Well have had the Mini for a few months now and am into the whole mod addiction...which I love! My only thing now is this real loud wining noise sounds like powersteering but not losing and power to it? I would compair it to a big blower/supercharger sound. Like I said nothing wrong with the feel of the car just draws alot of attention in parking lots with the fellow car guys. I have not had the opertunity to be around another Mini yet so I dont know if that how it is suposed to sound?
any sugestions?
Vince

 

it's your power steering pump!!!!!!!! If you replace it with a new one from the dealer, the sound will go away. the newer versions of that pump dose not make that noise.

 

The noise is very distinctive, no other car has this power steering sound. I rather like it.

 

its def the power steering and i hate it also, sounds wimpy, but its because its electric not hydraulic like most

 

...get a header that's louder than the ps pump

 

+1

 

Check the fluid level?

 

From MINIUSA's Owner's Lounge, "Top MINI Idiosyncrasies" (for my '06 cabrio, anyway. I would guess other models are similar):

 

The power steering system in the second generation MINIs is all electric. No longer power steering pump or power steering fluid is needed.