Auto Parts: 2000 Mazda B2500, head bolts, crank sensor

Question
What would make a 2000 Mazda B2500 with standard transmission die while driving.  The day before it died, when pushed the gas it lost power.  This had not happened before and it was okay after that until it just died while I was driving down the road.

Answer
    There are all sorts of things that might make an engine suddenly die.  First thing to check is that the fuses and relays connected to the ECM are all OK.  Does it still start when cold then die while driving or is it now permanently on the fritz?  If it still doesn't work then you need to check the old Fuel-Air-Spark trio.  Go into the air cleaner assemble and make sure that it is not obstructed.  Crank the motor a few times and then check the fuel pressure.  There is a little valve on the fuel rail that looks like a tire valve.  If you push down the pintle in the center of the valve, just like you were letting air out of a tire, fuel should squirt out under pressure.  If it doesn't, then the pump isn't working and that needs to be diagnosed.  It could be a fuse, a relay, or the pump itself.  If you've got fuel pressure then you need to check the spark.  Pull a wire from one of the plugs and stick a plastic-handled screwdriver up into the boot.  Hold the shaft of the screwdriver next to one of the head bolts and have someone crank the engine.  You should see a bright blue spark jump from the screwdriver to the engine.  If you don't get that, then the ignition system is at fault.  In this case it could be the crank sensor, the coil pack, or the ECM (which controls everything).  If you've got all three, and the engine still doesn't want to run, there may be a problem with the injector drivers in the ECM.  I would get a pro to diagnose that possibility.  Throwing money at a complex problem like that could cost a lot before it is fixed.  A pro can scan the whole system and isolate the problem quickly.