My 2003 S has started having power steering problems. I replaced the fan cause it was seized and I have changed the fluid out, but the power steering only works for 30-45 minutes of driving before it cuts out.

The weird thing is some times I turn the car off at a light, turn it back on, and the power steering works, for a minute or two. Is there anything else I can do? or am I yet another victim of a power steering pump failure?

 

That's how mine failed. Would work till it got hot. Then stopped working all together. Time for a new PS pump.

I replaced mine at about 80K miles and 8 years old. Mine's an '03 built 12/02.

 

bummer, good to know though and mine's an 03 with 138,000 miles so I guess it's not the end of the world, sure is an expensive part though.

does anybody know if driving it without the power steering pump functioning hurts anything else? I might need to drive it for a while until I get the pump, but would rather avoid damaging anything else.

 

I drove it for a while without the PS pump working - even a couple track sessions. No damage done.

 

I asked a few people about this and they all said that you aren't damaging anything but its very hard to drive at low speeds most drove their cars for about 6 months before replacing it.

To me -- it is just WAY too difficult to park and make turns... not to mention parallel park.

I ordered my power steering pump from Way Motorworks and it is being installed on Saturday AM. So in total my car will have been down for about 2 weeks.

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

It doesn't feel like I am damaging anything but I don't like how much it feels like I am putting strain on components -- for example -- the fact that I can feel the rubber shifting on the steering wheel from the sheer level of force required to turn when stationary I do not like.

 

No joke. Its impossible to park hahah.

Mine has been cutting in and out, but for the past week its worked without a problem lol

 

Get a BBA reman pump I just did mine it ran me like $350 shipped and they shipped it that day there out of Mass. Awsome company and the pump works like a champ.

 

You can damage the rack if you go without powersteering for awhile. By the way my pump went out the same as the origjnal poster except at 50k.

 

Or you could take the pump out and clean the dust out and put it back in. I done mine about 28,000 miles ago and still going.

 

Just completed the repair this morning took about 2 hours with limited tools and first time working on a mini.

 

We have an article here http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarti...eplacement.htm if you need a reference guide on replacing the power steering pump.

 

Yup..I leveraged that article heavily..as well as bills webspace article