Gamith

After struggling to get my front lambda sensor out it came out with less than a full turn all told. It's difficult to see but the thread on the old one is essentially stripped and the new sensor can't get started on the thread in the exhaust manifold. I am thinking of getting a tap to cut out a decent thread but I'm not sure what size to go for - though my micrometer says 18mm on the outside (which got me to thinking that maybe it's the same size as a spark plug) so i have ordered M14, M16 and M18 intermediate taps and see which fits. Does anyone know what tap size I would need to cut the correct thread? I will give it another go this morning after changing the fuel filter (fun!) and I might pick up an 18mm spark plug to see if they can at least make a start on the knackered thread I currently have in my exhaust manifold, a replacement of which would be £1000. Hopefully someone will have an idea.

Do you need to top up the radiator? On mine I could only make out the level looking from the offside, though my reservoir may well be muckier than yours. If it stands around a lot then condensation may be the issue.

Next question - how hard should it be to remove the front lambda sensor? I managed to unplug the socket and I have a lambda sensor removal tool to like this. It seemed to start undoing fairly easily - after the first bit to break the seal of what could be 19 years of being in the same place - but after about half a turn it started being really tough to turn any more. I haven't removed any of the exhaust surround or anything else - do I need to? I wanted to check other people experiences of changing the front sensor before going too much further. Cheers.

I was given the following list of parts for my 05/2005 Alphard 2.4l: If that helps at all.

That would make the most sense - they you would have to work out which sort you need as the passenger fusebox uses a different fuse from the drivers side (at least they are on my 2005 face-lift model), but that's only an issue if you aren't aware of that when ordering. Then it's a case of the termination - though that is more a matter of convenience than anything else, and how good you are with crimping tools 🙂

Depends on what you buy. They usually come with one fuse each and you use the original fuse in the main socket. Obviously you can put whatever fuses you like in but you don't want a higher fuse rating than the original, so pairs of the same or the spur being on a lower rated fuse would be best. When choosing which fuse socket to use you need to find out what it currently powers and / or do a test to find out whether its a permanent feed, comes one with the ignition or is only on when something happens, say headlights being on.

Do you mean these? I have used similar ones to ease the load on the mess of wires behind the central console as there were items being powered from previous taps and the like so I have used them to clean things up and to have each item running off a fuse. They work fine but I have found that, depending on the fuse box, they take up room and can block off the slot next to them so some locations are better than others. You also need to work on the connections and try and get the feed shrouded - as in the picture so that you don't have a live feed floating around. Oh - just mean to add that I haven't used them for LED lights but for; GPS speedo, dashcam, USB sockets, accessory (cigarette) socket and something I have forgotten 🙂

So they are the same number?

Good evening starider - is there any chance of finding those numbers please? My 2005 failed it's pre-MoT on: Exhaust carbon monoxide content at idle exceeds manufacturers specified limits [8.2.1.2(b)] Exhaust lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits [8.2.1.2(c)] Exhaust carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds default limits [8.2.1.2(b)] I have cleaned the MAF and put come cleaner in the fuel but have yet to locate the lambda sensors. I will also be changing the fuel pump filter - are there any recommendations or ones to avoid? https://www.autodoc.co.uk/car-parts/fuel-filter-10361/toyota/alphard/alphard-ath1-mnh1-anh1/25589-2-4-anh10w shows quite a few but none are Denso. Advisories which I am less fussed about: Two tyres are close to needing replacement and one of my 5 brake lights isn't working (this is the one I know that works when I take the tailgate apart and then stops after I put it all back together again)

So far we have 'It's a little matcha candy' and 'the small characters to the left say 'Uses natural salt from Inner Mongolia' and the small text to the right say 'Hand kneading' which is probably hand made. The top middle character translates to 'Shiohara' which seems to mean 'Salt'. The lower character might be 84%? So a salty jelly chew maybe?' it seems they like salty sweets.

