Still waiting. Grrr! My pump is so LOUD I can't hear my Borla exhaust. Grrr!

 

I have now joined your ranks; '03 Cooper S w/ 72k; power steering failed while driving in an underground parking garage; nearly yanked my arms off. PS worked for two more days and then failed again this morning on an exit ramp.

Minimania currently lists either the re-built OE pump at $831 or a new ZF pump at $725.

I will do the NHTSA complaint, and already vented ont he Miniproblems facbook page. Just wondering if I even bother getting insulted at my local Mini dealer (Passport Mini; Alexandria, VA), or just get the damn ZF pump and go independent.

 

Bryan: Let me know what you decide, as I'm in the same boat. Mine fails intermittently. Have you considered BBA reman units?

 

Don't know if it's been mentioned already in this thread (slap me silly if it has) but......

I was told at the Schomp MINI parts counter that the new OEM power steering pumps are different than the ones that came on our cars. The new ones are designed to be more robust and less vulnerable to the dirt and grit that caused ours to fail.

Don't know about the ZF units but I would think twice about going the remanufactured route if it means buying the same bad design. Mine is still doing ok (knock on wood) but when it fails, I'll be taking a good look at the revised MINI PS pump.

 

According to RealOem.com, the original p/n was 32416769963; this has been replaced with 32416778425. Is that what you are describing? Viewers with more knowledge please chime in!

 

Yes, that's it exactly! He said something about thicker windings.

Other parts, such as the the belt tensioner, haven't changed at all. When the serpentine belt breaks, the tensioner slams into and breaks the crank pulley. $$ ouch.

 

Well looks like I should have posted this here instead of in the spontanious fires thread. My appologies to the moderators.

My Power Steering quit working yesterday on the way home from my lawyer's office here in Orlando, Florida. I felt the steering stiffen up so I was ready for no assist when I had to make the next sharp left turn. The car has 142,600 + miles and the pump and fan are original. I just got back last week from a 3200 mile vacation in my 2003 Mini Cooper S. While on vacation I was driving on a gravel road that may have damaged the power steering fan.

In reading several of the threads on the power steering pump failures, it seems most people don't think the fan does much good. So, is the fan the fault if it's damaged or is it just time for a new pump?

Also, this thread has been going on for years, yet I don't see where it has resulted in Mini doing anything officially to help their customers with this problem. Have I missed something?

Thanks

 

FWIW - Replaced original pump at 89K due to classic failure. Replaced it with later P/N. It also failed within 4K miles.....

 

Way Motorworks carries new PS pumps for $595

http://www.waymotorworks.com/oem-pow...ring-pump.html

Some of the pnes with the same P/N may have been rebuilt

 

Well, yesterday after posting my previous post, I went outside and started the Mini. The power steering was working fine.

So today I checked the alternator and it's putting out 14 volts under load and 13 volts with the motor running and the A/C on. The hattery had 12.5 volts before the car was started. So I believe the alternator to be good.

My son crawled under the car and while the fan didn't show any damage from the gravel road trip, it wasn't coming on when the radiator fan was coming on. So we pulled the fan, hit it with 12 volts directly and the fan works.

Now with the a/c running, the radiator fan would start running for maybe 15 seconds, shut off for maybe 30 seconds and then start up again for 15 seconds. The engine temp was at normal which I have never seen it go higher. The PS pump fan never came on.

Being a 2003, if I have read the posts correctly, the PS pump fan and the radiator fan both operate together, but are they on seperate fuses?

Tomorrow I will take the Mini for a drive to see how the Power Steering does.

 

I have an '04 MCS and the power steering dropped out completely. So depressing. Can't decide if I should modify the rack and remove the pump or replace it.

-Bryan

P.S. this is a shame that this is my first post!

 

Bryan: We can start a club in Fairfax of MINIs without power steering!

 

The replacement doesnt seem so bad. its just so damn expensive. FFX no PS club sounds good.
Instead of stickers that add +5 hp can someone make one that fixes power steering?

-Bryan

 

I may have joined this club..2003 MCS. Seriously everyone contact the NHTSA at safercar.gov

I will let you know what I find out and what I do from a replacement standpoint..keep this post alive.

 

Well the 30 amp fan fuse is good.

All the 50 amp fuses are good.

So that leaves it to the relay.

I'm still don't know if the power steering fan should be running all the time the motor is running or not.

