are number of different original head unit options. My 2011 Alphard had a Panasonic head unit fitted as original and the only rear connector that I have been able to match up with the wiring diagrams or anything else is the FM aerial connector. All the others seem to be unique to that particular unit. To fit a Pioneer head unit I am having to run new cables and cut wires from the original plugs where I have been able to identify them.

I'm getting a little confused. Can you clarify for me. The blue plug I pulled out of the IPA ECU, is that the input from just the rear camera or all four cameras? It looks like the adapter connects to the removed cable with the blue plug, but I'm thinking it should be a video output from the ECU that needs to go to the head unit. I hope that makes sense.

Unfortunately I don't have any matching connectors at the head unit so presumably I would need to run a phono from under the seat up to the dash.

Nothing under the driver's seat except lots of lovely storage space and these two boxes that I have no idea what they are. I wonder if the unused connector, top right of the top pic, is for a sub?

Is this the same blue plug from the rear camera? Connects into the IPA ECU under the passenger seat. Is there an adapter to feed all four cameras into the phono input of the head unit? I assume the IPA just sends one picture to be displayed ont the head unit (Pioneer in my case).

Hi. It was manufactured late 2011, november I believe. The head unit only has a cd player, no mini disc. I wasn't aware of the sub under the drivers seat, I will have a search there. Everything else you have described about the speakers matches up. I have now fitted the 'In car tech' amp bypass cable and run in the ISO speaker cable to the head unit. I'm now running a small copex conduit to the back for the new camera cable and a power cable in the rear. I've got it as far as the back of the side door. Getting there in small steps as time and weather allows. Many thanks for your help.

Those connections are identical to mine. It has been a bit of a nightmare trying to replace that head unit with a Pioneer one. I have identified some connections. I have to go out soon but will post a fuller acount of what I have discovered, later today.

I have discovered a Panasonic amplifier under the front passenger seat as in the attached pic. Does anyone recognise it and know if the Alphard amplifier bypass cables available online will fit this particular amplifier? The Panasonic head unit has a very odd assortment of connectors that don't match anything I've found published. The vehicle has 8 speakers in the dash, doors and rear side panels and a central grill in the dash top. None at a higher level as I believe is the arrangment in the 16 speaker vertion. I had been under the impression that the 8 speaker system didn't have a separate amplifier. There is also a box of electronics on the inner side of the space under the seat, below a smaller blue box with Toyota on it (pic attached). Could this be associated with the audio system too? Lastly, just out of curiosity, while installing the antennas, I spotted an orange plug with a semi circular yellow label around it, under the left hand dash panel. Is it a fan? Many thanks.

Many thanks.

Hi, Can anyone offer advice on the easiest way to replace the rear wiper blade? Looks impossible with it hidden away in the spoiler and it always self parks.

Do all Alphards have the speaker grill in the centre of the dash, under the windscreen even if they have the 8 speaker system, ie no extra amplifiers? I have the centre dash grill but I can only see 8 speaker grills along the sides, fairly low down. There are none on the roof. I have a plug from the origional head unit with four pairs of wires. I get approx. 8 Megs resistance across each pair, any ideas anyone what they could be?