I was taking some pics of the driver side fuse board and something rustled behind the hinge of the storage bin, which I had taken out for ease of access - on investigation I found what I assume is a Japanese jelly sweet of some sort. So sometime between build (2005) and import (2018) someone lost a sweet and it's eventually been found. What is a little surprising is that it in all it's journeys it hadn't fallen out, as there wasn't a lot to hold it in place. I have no intention of opening it up of course but it would be interesting if someone recognised the sweet (I think I have it up the correct way). Paul

I suspect your toolkit will expand somewhat with Alphard ownership 🙂 - one of the items I have found really useful is a set of trim removers - small plastic levers that you use to remove trim, very useful for saving wear and tear on paint and the like. As for your supposed ignorance, don't worry about it, we are all in the same boat to one degree or another.

It's hard to tell from the picture with the red cable but I assume it would go into the block you are holding - is it 'live' all the time, when the key gets turned or never? A picture of the end of the block to show the connection layout may help.

There are, of course, other considerations, the newer ones don't look to have rotatable middle seats, and fewer of them - depending on model, but they have more toys. Newer vehicles will _tend_ to be in better condition and have fewer miles (KMs) on them. Newer ones are likely to have easier access to spares etc. but that is rather subjective in any case. But it's all dependant on your personal views.

And you could also do a search for breakers, though my sole experience was someone who wanted to charge the same price for a second hand bit as a new part from Japan.

I got a big box of various fixings from ebay - though I suspect aliexpress, temu, etc. will all do the same. They are especially good for ones that you will struggle to find a particular name for.

Hopefully someone will be along who can help with real knowledge 🙂

I had a quick look on Aliexpress and found some for UKP 33.29. (https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007412234497.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.53.2c180Dzy0DzyTz&algo_pvid=a0cb904f-373c-477a-9a4d-e3b932bade79&algo_exp_id=a0cb904f-373c-477a-9a4d-e3b932bade79-26&pdp_ext_f={"order"%3A"2"%2C"eval"%3A"1"}&pdp_npi=4%40dis!GBP!75.66!33.29!!!673.13!296.17!%40!12000040652898708!sea!UK!6132551462!X&curPageLogUid=EdtADpcqAOm5&utparam-url=scene%3Asearch|query_from%3A) you will want to check year and fit etc - this would be for my 05/2005 model. Downside is that they would take some time to arrive.

I would step through everything to make sue it works just to check fuses if nothing else. To my mind it sounds like a dodgy earth strap or similar but hopefully it won't reappear.

I took mine to a local locksmith (ARC in Stevenage) and they scanned my existing key to determine the frequency it used. Then I looked on ebay for fobs and key blanks that matched that frequency and buttons. There was a fair bit of faff around getting the keys programmed but the cutting went well. They needed a sort of OBD patch panel for their fob programmer to get it's expected 12v from the vehicle. But they have done it once now so when they get another 2005 Alphard it should be easier for the next person.

Yep - same light clusters as my facelifted one, though you seem to be missing the dual cameras in the front grill (not that they are of any use 🙂 and the rear wiper.

The deal with the steering wheel buttons is the small white connector that sends data / power / magic to the cruise control stalk. I'm sure someone can elucidate but asfaik it's needed.

Mine is a face-lift model and its May 2005, so yours should be a face-lift version also. One tell for the face-lift version is whether there is a second kerb-side mirror on the mirror to help with parking. there are some examples on wikipedia here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Alphard. I have successfully fitted cruise-control to mine - very straight-forward once you have taken the cover off the steering wheel, though I did get caught out by the colour of my stalk surround, I didn't realise that the first one I bought was black, rather than a grey colour. Surround - 45186-58020 Steering wheel button - 1870633-30 and a search for 'CRUISE CONTROL STALK SWICTH FIT FOR TOYOTA YARIS RAV4 LANDCRUISER PRIUS AURIS' (ebay item:184954212553) found me the stalk.

I just checked mine (a facelift 2005) and there was no illumination of the gear selector. I know there is a green LED under there so I started to pull on the housing so see what i could see and it then worked - sigh.

I am wondering whether, after almost 20 years, the alternator brushes need replacing. It looks to be part number 27370-20130 (https://www.amayama.com/en/part/toyota/2737020130). Has anyone got any experience in changing an alternator brush?