Truck shuts off
 

My husband was sitting in line at a drive thru last week and his truck shut off. He had to push it to a parking place because it would not start back. He messed with the battery cables and it started only to die when he put it in reverse. It did start right back and he drove it 25 miles home and then to a mechanic who said it was 3 quarts low on oil. He added oil and said it was fine so my husband drove it back and forth to work all week with no problems (90 miles a day) only to get in it Fri and it wouldn't start. He had to have it towed home. It's a 1998 with a little over 200,000 miles, has a rebuilt transmission, but has never had any problems. The mechanic put it on the computer, but said since my husband had messed with the battery cables (taken them loose), it would have messed up the computer reading so it didn't read anything worng. Any ideas....please!

If the mechanic got it at a point when it would not start, then he should be able to find out why easily. Disconnecting the battery cables clears the codes, but if it will not start then you don't need the codes to get it running.

200,000 miles on it? I think if it can be started and running there may be a code in there. I dont know the car but if the timing chain has never been replaced there can be issues with the timing. Possibly CKP sensor. Could be spark problem, ICM, or distributor(if it has one). Could be a fuel pump problem, lack of delivery. Temperature control issue, ECT solenoid, low coolant level, coolant leaks. With 200,000 miles on it all these are viable routes to peruse. We dont know what has been replaced to start ruling stuff out, but the guy you had it towed to will do the same procedure to rule out one factor or another.

this is easy to start with 1st does the battery have power to start it? 2 nd is the starter get this power? will it turn over ? 3rd do u have spark and fuel? give me answers to this i can help. codes wont help if it does not start.