1995 F150 4x4
302

Posting here about a problem that has me a bit baffled. Yesterday I turned onto a busy street at rush hour and the truck completely died before I could complete the turn. No warning of any kind. A kind person towed me into a Walgreen's parking lot where I was eventually towed home.
Looks like the water pump and/or seal has failed, as there was a lot of coolant running from directly beneath it. Nothing leaking at the firewall area or anywhere else that I can see. It's been leaking for a while. I have been monitoring it...topping it off once a week...so I was not shocked to see what I observed yesterday.
What does have me baffled is why the truck just died suddenly. I'm guessing that coolant may have gotten onto something electrical...(maybe a sensor?)...created a short that made the truck instantly quit running.
After the first hour of my 3-hr wait for the tow, I turned the key and it started. I thought about trying to drive the 2 miles home, but decided to stay put and shut her down.
Any thoughts on what might have happened here? I'm probably going to install a new water pump today or tomorrow.

 

The first guess would be the PIP sensor in your distributor is failing. It's common for the PIP sensor to die and revive. It could possibly be the coil.

 

so does it run currently? pull codes and check fuel pressure.

 

I haven't started it since after it was towed into the parking lot yesterday. Not much left in the battery then. I've got it charging now.

PIP is a possibility. I had some issues with the truck not starting obout a month ago. An intermittent thing. I replaced plug wires, cap, rotor button and ignition coil. None of that changed anything. Fuel pressure fine. But after a week the problem stopped and hasn't returned.

I guess because of all the coolant leakage I saw, I was thinking that the problem yesterday was somehow related to that. Maybe it's just a coincidence. I have never had this truck just go deader-than-a-doornail while driving.