Patent ID: 8468989

Claim:
A method for operating a camshaft phaser in an internal combustion engine, said camshaft phaser being provided for controlling the phase relationship between a crankshaft and a camshaft of said internal combustion engine, said camshaft phaser being provided with an oil control valve have having a spool disposed in a spool housing for controlling said camshaft phaser and having a supply port for receiving pressurized oil from said internal combustion engine, said method comprising: determining that said internal combustion engine will be placed in an automatic stop mode; controlling said camshaft phaser to establish a predetermined phase relationship between said crankshaft and said camshaft after said determining step; placing said internal combustion engine in said automatic stop mode after said positioning step; and maintaining said predetermined phase relationship by substantially blocking oil flow between said camshaft phaser and said internal combustion engine through said supply port.