So is the whining somewhat normal or should I start looking around for a new pump (is fan part of the pump or separate item)?

 

The fan can be replaced separately from the pump and the fan doesn't cost nearly as much as the pump so if you think you've got a fan problem, it would be a good idea to replace it before the pump becomes the casualty of not taking care of the fan. On the R53, the fan is in a bad position - it's easy for crud/road debris to get caught in it. There are some workarounds I think I"ve read somewhere in the forums. You might want to search for power steering fan maintenance. Good luck.

 

The fan in cars built prior to October 2003 didn't have a protective cover. I fitted the following aftermarket shield to my 2002 MCS:

 

That looks like just what the doctor ordered! Thanks.

 

Received my letter today and I am ecstatic! Sadly I went through a private shop, so only parts will be covered, but that is still a huge chunk of money back in my pocket to the tune of more than $700. This is great news.

 

Did my pump on April 29th so the bill wasn't hard to find - and I did it at the dealership so it shouldn't be a problem. I also thought I had done the electric power steering pump fan last summer but it was actually the radiator fan instead.

Still, if the power steering fan goes out, it's nice to know the warranty is extended!

 

I sent an inquiry to the email address in the bulletin, and got an automated response from Google (gmail) saying:
Seems weird that they would send out a bulletin with a bad email address. Has anyone successfully sent an email to that address or gotten a response back?

 

Checked the power steering fluid today and it was at bottom of dipstick. Sucked out the old stuff from reservoir and put in Pentosin. The stuff that came out was dark brown. Hopefully the previous owner just didn't pour whatever they had in there.

 

Just got the letter in the mail, and even though it says MINI.Assistance@askmini.com in the body of the letter, on the left margin (not pictured in Braminator's screenshot) it lists MINI.Assistance@askminiusa.com as the email address. So I sent an email to that address, and although MINI USA hasn't responded back yet, I haven't received any messages from Google saying the email wasn't delivered.

 

I got errors so I just submitted the request through the "Contact Us" form at miniusa.com.

 

Actually it doesn't. Part of my wife's job was to proofread conference programs (American Planning Conference, Housing Washington, that sort of thing) for a number of years. You would really be surprised at how many times you can proof a document and still turn up errors. She'd hand the final one off to me and then I'd find errors because I was putting a fresh set of eyes on it. After seeing what comes out of our school's PTA it's clear not every organization pays the same level of scrutiny that she did.

And I got a "Message undeliverable" at that address as well. Time to try the "askminiusa" address.

Val

 

It is also possible that the email address was good but that the box is full and this is the error that happens in this case...

 

You could be right about the full inbox. "askmini.com"; "askminiusa.com" and "miniusa.com" are all registered addresses to "ASKO Inc." or something like that. Or somebody thought it was a valid address.

Val

 

I finally got this in the email. Sounds like you can just follow this process instead of dealing with the email hassle or calling MINI USA.

Thanks for contacting MINI USA regarding the Electro-Hydraulic Power (Assist) Steering (EHPS) Pump. Affected vehicles include model year 2002-05 MINI Cooper and Cooper S vehicles and model year 2005 Cooper Convertible and Cooper S Convertible vehicles.

If you had the power assist steering pump and/or the associated cooling fan replaced at your own expense, you may qualify for reimbursement of the associated costs you incurred.

To apply for reimbursement:

1) Mail the original repair receipt(s) and/or legible copies including a cover letter with the following information:

a. Your name
b. Mailing address
c. Preferred telephone number
d. E-mail address
e. VIN (vehicle identification number)

2) Submit to:

MINI USA Customer Relations
EHPS Extend Warranty Coverage
P.O. Box 1227
Westwood, NJ 07675

The documents will be reviewed upon receipt. If you qualify for a reimbursement check, one will be mailed to you within four to six weeks.

You may also apply for reimbursement consideration through the Service Department at your local MINI dealer. You can find a complete listing of authorized MINI dealers at www.MINIUSA.com.

The MINI Customer Relations and Services Department is available Monday through Friday from 9:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M., ET. You can reach us at 1.866.ASK.MINI (275-6464).

 

My power steering fails, too, but the Dealer won't fix it b/c they "can't find anything wrong." I've taken it in twice. Meanwhile, two months have gone by and I can't pull out into traffic safely -- I've nearly caused 2 accidents from not making it into my lane in SF city streets. Even with the extended warranty, they won't fix it until they can "prove" there is a problem. (I would've paid for the repair the first time, too.) Customer Relations just sends me back to the dealer, where the car currently sits. USEFUL advice is much appreciated.

 

Go to a different dealer.

 

I called the number and their automated message left out the whole cover letter part. I just sent in my receipt which included most of the information you listed (no email). I'm wondering if that will cause a problem.

 

Thanks. I took my receipt back to the dealership - I had my pump replaced at the end of this April - and they politely told me to send it to MINI USA if I wanted to see my refund sooner as opposed to much later. Wish they'd spelled that out in the notification letter.

 

Thanks for posting the info about sending receipts to MINI. I sent mine today and will report back if anything happens. I'm skeptical they'll do anything except post it in the lunchroom under a bulletin board labeled "Suckers".

- Mark

 

This has been an interesting issue. They haven't recalled the part. They are extending the warranty on it to include automobiles made 13 years ago with up to 150,000 miles on the odometer. I am also skeptical about seeing the payment. But I will be quite happy if/when it arrives!

 

edgy, don't give up hope!

I received the letter last week, visited my dealer on Saturday, followed up on the phone Tuesday just to confirm my address, and received a check today. Kudos to Mini of Escondido.

It probably helped that I purchased the car from Mini of Escondido and had them replace the ps pump in 2010.

Now if Mini would just extend the warranty on the supercharger!

 

So I dealt with this issue for YEARS on my 03 Cooper. Actually sold her literally three days before receiving the letter. Here's to hoping they still reimburse me money I spent on the parts at a non-MINI dealer to replace the pump now that I don't own her.

Fingers crossed.

Also, I haven't visited this site since December, 2008 and I miss my MINI so much!

 

Sent out my receipts with a cover letter today to the address that was mentioned few posts earlier. I did e-mail them, but I haven't heard anything yet and went ahead with the submission. Both the pump and the fan were replaced at an independent shop, so let's see if I'll get anything back.

The pump that was installed was the new design. So, what happens if that fails? Based on my car's age (2003) and mileage (119K), the pump is still under warranty, but I'm wondering whether the dealer might say that I already had the new one installed. Any ideas?

 

I called the number on the letter and asked them which would be more expedient, to contact Mini online or to go through my local dealer for the reimbursement. They said that it would be faster to go through my local dealer. That being said, they (the dealer) didn't seem to be sure of how the reimbursement would proceed as it was relatively new information for them too.
One thing that they needed was the specific part number on the fan and pump that was used for replacement. They seemed to want to see BMW parts as the replacement parts.

 

YAY!

after years of waiting for BMW to do the right thing i am getting my money back...including labor. i went through the dealer

YAY!