Car is an 02 MCS, so it's pre-split of the engine cooling fan and PS fan circuits and that mod hasn't been completed. Edit: BTW I did the search and found a few threads, and the car is way out of warranty with 96,500+ miles

About a month ago arrived home after a spirited drive, pulled into the garage and after shutting off the car - the engine cooling fan immediately came on. I waited for it to shut off on it's own, but after 5 minutes I started the car and the fan went off; this time when I shut off the car the fan stayed off also. The entire time this went on the temp "mood gauge" never came off the normal middle mark.

Yesterday on the way home, interstate driving and speed, the wheel got heavy when making large turn movements but remained very drivable, I rather liked it! Anyway, when I was able to, I pulled over and shut the car off (everything normal) and since it's hydro-elec I started searching for PS fuses only to find it's rather hidden. I figured I was close enough to home to continue with no PS. I crank the car and Ta-Da - it works. Ok, windows 95 reboot fix worked

This morning everything normal during the drive to work. After a few hours I go out and the PS motor (not the fan, I checked) is sitting there wirrrrrring away. Starting the car, shutting off the car, driving the car (PS was working) and turning the wheels back and forth did nothing to stop the motor from running. I ended up disconnecting the negative lead from the battery - I even remembered to let the seats down first

Periodically throughout the day I went out and reconnected the battery only to hear the motor running every time.

Drive home was uneventful except for seeing all the MINI's heading to the Dragon (I work nearby) and me heading the other way . I get home pull into the garage and leaving the car running I open the hood and start looking around and under the engine. Here's what I find: PS motor a little noisy, engine cooling fan not running, PS fan not running - car temp gauge normal. I shut off the car and the engine cooling fan immediately comes on, I climb under and the PS fan is not running but the motor is.

This time a let the cooling fan run and about 10 minutes the fan shut off but the PS motor is still running (again no fan). I disconnect the battery again and start typing.

So the questions:

1. Does your PS fan run when the car is running? I've turned mine by hand and feel no restrictions but I've never seen it running and I've looked. I plan to pull it and apply power to test.

2. If you've also had a PS failure did your motor run like mine is and did replacing just the motor cure it?

3. Any comments??

Thanks for your time and I've got another ps pump being Fedex'd and hope to hit the Dragon tomorrow afternoon.

 

Finished reading the Bentley book and can't find anything to tell me when the PS fan should be running. So I'm heading to the garage and going to pull it and ops check it.

Later

 

Ok, fan works at least when connected straight to power. If it's supposed to run whenever the PS motor is working, does anyone know if there is a sensor in line somewhere or is it direct??

 

Pump arrived at 1:45 and it's installed, filled, bleed and test driven. No more wirrrrrring and the steering no longer sounds like a Transformer/Autobot going through it's moves.

No PS fan when I checked with car running, so I still need to figure that out

Anyone care to take a stab?

 

Glad to hear you're back running I don't know about the fan, but I'm going back to the dealer (hopfully soon) to pick up Pearl, if I get a chance to talk with the tech I'll ask to see if they've got any ideas.

 

Thanks, I've got a call into the "local" tech also so maybe I'll get a call. If I've got a problem there I don't want to fry another pump

Off to clean up and head to the Dragon or work depending one how the aircraft mods are going today

Later

 

Smoky, how 'bout hard wiring the fan 'till next week?

 

Mystery solved maybe

And yes the PS Fan is working as advertised. There is a thermostatic control module, the dealership said it was housed in the pump, but their way of checking it makes me wonder if they're correct on its location.

They said to check it, turn on the A/C. This will cause the engine cooling fan and the power steering fan to come on or at least cycle on and off. Just got done checking it out and they both cycle on and off with the A/C compressor!

Now, if the sensor was in the pump why would the A/C cause it to come on. They aren't on the same circuit.

I think the module is elsewhere and the A/C causes the engine cooling fan to come on and since the PS fan is on the same circuit (MY02 car here ) it causes the PS fan to come on.


Thanks for the support UJ & Drew!

 

Hi Smokey. Can you tell me how hard it was to replace the PS pump? I want to do the replacement myself as opposed to paying the dealer $1600. Can you tell me if you were able to find any instructions on "how to" or if you went into it blind. If you don't mind- please tell me what tools you needed and how long it took.
Thanks!

 

Wasn't very hard at all. On the scale of wrenches I'd say a 2 out of 5 at the worst.

There are only 4 bolts, 2 fluid lines and 1 electrical connecters in the system, so removal of the pump is rather easy.

You'll have to drain the Hydraulic fluid (notice I didn't say PS fluild?). The system calls for Pentosin CHF 11s. Runs about $22 a liter at the local Euro parts place and I used maybe 1/2. I used a large syringe to draw the fuild from the tank, but still ended up taking a little bath in the stuff when I pulled the hose off the motor.

I had to cut the clamp off of the hose from the tank to the pump motor, so have a clamp for the reinstall. And have a coffee can ready to catch the hose contents Putting the hose back on was a pain, but then again it had hydraulic fluid on it so it was slick.

Tools are rather basic, a set of metric sockets and combination wrenches. I can't recall the exact sizes but I'm betting on either 13mm or 10 mm, but if you have 10 to 14 mm you should be fine. I'd recommend a torque wrench also, but the amount of torque called for is no more then 19Nm which is about 14 ftlbs or "aboutgoodandtight", so you might be able to get away without one.

My parts ran $293 for a reman pump, there is a $60 core charge too. Fight for a discount at your dealer or order through Classic in OH with a NAM membership name and get 20% off.

Rather then me "type" you through it, here are some screen captures from the TIS:








And some close up pictures to help make sense of the crappy pictures used in the instructions:





In the last picture you can see the gravity hose from the tank (Item 2) and the pressure line out from the pump (Item 4)

Here are some torque values if your interested:

Pressure line to PS Motor: 10 Nm
Bracket to front axle carrier: 19 Nm
PS Pump to axle carrier: 19 Nm
PS Motor to rubber mounts: 8 Nm
PS Fan to bracket: 19 Nm