Sounds like you are well on your way to getting to the source of the problem. Hang in there and let us know how it all turns out.

 

Oil in the plug wells is usually caused by gasket #3 failing or being misaligned. If you're going to replace gasket #3, also replace gasket #2. Short term (or cheap out) you can soak up the oil and see how long it takes to fill back up.

 

I have my kitty car back!!

Between you all and the fantastic Tom doing all the work, my baby is purring again.

So, as mentioned above, oil everywhere in the plugs. (Ergh.) He replaced the gaskets, the plugs, two coils, a pcv valve of some kind, something about a tube for water and an o-ring he had to go to Jaguar for, and also discovered my water pump was leaking, so he replaced that as well. Do I feel like the world's worst car owner? (Spoiler alert: I do.)

From the very start at getting her back, I can definitely feel and hear a difference, and she's driving beautifully again.

Thank you all SO much for all the help!!

 

Glad to hear you are finally back up and running. For all the time it took and frustration, I bet it is now all forgotten when you get in the car and it drives like new again. Makes you remember how much you liked it. Enjoy.

 

Great news - it sounds like you did it right.
I don't think you did anything to cause these problems. Things wear out. You should now get many miles with minimal engine problems.

The next thing to worry about would be the coolant overflow tank (adjust the clamp on the nipple by the firewall so the ears don't point up towards the hood, causing a crack there) and possibly some of the hoses. Just check them occasionally.

 

+1 that you're back on the road and running smoothly again. As Craig says, everything you fixed is common maintenance with age and mileage, not neglect.

In addition to the coolant level in the reservoir, also keep an eye the tires, or have the alignment checked. As the suspension wears, the rear tires lean in at the top ever slow slightly, causing the inner tread to wear out after only ~20-25 Kmiles. Fortunately, Thermo has a simply, inexpensive solution, here: https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...rol-arm-88530/

 

Again, thank you all. When I login not from my phone out make sure to read again all the information and links. this forum has truly been an incredible help.

But uhm. Sigh. P1638 Is new, and the search function isn't working very well on my phone at the moment with the fourm. Is this related?

It's the second every time I've seen it, it pops up right after my dash sort of… Bricks. Everything zeros out and I had a hard time starting her after. Anti theft blink blinked. Now that blasted check engine light is back boooooo. The only thread I could find for my phone mentioned the battery, and my battery is brand-new. Also drove kitty car for over 60 miles yesterday.

 

Ergh, apologies for the phone typos above. I can search more now, and it doesn't seem related, so I'll wander off and post in appropriate threads as necessary.

Alfadude: I remembered it for, oh, about five minutes. (You are correct; it's SO nice to have the car feel almost new again when driving. What a difference!!)

dwclapp, clyons: thank you both again for the fantastic info. I had an alignment done a few months ago (courtesy of the insurance of the charming woman who in me in a PARKING LOT) but will keep an eye on all these things mentioned.

Seriously: rockstars, the lot of you. Thank you all so much for all the help!

 

Thia: Check out this post in which Thermo describes the P1638 error: https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...86/#post326483

Suggestion: Describe in detail what happens when your dash bricks and the P1638 code appears, and Thermo or another member may suggest how to tell if the cause is a bad cluster, a bad ECM, or a wiring problem between the two.