Back about 3 or 4 months ago, when I stopped, the truck died. Started back up again with no problem, didn't do it again. I was stopped at an angle...not quite 45 degrees, but close. I was between half and a quarter tank. I thought it was the fuel sloshing forward enough that it didn't flow enough to keep the engine running. It started up again with no problem. I thought it was just one of those things.

Last week it did it twice in one day. The two times it did it, the truck was in park, engine running. Each time it started up again with no problem. The next day I think it did it once. I was thinking maybe it was water in the gas. But other than that, it ran fine. Yesterday I sat in the McDonald's drive through for at least 10 minutes, no problems at all.
Today it did it at least 6 or 7 times. Sometimes it would do it when I had stopped, still in gear. Once or twice it did it with the engine running, truck in park. Each time it restarted with no problem. One time when I got out I left the engine running...just to see if it would die or not. It did not die, but the CEL was on. I could tell, even before the CEL came on that it wasn't running smoothly. I get home and check the codes. I got a P0012...cam shaft position IIRC. I cleared the code to see if it would come back, it didn't come back. Went to get a prescription at the drive through at Walgreens. Sat there for a good 15 minutes. It idled fine, no code.

I checked a code P0012 and causes of it. I've always used Motorcraft oil, always used the weight of oil that is on the oil cap, never let the truck get too far below 50% on the oil life meter...I think it got down to 45% once before I could get around to getting it changed. I checked the oil level, full. The oil is not old or burnt. The truck only has about 55K miles on it, I wouldn't think sludge had built up that much in 55K miles.

So the question is, what could be causing the P0012 code? Bad sensor? Before I got the P0012 code I was thinking it might be the IAC.

2016 V8 just under 55K miles.

 

I think there's a separate code for sensor failure. P0012 points more towards the mechanical function of cam phaser timing over retarded, solenoid sticking open or a binding of the phaser according to the description of the code. You say the oil looks good? How long since last change? Not being an expert I think I would change the oil ASAP and see if it clears up which is all I could do myself but it's worth a chance.

 

I can't say right off how long. I looked for the window sticker the oil change place uses and it isn't there...it usually falls off. IIRC, sometime around the end of Nov or first part of Dec. I put close to 25K miles a year on it. I do it at 50% oil life, which is about every 5K miles give or take. At 25K a year it doesn't take long to go through 5K miles...every two and a half to three months. It does need one...it's at 48%.

The oil doesn't look brand new, but it's still noticeably brown. It looks okay by my eye.

I took it for a drive...actually intended to get the oil changed. The oil change place was full, I'll get to it in the morning. All told, drove for at least 20 minutes, got out at Autozone, sat in a drive through to get a burger, drove it up and down two steep hills to work the engine good....nothing. No stutter, no idle problem, no CEL. I'll still get the oil changed in the morning...I needed to do that anyway.

 

It did it twice today. CEL never came on, but it did die twice.