Once upon a time, there was a Focus, a fuse, and a fuel pump ...

Follow up to last week's sad fuse-blowing saga ...

So, since replacing the fuse, it's been ok. Until tonight, that is. Very
similar set of circumstances to last Friday. It was started outside home
and then driven about seven miles. I was then in the first place for about
5 minutes, then back out and engine started again. Drove about 5 miles to
next place, and stopped again for about 10 minutes this time. Back out,
turned key and it started, only to chugg dismally before stopping.

Whipped up the bonnet and checked the fuel pump fuse. Yep, it had soft-
blown again. Stuck a spare in and confidently turned the key. I didn't hear
the pump run to pressurise the system. Tried a start anyway, but nothing.
Rechecked the fuse, but still ok. Tried to get hold of my mate, but he
wasn't playing, so had to call the missus to come and collect me. We left
the car where it was in B&Q's car park. A few hours later, I had to go and
pick her up from quite nearby, so I decided to swing by my car and give it
one more go, on the basis that when the bad fuse was found and replaced
last week, the car had been cooled for several hours.And guess what ? Yep,
it started, and I drove it home perfectly ok. No fuse blowing. Didn't miss
a beat.

So, here's my take on what's going on. Please feel free to fault my logic
or make other suggestions.

As that fuse feeds nothing but the fuel pump, it's repeated failure must be  
associated with that circuit only. As the fuse is soft-blown rather than
violently blown, that would tend to rule out any intermittent wiring short.
The fact that the fuse *is* soft-blowing, indicates an excess current
condition, which suggests the fuel pump itself. The fact that it happens
when everything is well warmed up, and after two or three starts in close
succession, and always at the turn on when the pump is going from stopped
to run to pressurise the system, again suggests fuel pump. The fact that
tonight when I replaced the fuse immediately after failure, the pump didn't
run, but later when fully cooled down, it did, and ran normally, still
further suggests the pump.

So, would you agree that the next move has got to be a replacement pump ?
Obviously, we will look for chafed wires etc, but I'm not expecting to find
any. Last point. I'm being told that the tank has to be dropped to replace
the pump, due to Ford omitting to put an inspection cover over the tank's
top access point for the pump, under the back seat. Is this true ? Is there
any way to do the job without having to drop the tank ?

TIA

Arfa