I purchased a new to me 2003 XJR. Its a little rough around the edges, and looking to get it sorted. The car is currently running pretty rough and smoking a lot. There is a lot of RTV all around the cam cover gaskets, so im going to start replacing those with the proper parts. While I have the cam covers off, how can I inspect the timing to make sure it didnt skip a tooth causing all these codes?

Current codes are
0X1601
p0300
p0301
p0302
p0303
p0306
p0305
p0304

 

It could be any or all of the below. A good place to start is the coils and spark plug wires.
Ignition trouble due to a problematic wires or worn-out spark plugs.
Fuel distribution problems due to an inefficient fuel pump or fuel injectors.
Engine trouble due to a broken head gasket or timing chain.
Electronics problems such as sensor trouble due to a bad crankshaft sensor or mass airflow.
Wiring problems may be due to a broken wire or a broken connector or fuses
Emission component issues such as a bad gas exhaust recirculation valve or problems with the air injection system.
On-board computer trouble, possibly a missed upgrade or problematic hardware.
A vacuum leak, which may be due to a broken vacuum hose or a leak in the intake manifold gasket.

 

Water in the fuel is a possibility?

 

I had the P03XX problem last summer; it was random and sometimes put the car in Restricted Performance mode. But, I didn't have any drivability problems (other than the RP) like you're describing. My problem ended up being the alternator. It had lost half of its output, so it was charging the battery but not providing enough voltage to run all of the electronics. A buddy of mine that used to work for Mallory found the problem when he noticed my scanner reading a constant 12.65 volts; it needs to be 13.5 to 14.5 with the engine running to power all of that stuff. That's an easy check to do.

Mark

 

There was a fuel line leak which was repaired. It was pretty bad to where the tank emptied, and I put fresh gas in it. There's a possibility?
I'll add some HEET and see if it does anything. I have the passenger side cover cleaned up and ready to reinstall but it started raining here in chicago.
The chain tensioners are the metal bodied ones, so I think the timing should be fine. I didnt visually see anything wrong with the chains or tensioners.

 

Like Mark said, a quick check of the voltage at the battery before and after running
might show an issue there.

 

i’m local if you ever need help. make sure she’s timed at 40 after tdc, where the tool goes in. flats pointing up, straight and level with each other

 

Batch of bad or oily plugs maybe? Seems like from the codes, you're not misfiring on 7 & 8, so you could do the coil swap and move one or both to a pair of different cylinders and see if the codes switch or not.