'96 XJ here, and in all the time I've had this one since 2007 the fuel pump has never been replaced. So unless it was replaced in that first 10 years or so I'm still working with the original one installed.

Just twice now in the last week I've noticed a kind of quieter whiney sound coming from about the fuel pump area when I've been under low enough moderate acceleration to hear the sound. It's only happened a couple times but only during acceleration. Is this a typical symptom when a fuel pump is about to give out?

If this is what's happening, is there any good tutorial thread out there to help me get this pump changed out?

 

The only time I can hear my pump is when it's priming prior to startup. Not sure how much noise yours makes during driving!

Your '96 was the crossover year; either you're lucky having the pump still towards the front on the tank, or your unlucky and have the updated tank on top. For both there is plenty of info here on how to change it, if that is what needs doing..

 

The actual pump in the '96 assembly is the same as the earlier one, and can be bought and installed rather than ordering the expensive '96 assembly

(I am 99% sure it the earlier one, ('96 and earlier, not the later one, '97 and later, you have to check the pic on the sellers site to be 100% sure)

I did this myself so I know it works

 

'96 was indeed a changeover year. What a mess! For '96, the fuel pump was mounted on the side of the tank with a few '96 models having a fuel pump on the top of the tank. The main difference between '95 and older (and early '96 models) and the later '96 models was the fuel pressure regulator. For '95 and older and earlier '96 models, the fuel pressure regulator was on the fuel rail. For later '96 models, the fuel pressure regulator was part of the fuel pump assembly inside the gas tank.

This whole mixing of parts for the '96 model year has really messed up people before. Fuel pressure issues from using the wrong fuel pressure regulator are common for '96. The fuel pressure regulator that's part of the fuel pump assembly in the gas tank has a higher pressure than that of the fuel pressure regulator on the end of the fuel rail. My thinking was this change was done to try to fix the ole heat soak issues people have.

Don't go off of sound to see if your fuel pump is working or not. Check the fuel pressure at the fuel rail.