I have an '01 XK8 convertible with 93,000 miles. It has been running fine. Yesterday it would turn over fine but not start. It definitely sounded like a fuel problem. However, I replaced the fuel pump at the dealership about 4 years ago and I am almost positive I can hear the fuel pump cycle on for about a second and a half when the key goes into the start position. The message "engine fail safe mode" comes up in the odometer area. For about a year I have gotten the check engine error code that indicates there is an air leak somewhere in the system and occasionally(rarely) the check gas cap warning would come on. However I was told that air leak presented no real problem. Is there anything I should check before I have the car towed in?

 

I would say get and post the codes to start with. And yes, air leaks do matter. They are unaccounted for contributors to your air-fuel mixture. Someone gave you bad advice on this. Hopefully, you have a gross air leak that is fairly obvious to fix and get the car going again. As usual double check the battery. Get a reader capable of reading the fuel trims (a cheap ELM327 from eBay works well).

Best of luck, keep us posted.

 

There is a schrader valve on the fuel rail. After attempting to start, depress the valve with a rag a couple of inches away to catch the fuel spray and see if the fuel system is pressurized. Even if the pump in the tank is working, the hose in the tank might have ruptured or slipped off of the pump.