Ok, so my power sterring has been flakey the past couple days (turns off and on intermittently).

I thought the pump might be going out, but today when I got home I turned the car off and the pump kept running...it won't shut off

I wasn't sure which fuse was for the pump so right now the battery is disconnected...last thing I need is a fire

So baiscly, right now the pump is working and won't shut off..ign off, keys out, doors locked. It just keeps running

any ideas?

 

...also, its not the fan thats running..its definatly the pump.

I pulled the fan(s) relay and it keeps on going

this sucks... :(

anyone know if I can disconnect it somewhere?
-I can drive without power steering if I have to

 

A PS pump that will not shut off generally means a bad pump. There is no real easy way to disconnect the pump without getting some tools out first. THe fuse for the pump is actually underneath the the fuse box mounted under the bonnet. ou have to unbolt the fuse box and lift it, then remove the cover that houses the fuses. This is really not necessary, since it's simpler to unplug the large red wire that feeds the pump at the fuse box. This is not the red power supply wire on the upper part of the box, rather it's the largest red wire plugged in among the myriad others underneath the box. Unplug the wire, remount the box and you now have a car without power steering. The steering on these cars is very heavy when not moving, and quite stiff even when in motion. It's possible to drive the car this way (I've tried it before), but you will get a workout when it comes time to park.

 

yeah your pump is shorted to ground. there's a 12volt supply on always to the pump and the pump grounds to work. so you need a pump amigo!

 

You may have to take it to the dealership,
The same thing happened to me...there is some kind of manufacturer problem with the power steering regarding some of the mini's.
I had to take mine to the dealership to get fixed...

 

this is related. is the power steering fan supposed to spin while the car is running. while off i tried to spin it with my hand and seemed like it was bound up a bit

 

depending on the year, the fan only kicks on when the AC fan kicks on (same circut)


I installed a new(er) pump yesterday.

I used to work at a junkyard and called my old boss. He got me a pump off an 06....$165 shipped from a yard in CT + $24 for a can of CHF11 from NAPA

Installing it was a bit of a PITA especially going in blind with no manual or anything to follow, but I got it done.

The new pump is WAY quieter

 

yes its supposed to spin freely when off, so you have a bad ps fan. is actually quite normal due to where the fan is placed in the car. it gets water/dirt while driving.

so that can lead to an overheated pump and a blown fuse under the bonnet which can stp the cooling fan from working which will also overheat the car... nice setup huhh!

 

thanks. i'll check the fuses.

 

Same problem here. My '02 MCS had the ps pump go out intermittently, then would not turn off when the car was shut off. Ran the battery down a few times before I gave in to leaving the battery unplugged when parked. I need to have it replaced, but don't have the $1600 to shell out to the dealer. Any one have "how to" instructions on replacing the pump? I also found one for about $300 but I want to make sure this won't be impossible for a non-expert to do myself. Any tips?