Disintegrating Fuel Pump

[Araucaria]

Our Mk 2 Berlingo - 2.0 HDi - 2004 - has just been for a service and the man at the garage says we should expect it to die in the near future. We're in France, and the technical conversation was all in fairly heavily-accented French, but I don't think I have misunderstood.

He says that the diesel fuel pump has been gradually breaking down (the rotary parts of it), with the result that the entire fuel system has been contaminated with small metallic particles. He spotted this when replacing the fuel filter. It's possible to repair it, but it involves replacing the entire fuel system, including the tank. This would (I am fairly sure) cost more than the car is worth.

I think he's pretty reliable - he says it's the first time he's seen this on a Berlingo but it's very common on Renault Kangoo vans - he's done a number of fuel system replacements on the local post office fleet.

He reckons we might get a few thousand miles more from it, or perhaps much less: what will eventually happen will be the metallic bits will block the injectors.

Has anyone else heard of this? And is there no possibility of just replacing the pump and cleaning the fuel system?

[steve valentine]

There's been a few metallic shavings in my fuel filter a few times, first noticed 40k ago.

[Vossy1]

I think I may open up the filter I replaced this week and have a good look at it now...hmmm.
I would have thought the smaller fragments that get through to the pistons will shred the seals long before jets get blocked.