SO after a blown gasket and some other repairs and a lot of crying the dealer tells me there are two more things i need to have repaired. 1: a drive belt ($200) and 2: a power steering fan but that can wait because it's cold out ($400). the drive belt cost is reasonable but $400 for a fan! what the hell kind of fan is BMW/Mini using?

It's a 2005 JCW (kit) R53.

 

I got mine for around $70. I can't remember where, but a little google searching should find it.

 

$200 for belt install seems pretty high. I paid $120 at dealership for our Countryman. They must have a sliding scale price system based on what they feel you will pay.

For a 2005 why aren't you going to an independent shop?

 

Most likely it is the labor cost, not just the fan.
I don't exactly know on the MINI but fans can be hard to get to, adding hours to labor cost...
Dealers often charge $100 or so /hr

 

Which fan? The power steering was a recall item. I bought a belt on ebay and the tool for like $70. and did it myself.

 

Reading the post quickly I was thinking of the main radiator fan. I missed read... power steering fan? I don't even know what that would be. Maybe the pump?

 

I remember reading a similar thread a while back. The PS unit does indeed have a small fan. As I recall it looked a bit like the cooling fan used in computers..

 

I just had my power steering pump and fan replaced under the recall (or bulletin). If the power steering pump needs replacement per bulletin, they replace both for free.

 

Seems high but must include labor:

http://new.minimania.com/part/NME761...ne-R50-R52-R53

Drive Hard. Drive Safe. Keep Grinning.