So my girlfriend brought this up (something I thought was always normal), whenever my car idles while the engine is running, sometimes coming from the front is this sound of air being vented. Kind of like a smooth quiet powerful vacuum cleaner. And this also happens sometimes after I shut off the car right after driving. Is this normal? Or is the car just trying really hard to cool itself down?

 

It's the powser steering fan--looks like a computer type fan and is likely what you're hearing.

Richard

 

how old is your mini? what milleage?? over here in the uk,there is a rattle noise on some of the R56 cooper s,which BMW are looking into,the noise what people are mentioning over here is like a diesel sounding engine

 

I would agree with OctaneGuy; its your power steering pump. Open the windows while parked, then turn your wheel, and you'll hear the pitch of the noise get higher.

It is a totally normal noise for the MINI, (normal in the sense that nothing is broken). It is an abnormal sound, when compared to almost every other car on the road...

 

I think it is highly likely the high speed on the condenser fan, my MINI sounds like a vacuum cleaner when it comes on, if it is an older MINI it may also mean the low speed does not work on the fan. Open the bonnet and look at the radiaror fan when you hear the noise.