So I finally got around to giving the Mini an oil change after taking ownership and decided to do some snooping around while I was under the car.

First, the oil change went very smooth and was one of the easiest I have ever done on a FWD vehicle. With the car running I was looking underneath for obviously leaks and realized that the PS fan was not running. After referencing the Bentley manual, I realized that the fan works in conjunction with the high speed radiator fan and will not come on until the coolant temp reaches ~250 F.

While beneath the car snugging the drain plug back up I decided to inspect the power steering fan. Since it is a simple 12v fan, I assumed the blades would spin relatively easy without powered applied. After using a screwdriver to nudge the fan I noticed that it would not move. Right away I assumed the worst and figured the fan is completely shot.

After unbolting the fan I decided to hook it directly to a 12v source to see if the motor was indeed dead. Hooked up properly, the fan would hum, but would not spin! After blowing it out with the compressor the fan began to move freely. There was a significant amount of dirt and sand that you could hear grinding in the fan prior to cleaning it out. I reconnected the fan to the 12v source and to my amazement the fan operated as advertised. I was shocked to see how little bits of sand could impede the fan from spinning.

Now I just have to hope that the relay that controls its operation is in good working order.

Is there any way to test the PS fan to see if it operates properly once the car reaches the right temperature? Obviously I could go drive it and let it idle until the temp climbs high enough.

I just thought I would share my findings with the board so maybe some other members can see if there fan is being stopped by dirt and sand.

 

turn the ac on and it should turn on ive heard.

 

Good to know. I have the same symptom, turns rough by hand and I thought its probably completely shot. Thought of taking it off to clean it, but didn't have much hope that it would work. I'll try and clean it out when I get time. I hope my luck is as good as yours.

 

mini has a 13 year 150k mile warranty/recall they will replace the power steering pump and fan if you complain about stiff steering or random lose of steering (ease) all for free

 

I read about Mini finally owning up to the shitty design, but unfortunately they did not include 2006 and on Minis.

 

So the wife got back from a drive and I left the mini idle in the garage for a while. The cooling fan nor the PS motor fan were running. I turned on the AC and the cooling fan kicked on (not sure the difference between HI and LOW speed, but I figure it was high speed). The PS motor fan did not turn on in conjunction with the engine cooling fan.

I really wish there was a an easy way to diagnose if my cooling fans and PS motor fan work as advertised.

 

I have an 03 MCS.. If you turn your AC on your cooling fan for the radiator and power steering pump should come on... Make sure to check your ps fan alot for things to jam up the blades... Just the other day I had a rock up there that stuck the fan.. Also check the fan fuse..it usually blows...a lot from jam up!!

 

I did find the PS fan completely bound up from sand and grit so I cleaned it out and ops checked it with a 12v power source to ensure the fan actually works.

I just went outside and checked the 30 AMP power steering cooling fan fuse under the hood next to the left strut tower and it is good to go. I was hoping a simple blown fuse would have been the culprit, but no luck. Any other suggestions? Could this be a relay issue? It seems as if there are numerous relays associated with the engine cooling fan system which runs in conjunction with the power steering cooling fan.

THIRD EDIT

Ok, so hopefully this post will help a few other members keep their steering pump a little bit cooler. It turns out that there are two fuses for the cooling fan (the 30 amp under the hood next to the left strut tower and the 5 amp in the driver kick panel). It is weird because the Bentley manual does not specifically mention the 5 amp as being for the cooling fan, it only says it is for the power steering pump. After checking the fuse in the kick panel I discovered it was blown (this is also the fuse used for the parking sensors, which is the image used on the inside of the fuse panel). After replacing the fuse and turning on the AC, the engine cooling fan and power steering cooling fan both kicked on. Thanks for all the help in this thread!