It seems to me it should be,

If someone knows, please explain.

My next step is to switch the two relays for the fans and see if the PS fan works then.

 

I just ordered a new PS Pump from Way Motor Works -- the Power Steering works when the car is cold but then cuts out after its warmed up -- so I have Power Steering for about 25 minutes.. not terribly useful.

I've read all the installs -- and since the shop near me wanted like $400 to install -- I can't afford it. Everyone please cross your fingers that I can pull this off.

 

I think there is a business opportunity in the power steering replacement market. $200 for labor. Anyone buying? Haha

 

Sorry for the delayed response, JAB. I checked the fluid level which was a little low; I bought the correct fluid and filled it to the appropriate level which bought me five days of power steering.

Judging from the two years of posts in this thread, I do not think I am going to go the BBA route. I hereby become the guinea pig for this route: http://www.waymotorworks.com/oem-pow...ring-pump.html

for $595 and have a buddy who is an independent w/ an MB/BMW shop install it. I'll keep yall posted. I'll be damned if I take it back to Passport Mini at Landmark anymore. I can't ever seem to escape there for less than $2,000. the math just doesn't work for a 9 year old car.

 

Subscribing to this thread, hoping the PS pump from Way Motor Works does the job. I've seen other sources including Pelican Parts for just a little more money.

 

What they are describing is not the pump, but the new style power steering cooling fan....lol.

 

The fan has a 5AMP fuse.

It should come on automatically within 30 seconds after the A/C is tuned on, about same time the engine low speed cooling fan comes on.

PS Pump is powered via actiavtion by the DME, not a relay. If both pump and fan are not working after replacement, I would check the harness to the pump.

 

My pump goes out and comes on sporadically. Usually on, but Im just using it until it definitely doesnt work anymore. Until then I hope I can keep on motoring without a 700 hit.

 

This is what mine did for a few days and then it was gone. $620 for the pump and $140 for the fan and 1 liter of fluid. I am doing it myself over the past few days while I wait for the new pump to arrive from Way Motor Works.

 

Hey guys,

I spent this morning working on this project and wanted to share some thoughts, hang up points and thanks.

Thanks:

way motor works for getting me the pump fast..the first one got damaged in shipping and Way didn't hesitate to get a 2nd one out.

Pelican Parts has a great DIY...

http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarti...eplacement.htm

Also Bills Webspace is also very useful

http://www.billswebspace.com/MiniR53PSPFanDuctDIY.htm

this is definitely something that is easily handled by a person with limited experience working on MINIs and also someone with limited tools. Tools needed: flat head screw driver, 10mm socket, 13mm wrench, 13mm socket, 10mm wrench. Medium length extension, zip ties. 20mm torn bit.

Time to repair: 1.5-2 hours

Hangups: the suction hose (It took a lot of effort to get this off..and getting this off is critical to getting the pump out. I wiggled, pulled, pried etc for a solid 20 minutes. Finally I pulled from the top while my friend pushed from the bottom and we got it off.

The rear bolts while you can't see them should not be something you should stress about while reading the DIY they are just below the catalytic converter and easy to take out by feel. My car didn't have the yellow sticker as referenced in bills Webspace DIY..but I put my hand up there and found the bolts easily.

Rotating the pump out was actually fairly easy. Here are some tips...tuck the wires and the hardline up and out of the way..this gives you just enough clearance to get the bottom bolt up and over. However, a thought I had but didn't have the tools to do..if you could cut the bottom of the bolt (there's about 1/8-1/4 inch extra threads) a hair..the rotating would be really easy...not sure how to do this with out damaging the threads..but if you could...it would be an immense help.

Putting the pump back in was 10000 times easier than taking it out...not sure how or why but it went in very easy.

Anyhow good luck to everyone...feel free to PM with any questions.

 

I ended up cutting a slot for the bolt. The pump wouldn't come out, now way no how. My problem was that I couldn't reach to cut the wireties on the wiring and for some reason they wouldn't release when pushing the little one way buttons back up. That and it is freakin' impossible to release the low pressure hose. I think I am going to dremel off the clamp before I cut myself with the flathead screwdriver one more time.

Once I cut the slot, the pump came right out and gave me access to snip the wire ties. Now I still need to release the low pressure hose. I still must be missing something about that, it just doesn't make sense. The dremel is sounding better each minute I think about it - and just replace it with a regular screw type hose clamp when I put it back together.