Engine shuts off while driving without warning?

Hi All!
I`m sad to report a few weeks ago my Ford just suddenly stopped running again (early June, 2020) while driving easily (then it restarted normally), this happening several months after replacing the alternator with a rebuilt Motorcraft unit. The car was not being driven much otherwise I suspect the stop would have happened sooner. My guess is a bad connection somewhere in the electrical system. I plan on keeping the car till next year and for now will drive it locally and be aware of the issue, and it will be replaced in 2021.

Thanks for all the comments!
Tom

Hi Ken.

Thanks for the suggestion to replace the MAF. It looks like an easy part replacement so I have ordered an exact replacement part that should arrive in a few days. The issue with the car has been frustrating and if the part fixes the problem it will take a while to know and some apprehensive driving wondering if the car is going to suddenly stop. I will definitely update with what happens.
Thanks again,
Tom

Okay.
I`ve replaced the MAF sensor and I will report back on how the car does regarding sudden stopping.

One question, I noticed that someone left the air intake box top section out of place, and one of the clamps is missing a piece. I placed the air intake box top section back into place over the bottom (holds the air filter) and I`m using the one clamp. Could having the air intake being (partially) unfiltered caused an issue with the MAF sensor? I will look to replace/repair the bad clamp.

Tom

Okay, here is a video of my car and air box. I guess I should always look the car over after a repair. It starts fine and all seems Okay, should I get the air box clamp before driving it any? It still closes fairly well with just the one clamp. Seems I will need to find this part online or in a salvage yard.

9/16/2020 - It has been a good while since I replaced the MAF in my 2005 Ford Explorer, and as it turned out it has been driven much more than expected this summer. But I am very pleased to report that the vehicle has not shut itself off once during this time. I did secure the air box together with wire ties until I can find one for the missing clip. I may never know for 100% the MAF was causing the engine-shut-off problem but it sure seems that way now.

Thanks for all the helpful input!
Tom

This vehicle runs well and has plenty of power, but occasionally the engine will just die. It can happen at 10 mph or 60 mph. It will crank back up and run. Appears to be an intermittent problem. Pulled two codes from the computer:
P1633 KAM (Keep Alive Memory) Voltage Too Low
P0462 Fuel Level Sensor Low Input

I don't know that these codes have anything to do with the problem we're having with the vehicle. I've checked some of the simple stuff like making sure there is plenty of fuel in the tank, and I checked the battery voltage (a good 12.6 volts).

What do you think?

Ken, thank you for your answer. It was informative and incredibly detailed. Your answer jogged my memory of a 1997 Ford Explorer I owned. It would put me down occasionally, and I found quite by accident that by twisting the wiring going to the crank position sensor, I could start the car and get it going again. Based on your answer and on my past experience (this vehicle didn't struggle to run nor did it run poorly before stalling; it just stopped dead in it's tracks), I took a chance and replaced the crank position sensor (just under $20 at O'Reilly Auto Parts). I am still test driving it and haven't had a problem yet. Time will tell.
Underneath all the fancy electronics, engines still need a spark, adequate fuel delivery, decent compression, and correct timing to run. A spark tester confirmed that the ignition was at least firing. No Schrader valve on the fuel rail, so I skipped this test, and I decided that the compression and engine timing were fine (the car runs so well). I'm basically taking a shot in the dark since I don't have complete diagnostics to back up my repair actions. I also cleaned up some of the grounds including the body to frame ground straps.

Recently my Explorer stalled on the highway while we were driving. It seemed as if the security light lit up and then the dash board lit up followed by the engine cutting off. We had to coast to a stop and then started the truck up again right away. The following day, the same thing happened but this time the Explorer would not start again. We had it towed to our Ford dealership where they hooked it up to a computer but it showed their were no issues. We then took it to another mechanic and they could not diagnose using the computer either. There is something wrong but the dealership nor another mechanic could not diagnose. Do you have any ideas on what this problem could be? Is this a common issue you may have heard of?

I wanted to add that we can drive the car from anywhere between 1/2 - 1 hour before the car stalls. Its happened about 3 times now. Do you still believe its the crankshaft or could it be something else?

My explorer v-8 will start but does not stay running. There is no Schrader valve anywhere to test pressure. Not sure what to do