2002 Diesel Excursion Problem

My 2002 Ford diesel Excursion has started sporadically stalling out while driving. It's happened to me several times in the middle of the freeway. Someimes it cranks back up immediately with one turn of the ignition and sometimes it takes quite a few turns before it catches. Once I had to coast off the freeway and turn into a parking lot and put it in park before it would start again. It will also have little sporadic hitches (usually when I first start driving) but doesn't stall.
This problem started very soon after filling up with diesel at an Exxon station (the one I usually use) so I'm wondering if it is bad gas? One diesel pump was out of diesel and closed off. I used the pump on the other side that was still open but I'm wondering, if the diesel was low, if it may have had water or some kind of crud in it?
I mixed in two cans of some kind of additive that was supposed to help if there was water in the tank but still had the sporadic problem. Then I had the air filter and fuel filter replaced and that seemed to work for a couple of weeks but the problem has started again. I only drive the Excursion about once a week on weekends so, if it was bad gas, there is still some in the tank. It's a 44 gallon tank and I had put in about 3/4 of a tank of the possible "bad" diesel - I have run it down to almost half twice and added diesel from a different station each time but I'm wondering if I'm still having residual problems from the possible bad gas? Does this sound like bad gas? Or might I have some other problem?
Sorry this is so long - any help would be appreciated.
csgant

Think "Camshaft Position Sensor". Classic failing symptoms. I just received a recall notice for this on my 2000 F-250 7.3L.

You might try pumping the fuel from tank and sell it for $3.50 a gal.
Start fresh with 5-gal only until your problem is resolved.

MCGIVER

Could be a batch of bad diesel fuel. If the tank was low where you get your fuel it could have sucked up a bunch of sediment or contaminants. I never buy gas while a tanker truck is refilling the ground tanks. Too much sediment getting moved around.

Maybe the fuel filter is clogged up again. That could have happened if you got a large amount of fuel from the bottom of the ground tank at Exxon. I would take the tank out and clean it real good. Sounds like you got a tank of fuel that was dirty.

It may also have to do wirh your spark plugs if you recently changed them to a high performance spark plug they may be letting oout more gas then the engine can handle and causeing it to fail.

if the fuel filter replacement worked for a while, i would try draining the fuel water seperator or "fuel filter" housing. if you have a 7.3L it is on the top of the engine, partly under the plastic cover(the first thing that you normally see). it is a large cylinder with a strange looking cap look around the sides and you will see a small yellow lever that turns 90 degrees. it is the only wellow lever on the whole engine so you cant go wrong, just turn it.
if you have a 6.0L it is located underneath on the frame. look under the drivers side, on the frame, mounted just forward of the transmission cross member. you will need a 6mm allen wrench(use the short end) to take the plug out and let it drain.

if you have water in the tank it may take a few times before the problem is fixed.
a cmp sensor can cause those that type of thing to happen. it might be worth checking out to see if your vehicle qualifys for the recall (replacement) of that sensor.