Replaced the distributor cap and rotor. Looked down inside old rotor and the metal part on the side looked rough compared to the new smooth one, I also bought 2 coils that I did not put on as I wanted to see if it would start first.
Battery charged to full so I crossed my fingers and turned the ignition, nothing, tried again, after about 5 seconds I felt it tried to start one time.
I then turned ignition off, turned ignition on and waited about 30 seconds and then engaged the starter and WOW it started about 10,000 RPM tapped the accelerator and RPM went down to normal. I feel very lucky.

The trouble first began a while back, started and A bank was not firing and smoke bellowed from between passenger firewall and motor, turned it off and a few hours later tried it again, this time both banks dead.

Now I'm thinking I should sell it before something really major happens, so many things can cause the V12 not to start and going thru the list can be expensive, time consuming and mentally exhausting, time is to short.
Had I been driving down the interstate when the bank went out I'm almost certain the car would have caught fire as my first thought would have been to pump the accelerator and if in town in traffic I would have tried to get it somewhere off the road which also would have started a fire.
At 61 years old the less problems I have the better.

 

Now leaking coolant, running from 3 places all in front of motor, probably lower hose and fan is spreading it out. Ohwell, one thing after another.

 

Keep the faith brother. You will overcome.

 

If you get up to date on all the maintenance stuff it is an easy car. Obviously at this point maintenance means stuff that has gone bad from age too, like hoses and what not.

I've been driving my XJS daily for 7 years and I basically just put gas in it and drive it.

 

Exactly my view too. With an XJS you just have to go through all these systems and do everything, as Grant Francis always advises. Piecemeal fixes are just a recipe for frustration.
Mac, what concerns me is: Do you know why it is now running and was not so doing before?

 

I explained why not running in first post, A bank went dead then B bank it was the rotar.
I replaced all 12 hoses 1 1/2 years ago changed coolant before the banks died, after changing Dizzy and rotar it was leaking coolant the clamp was on cockeyed and leaked, got it on straight no more leaks.
It used to run hot I changed stats when I changed coolant and it still ran hot. It leaked about a quart or more of coolant and I did not replace what it leaked and now the gage does not even get to the half way point between
C and N, I have let it idle in drive with emergency break on for 30 minutes and the needle gets half way between C and N and stays there.