I parked my car under a shading tree last week, and went to start it yesterday. It coughed and would not start, yet cranked happily.
I suspected fuel and checked the Schraeder valve in front. Bone dry.
Checking the big relay F7 in the trunk showed it working. Checking Voltage on the pump, under rear seat right hand, showed voltage on the supply.
Dead pump. There was no warning, drove perfectly when I parked it.
I removed the pump housing, but had to take the top extension off and the top part of the housing as well, as I could not get the float for the petrol level off. Turns out to be a small plastic lock below the rheostat part of the unit.
The cost of a new unit is astronomical, so I took the Pierburg pump out, and down to our local spares shop.
To my amzement they said Polo? and I said more like BMW. Found a BMW pump for an E39/7, and it looked identical 99%,
25 US$. Fitted, only difference is lower mass by about 100 grams, and a slightly smaller fitting for the one in-tank filter at the bottom, by maybe half a millimeter, so still fitted the original filter after blowing it out. All fitted, O-ring, length and diameter. The most difficult part was to get the sender unit fitted again, and lastly the locking ring for the pump housing on top.
Not a particularly difficult job to do, but it took me about 6 hours, I guess, including studying wiring diagrams etc
The best thing, the car started second attempt, and purrs like a kitten!
Weird that it stopped like it did, about the most convenient place it could have happened. Original pump, it looks, has lasted 130000km.
As for open road testing, not done yet, first cleaning and rear seat in place again!
Information on this forum again proved of great value. I guess I have done this repair at 5% of the cost from Jaguar.
Plus my time, of course.
Happy chap!

 

Now the postmortem.
Here is the pump before and after.

Pump, intact.

Pump, out of tact!

No obvious clues, except a scuff mark on the circular ring of the "Eaton? hp part of the pump housing. The rotor appears in good nick, although i have not measured, and the brushes both seem to have more life in them. There were some signs of a "varnish" sticky and dark, but whether it would have caused the pump to stop, i doubt. It almost appears as if the brushes did not make contact, but there are no physical signs to confirm that, that I can see.
The broken impeller was caused when I cut it open.
I noticed the new pump, although almost identical to look at, has no impeller at the bottom. Which is visible through the inlet on the original.
I am almost tempted to buy a second pump, and leave it in the boot. It is the failure of an item like this, that can change a dream holiday into a long - l o n g - way from home!