Recent posts

#81

General Car Banter / Re: What Did You Do To Your Ca...

Last post by Blueprint - Nov 18, 2025, 08:28 AM

she just loves all Subarus

It's not too late to find another wife...

 

Hey, I like Subarus too !!

#82

Off-Topic / Re: Things that make you sad, ...

Last post by Tortoise - Nov 18, 2025, 07:54 AM

At least it's a good one!

I definitely feel your pain. I hadn't stocked up, so I grabbed a bottle of Elijah Craig when I was in Saskatchewan. 

While there are some good Canadian whiskeys, they can't match the value of US bourbon. 

#83

Off-Topic / Things that make you sad, angr...

Last post by Gurgie - Nov 17, 2025, 08:28 PM

Reviving an oldie but a goodie thread from the old Autos forum.

Cracked open my last bottle of bourbon this evening. Been mainly drinking Canadian whiskey since the LCBO took the US booze off the shelves, but had a craving this evening. Hopefully this tariff war ends soon, or the LCBO decides to sell off their stock soon before it goes bad. Heck, it's paid for & why not recoup the money. I'll be in Alberta in February, so a couple bottles might come home with me.

#84

Show and Shine / Re: The Mighty Highlander

Last post by Tortoise - Nov 17, 2025, 07:25 PM

One thing that has been bugging me.  I've been doing annual oil changes on the HL, which has worked out to 10,000 km.  It doesn't get used much, but a mix of trips to the ski hill, running around town, towing the boat (~1000 lbs) camping. 

Always used a good synthetic and high quality filter.

Could this have contributed to the leak?  Or is it just luck of the draw at this age?

#85

Show and Shine / Re: The Mighty Highlander

Last post by Tortoise - Nov 17, 2025, 02:22 PM

If you think it still has life left in it and you have no desire to replace then it's likely worth putting 2-3k into to repair.

Another point of view, it gives you an opportunity to upgrade.

It definitely has some life left in it, but it's by no means mint. If this leak hadn't started I was going to deal with a rear suspension clunk, rear brakes and a new windshield.  The body is in decent shape but there's some rust here and there. 

And, and upgrade would be nice.

How many kilometres on it?

We just took in on trade a wicked clean '04 Highlander with, wait for it, 462,000KM. Zero rust and the thing is in insanely good shape. I have really started to appreciate these things.

245k km. I also really appreciate these things, they are super solid, relatively simple, and go about their business in an easy manner.

I learned a thing or two about these recently. I got a 2002 on trade, owner said it was leaking oil and the valve guides were shot, it had 267,000 km. If it sat longer than 20 minutes a massive smoke plume would occur at start. Upon some research, I unplugged the PCV at the rear valve cover and the smoke never happened again. The rear valve cover needed replacement, not the pcv. The insides had gummed up preventing the system from working properly. The oil leak also disappeared (it was minor but present). Interestingly, none of this made the vehicle unsellable on a retail level (body/underside/interior all in great shape) What broke this Camel was the manual heater control unit was shot. Seems common and the reason why good working heater controls are impossible to find or super expensive.

If it is your rear main, I know these bring decent money at auction 

Good insights.  FYI, the issue with the manual heater control is a nut behind the temperature knob comes loose, so you end up twisting the whole assembly and something breaks.  When I bought it I reached out to Johngenx who mentioned I should have a look at it. Sure enough, mine was loose. I tightened it, and it's been fine since.

About the auction values, I presume interest falls for older east coast cars that have lived in a salt belt.

Just fix it, $2K is like 2-3 months payment on something newer. Even if you decide you want to upgrade, once it's repaired you'll probably get $4-5K for it and more than recoup your money, vs trying to sell it with a big oil leak, you're going to have a much tougher time.

My shop figured it would be more than $2k, so say $2500.  I was also going to put a grand into it to get us another year or two. I agree the leak will make it harder to sell, but there might be someone mechanically inclined out there who would be willing to take on the repair. One nice thing is that I have all the service records since new.

I'm still driving it, but parking over a piece of cardboard.  I think I'll swap the PCV valve.  It seems easy and cheap enough.

#86

General Car Banter / Re: What Did You Do To Your Ca...

Last post by Oliver - Nov 17, 2025, 01:12 PM

she just loves all Subarus

It's not too late to find another wife...

 

#87

Show and Shine / Re: The Mighty Highlander

Last post by Firm - Nov 17, 2025, 04:32 AM

Just fix it, $2K is like 2-3 months payment on something newer. Even if you decide you want to upgrade, once it's repaired you'll probably get $4-5K for it and more than recoup your money, vs trying to sell it with a big oil leak, you're going to have a much tougher time.

#88

Show and Shine / Re: The Mighty Highlander

Last post by Revelations - Nov 16, 2025, 10:16 PM

I learned a thing or two about these recently. I got a 2002 on trade, owner said it was leaking oil and the valve guides were shot, it had 267,000 km. If it sat longer than 20 minutes a massive smoke plume would occur at start. Upon some research, I unplugged the PCV at the rear valve cover and the smoke never happened again. The rear valve cover needed replacement, not the pcv. The insides had gummed up preventing the system from working properly. The oil leak also disappeared (it was minor but present). Interestingly, none of this made the vehicle unsellable on a retail level (body/underside/interior all in great shape) What broke this Camel was the manual heater control unit was shot. Seems common and the reason why good working heater controls are impossible to find or super expensive.

If it is your rear main, I know these bring decent money at auction 

#89

General Car Banter / Re: What Did You Do To Your Ca...

Last post by TheHire - Nov 16, 2025, 06:53 PM

she just loves all Subarus

It's not too late to find another wife...

#90

Show and Shine / Re: The Mighty Highlander

Last post by TheHire - Nov 16, 2025, 06:52 PM

How many kilometres on it?

We just took in on trade a wicked clean '04 Highlander with, wait for it, 462,000KM. Zero rust and the thing is in insanely good shape. I have really started to appreciate these things.