New to the Jaguar world the first thing I did on my 1998 xk8 (40,000 miles), was to have my mechanic open it up to replace the secondary tensioners. They were brown. All the pix I have seen of the first generation turned orange, so I assume these second generation and were replaced early on. I replaced them with the metal ones even though they were in perfect condition. Hope that was the right thing to do. Replaced all the plugs too. The only other thing my mechanic said was the other owners probably washed the engine with a pressure washer (ugh) because my ignition coils were suffering from rust, as were the plugs . He cleaned them up for me. Total cost-$570.

Next up: altering the pressure on my roof hoses so I can avoid that seemingly common problem. I appreciate all the good advice on this board. Scott

 

You did the right thing. Do not be concerned about the surface rust on the coils..it is pretty common, as they are untreated steel.

 

Good to be be Pro-Active with these cars. Do it now or pay much more later.

 

40,000 mi on a '98 is a mixed blessing. Not much wear, but time takes its toll (rust, rubber rot, etc.) I would flush fluids at this point too, esp brake lines, just to keep moisture at bay. Good luck with your ride and enjoy it as much as the rest of us die-hards. We're all in this together.