Gamith

>On the first cold reading you did, was the engine running? No, it had been cold for sometime - I think I used it the day before. I did the engine dip stick and then the transmission. hence my surprise at the level. If I get a chance tomorrow I will do another dip test and then take it for a drive and see what the reading is after that.

>The COLD level reads between 1 and 2 for min / max, and HOT is between 3 and 4 for min / max again. Wow - those are really tight limits and that is, indeed, a lot of expansion! I have done a 'cold' check already but the picture shoes the 'level' was above 4, so that would indicate that either the transmission is seriously over-filled, or the dip stick is picking up a lot of oil on it's journey into and out of the dip tube.

As far as i know (and I could well be wrong here) there isn't a VIN number as such, look for the frame number, the easy way is to find a sticker on the passenger side door frame. The number will be something like 'ANH10-1234567'. That is what is used on my V5 (well not that exact one but you know what I mean). This can also be found on the CarVX report as the Chassis number. It should be repeated in another location that is more difficult to get to, so that people can't remove or alter it. I think it might be under a panel in front of the drivers seat but I can't recall where I saw that. Ah here is a video -

Hi Katt, Unless the spark plug is giving issues* it doesn't need changing I would say. Long-term you will need to get it sorted, I would wait for a quiet time and spray a penetrating oil around the stuck plug and leave it for a day or so. Depending on which one it is you can try loosening it yourself or take it to a garage. Leaving it at the garage for a few days so they can work on it with no rush might be a good idea, as the right tools need to be used else you risk rounding the plugs nut. I have found a video on the internet that goes through the process ( The head gasket is a replaceable item but it is a lot of work (see ) which equates to a lot of money so don't be too frightened of that outcome. Some good prep and getting someone competent and patient should get the job done. I hope this helps. * get a JOBD compatible OBD reader and check for any existing codes - clear them and then see if they come back. if the engine light comes on you will be able to determine whether it's the ignition system or not and, if it is, whether that particular spark plug is the issue.

I would mention amayama.com as they are good for finding the part you need. The downside is the wait but once you know the part number you can look elsewhere.

>Did you know that the engine has to be running when checking the auto transmission fluid leve No, but I assumed it was a little more complicated so I was fishing for some help - thank you Neville So am I correct in assuming that: when cold the level should be no less than (1) and no greater than (3) when hot the level should be no less than (2) and no greater than (4) ----v---v------------------------------v---v-------------------------- | 1 2 3 4 handle --> ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ? And what is considered a good 'run' to get the transmission up to temperature? I am hoping that 10 to 20 mins of fairly 'on the level' driving would be enough, but I would be interested in hearing peoples opinions. Cheers all.

Cool - sounds as though you have found the source. So I would say it would be worth downloading / installing the latest iGO maps onto that card and see whether the maps load. there are various sites that appear if you do a web search. It _could_ be that it knows it's outside of the area of the maps it currently has, so fails to load the map of course. Good luck.

I thought I would check the levels of the two dipsticks today, both on a cold engine, and, while I am happy with the engine oil level the other one (gearbox I assume) is a bit more difficult to read. Engine dipstick - engine cold. Transmission dipstick - cold. There are 4 marks, two at the 'low' and two at the 'full' I take it for granted that I should have warmed up both (then leaving for at least 5 mins) before taking the reading but my question is more about what I should expect. Strangely I can't find any info in the manual for this dipstick. Thanking you in anticipation.

Sorry - meant to reply. I am running Linux and I didn't get a warning, sorry if this causes anyone issues.

Is there a slot behind the SD/RST button by any chance? Have you tried prising open the GPS/USB button, bottom-left - that also looks like it has a bit more clearance than the other buttons Aside from that I would pull out the dash and take a look at the back (and bottom, top and sides) to see if there is a slot there. There may well be USB ports there also for you to plug in leads or devices, such as a hard-drive or USB stick. Another option is to look in the 'Setup' menu and see if there is a 'Path to Maps' or similar as that may give you as clue as to where it is trying to look.

Ok - do a search for carsbrella and see if it comes up - oh it looks like they have a facebook page, though it's in Malaysian maybe?

The nav maps could (should?) be on an SD card, either full sized or micro Maybe it has been removed or needs to be pushed back in? Depending on the age of the maps you can easily update them, once you have found the correct version and image of course. Obviously your system may vary and it very much depends on the head unit - on mine I have circled the microSD card.

Link removed to to potential malware. do a search for 'carsbrella' instead.

Yes, you are correct - it's 150A alternators for yours. These are the numbers to look for: From: (https://www.amayama.com/en/genuine-catalogs/epc/toyota-japan/alphard/ANH20W/40416/engine/1903) I have done a search on Autodoc for those: 27060-28340 -- https://www.autodoc.co.uk/cv-psh/14434388 27060-28341 -- https://www.autodoc.co.uk/denso/13673415 Surprisingly the Denso one is the cheaper of the two. Anyway, you know what to look for now - you can get 2nd hand ones from ebay if you like but I would suggest that if you are planning on keeping the Alphard for some time then getting quality parts (Denso is considered quality) is worthwhile. Good luck.

