Power Steering Conundrum

[Thor Sanchez]

I have a 2005 Cooper S. 32000 miles. In the last month I thought I'd noticed the power steering pump whine increasing. Didn't think much of it because it's always made a noise, like all MINIs do.

Took the car into the dealer for the 2nd inspection/oil change a week ago Friday, didn't think to mention the noise. They did the regular service and didn't say anything was wrong.

This week the noise continues to get louder, and there's definitely a different feel to the steering at low speed. It's harder to turn and the noise is clearly louder when the wheel is turned. So I do a search on the forums and see there's a number of people with power steering pump failures and/or leaks. So I check out my power steering fluid - it's low, almost off the dipstick. I've never noticed any leaks, or puddles of fluid.

1. Shouldn't the dealer have checked this last week?
2. I'm an hour and a half from the dealer. They won't/can't ship the fluid to me because it's categorized as hazardous material. Should I drive up there in my wife's car to get the fluid to top it off, or should I drive up there in the MINI to have them top it off and check out the pump and power steering system?
3. What damage can you do by driving with low PS fluid?
4. Is there any way for me or the dealer to tell if damage has already been done by driving around for (presumably) weeks with low fluid?

[MINI Division]

Quote: Originally Posted by Thor Sanchez (original)

I have a 2005 Cooper S. 32000 miles. In the last month I thought I'd noticed the power steering pump whine increasing. Didn't think much of it because it's always made a noise, like all MINIs do.

Took the car into the dealer for the 2nd inspection/oil change a week ago Friday, didn't think to mention the noise. They did the regular service and didn't say anything was wrong.

This week the noise continues to get louder, and there's definitely a different feel to the steering at low speed. It's harder to turn and the noise is clearly louder when the wheel is turned. So I do a search on the forums and see there's a number of people with power steering pump failures and/or leaks. So I check out my power steering fluid - it's low, almost off the dipstick. I've never noticed any leaks, or puddles of fluid.

1. Shouldn't the dealer have checked this last week?
2. I'm an hour and a half from the dealer. They won't/can't ship the fluid to me because it's categorized as hazardous material. Should I drive up there in my wife's car to get the fluid to top it off, or should I drive up there in the MINI to have them top it off and check out the pump and power steering system?
3. What damage can you do by driving with low PS fluid?
4. Is there any way for me or the dealer to tell if damage has already been done by driving around for (presumably) weeks with low fluid?

I'm with MINI USA. I've passed this message on to a MINI National Customer Relations Representative who will be in touch with you soon.

[DaFlake]

Quote: Originally Posted by Thor Sanchez (original)

I have a 2005 Cooper S. 32000 miles. In the last month I thought I'd noticed the power steering pump whine increasing. Didn't think much of it because it's always made a noise, like all MINIs do.

Took the car into the dealer for the 2nd inspection/oil change a week ago Friday, didn't think to mention the noise. They did the regular service and didn't say anything was wrong.

This week the noise continues to get louder, and there's definitely a different feel to the steering at low speed. It's harder to turn and the noise is clearly louder when the wheel is turned. So I do a search on the forums and see there's a number of people with power steering pump failures and/or leaks. So I check out my power steering fluid - it's low, almost off the dipstick. I've never noticed any leaks, or puddles of fluid.

1. Shouldn't the dealer have checked this last week?
2. I'm an hour and a half from the dealer. They won't/can't ship the fluid to me because it's categorized as hazardous material. Should I drive up there in my wife's car to get the fluid to top it off, or should I drive up there in the MINI to have them top it off and check out the pump and power steering system?
3. What damage can you do by driving with low PS fluid?
4. Is there any way for me or the dealer to tell if damage has already been done by driving around for (presumably) weeks with low fluid?

This definetly should have been caught in the service. My concern is that you have a leak, but it is not uncommon for fluids to leak or burn off over time. You can buy power stering fluid at a local auto shop and just top it off. Check the back of your owners manyal for specs. One thing you need to understand is that the MINI is maintenence free but this does not mean that you can ignore the typical items like fluids and such. You should be checking those regularly, including the engine oil. When you need more of a fluid, buy some and put it in.

Keep an eye on the fluid and if it starts to get low quickly, then you have a leak and need to take the car in for a checkup.

[Thor Sanchez]

Here's an update. Drove the car back to the dealer (Tate, in Annapolis, MD). They found a cracked boot on the rack and pinion causing a leak that had completely drained the reservoir. They replaced the rack and pinion, refilled the fluid. Everything covered under warranty, and seems to be working fine. I'm a bit concerned about damage that may have been done to the pump while driving with low fluid. My warranty expires in 2000 miles, so if it fails it'll probably be out of my pocket.

They also found a bad strut/ball joint which they replaced under warranty while they were doing the inspection.

Usually I'm quite good at checking fluids, and I've topped off the oil several times. With other cars I've religiously done all the fluid services myself. But for whatever reason (maybe MINI's free service lulled me into complacency) I never thought about the power steering fluid until the pump started whining.

[DaFlake]

Glad that you got it resolved! Sorry about the above post, I wasn't trying to beat on you about checking your fluids, but rather remind others as we do get pamperd (well you do in the USA anyway) by MINI.