# Car Died On Highway **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** chevrolet, traverse\ **Created:** [April 12, 2018, 5:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-died-on-highway/115537 "2018-04-12T17:57:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TonyCone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@TonyCone](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TonyCone)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2018, 5:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-died-on-highway/115537/1 "2018-04-12T17:57:38Z")
I have a 2011 Chevy Traverse. We had the oil changed on 12/1/17 and at that time the car had 139,266 miles. As of yesterday the car had 146,216 miles on it. Or, 6,950 miles. Also yesterday the car died on the highway. Just flat out died. The mechanic (same who did oil change) is saying oil is empty and that engine is now frozen. Can a car that is only 7/8 years old burn through all of it’s oil in that time? There were no signs of leakage underneath (no oil in driveway) and no oil indication lights went on or even high heat indicator. The car was just in the same shop two days earlier for a power steering pump change. Is it possible something was accidentally done in that process to result in an engine freezing? ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2018, 6:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-died-on-highway/115537/2 "2018-04-12T18:32:34Z")
How often do you check your oil? Sounds like you never do. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2018, 6:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-died-on-highway/115537/3 "2018-04-12T18:41:18Z")
Five months between checking the oil and close to 7000 miles between changes makes it impossible to determine what happened, but if this is the pattern of care, it’s quite possible the engine wasn’t ever going to have a long life. ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2018, 6:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-died-on-highway/115537/4 "2018-04-12T18:46:40Z")
> [@TonyCone](#): > > Is it possible something was accidentally done in that process to result in an engine freezing? No… ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/48514_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2018, 6:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-died-on-highway/115537/5 "2018-04-12T18:49:58Z")
> [@bing](#): > > if this is the pattern of care, it’s quite possible the engine wasn’t ever going to have a long life. +1 A policy of _Laissez-faire_ may or may not work very well with governmental and economic matters, but when it comes to any mechanical device–including vehicles–it is always a disaster. ---
**Author:** ![pyrolord314](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/6a8cbe/32.png) [@pyrolord314](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pyrolord314)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2018, 7:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-died-on-highway/115537/6 "2018-04-12T19:01:30Z")
> [@TonyCone](#): > > Can a car that is only 7/8 years old burn through all of it’s oil in that time? Yes, especially if you’re not checking your oil levels regularly to make sure the crankcase is full > [@TonyCone](#): > > There were no signs of leakage underneath (no oil in driveway) It can be burned in the engine too > [@TonyCone](#): > > no oil indication lights went on or even high heat indicator. The oil indication light on most cars is for oil **pressure** not oil level (I’m unsure if yours works for level as well). Temperature gauge doesn’t show loss of oil. > [@TonyCone](#): > > Is it possible something was accidentally done in that process to result in an engine freezing? I highly doubt it (99.9% doubt it) ---
**Author:** ![lion9car](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/59ef9b/32.png) [@lion9car](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lion9car)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2018, 7:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-died-on-highway/115537/7 "2018-04-12T19:01:49Z")
> [@TonyCone](#): > > Can a car that is only 7/8 years old burn through all of it’s oil in that time? Some cars use a quart of oil per 1,000 miles, so the answer is yes. That’s why your owner’s manual tells you to check the oil frequently. ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2018, 11:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-died-on-highway/115537/8 "2018-04-12T23:19:27Z")
The shop obviously filled it with oil or you would have never made 69 miles much less 6900. If you never check the oil level then this is on you. ---
**Author:** ![Cavell](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cavell/32/43396_2.png) [@Cavell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cavell)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2018, 11:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-died-on-highway/115537/9 "2018-04-12T23:56:58Z")
how much oil was left at last oil change? if 5qts came out, than you had no oil burning issue. no oil now? maybe a big leak developed? ---
**Author:** ![vipergg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/50afbb/32.png) [@vipergg](https://community.cartalk.com/u/vipergg)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2018, 5:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-died-on-highway/115537/10 "2018-04-14T17:49:17Z")
If you do a search you will see early Traverses with that 3.6 motor had a lot of reliability issues so anything is possible. Think they have fixed most of the issues now . If I remember right one of the issues was the oil monitor system was going too long before indicating it needed an oil change and this causing internal issues on the motor . The oil should be checked every month or so . You can’t just change the oil and ignore it after that . You have little recourse in this issue from my perspective. either a replacement engine $$$$$$ or a new car also $$$$$ From a previous discussion. I just got a “Customer Satisfaction Program” letter from GM stating that GM’s 3.6 liter V6 (the engine used in the Camaro, Saturn Outlook, LaCrosse, Cadillac CTS, and several other cars) is showing premature wear of the timing chain. A quick check of the web turns up that many who own this engine are experiencing troubles all the way up to the engine fragging. GM is offering to “change the calibration of the engine control module, including the engine oil life monitor, which in most cases will recommed more frequent oil changes”.