Yes - if you don't already have it you will need the model info on the sticker on the passenger door frame and the manufactured date to make sure you are looking at the right parts. I find Amayama really handy as you can click on an area in the picture and it will show the part (together with the cost - which can be scary!) that you selected.

>Can anyone confirm whether this is the same as in theirs? The alternator on my 05/2005 should be a 130A one so that's correct. (https://www.amayama.com/en/genuine-catalogs/epc/toyota-japan/alphard/ANH10W/36377/engine/1903)

I would recommend finding an auto-electrician and get a diagnostic, hopefully you will get a good idea of what the issue(s) could be. After all you may have: a constant drain due to something that has been added incorrectly, a faulty earth, a sensor that's reporting incorrectly who knows. I once has an alternator (or was it a dynamo?) that had a damaged diode so that it was putting out 12v but at half the amps needed. I was able to solder a repair on that one, but cars were simpler then.

I have tried this and came a cropper - I now have a missing bulb and holder inside the side panel somewhere. I was able to get the cover off but I was trying to release the bulb and managed to unclip it - when it then disappeared into the depths. I then undid the mounting to understand how it goes together - which is what I should have done first. So now I need to find a twist mount for the bulb I was going to put in. It seems the best / only approach is to unhook the surround from the interior panel by levering at the end that doesn't have the hook (which can be seen at the top in 'Extracted-Bulb-holder.jpg') and then removing the twist holder and replacing the bulb that way. I hope the pictures help someone.

I use amayama to find a part and then trawl autodoc, ebay and others to find equivalent parts, though it must be said I am trying to avoid non-original parts. Depending on the part there are also Alphards being scrapped, so that's another route. You can also contact your local Toyota dealer to see whether they can help, though they can be expensive and take time - you never know, you might get lucky.

The quickest / easiest would be to build a wooden 'garage' frame around it and attach tarpaulin to the frame, leaving a 'door' for access. Of course you might want something prettier, but the Alphard is a big vehicle so you are going to end up with something quite substantial regardless. You could look at something line this: https://www.eurocarparts.com/p/maypole-ducato-boxer-grey-camper-van-cover-551771830 but keeping a fabric touching the paint for an extended period is likely to encourage mildew etc. There are carports like this: https://jp.pinterest.com/pin/564427765777282932/ Portable garages like this: https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/592012313506850024/ But in each case you would need to make sure they will fit. This is a cover for a Alpahard AH30 but there is no picture: https://www.stormcarcovers.co.uk/collections/toyota/products/toyota-car-covers-1?variant=43611580203225 Auto express did a review of car covers: https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/product-group-tests/99656/best-outdoor-car-covers

I went to the Toyota dealership in Letchworth, Hertfordshire, and was asking about whether they were willing to work on an imported 2005 Alphard and they (the service manager) said it wouldn't be a problem. I haven't taken them up on their offer yet but it's good to know that they aren't immediately responding with a 'No'.

Taking a look at a few pictures I can see that the middle of the third row has an extra headrest, though the seat can't be that comfortable and I can't see a seat belt for it. Maybe its a tax thing in Japan and they count headrests as seats? I can see why someone might assume there are 7 seats though.

The OBD tool will need to support JOBD as its a version that looks to be specific to Japan, so don't be surprised if you don't get any readings from it. There is at least one post talking about compatible OBD tools, so could well be worth finding that. Oh and yes it was using more fuel as the engine thought it was running lean and kept on putting more fuel in the mix. Anyway I cleaned the MAF, which made no difference, and then replaced the sensor, which was a pain as the previous person had broken the thread and I had to get a new tap and die (M18 x1.5) to cut the thread out again.

Once a tow bar has been fitted the swing-out bike carriers are probably worth a look for the convenience - something like this: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/146405918601?campid=5338947459&mkevt=1&mkcid=1&toolid=10050&customid=&mkrid=710-53481-19255-0&campid=5338947459&mkevt=1&mkcid=1&toolid=10050&customid=5431a58eeed41782dca2c27c286ba243&mkrid=710-53481-19255-0&msclkid=5431a58eeed41782dca2c27c286ba243 which avoids having to unload the bikes when opening the tailgate. Of course you could always access the back of the van using the sliding door I guess.

Mine was in need of a replacement Fuel Oxygen sensor, the front one in the exhaust manifold. If you have an OBD reader it might help, my code was a P0171 system too lean (Bank 1). It would drive for a while with no light and then come on. There was a distinct smell of petrol from the exhaust.