Power steering pump

[PatricK91]

Ive tried the search but i cant seem to find what im looking for.
My girlfriend has a 2002 mini one, the power steering gave up on her last week,
If i start the car select first gear and go to move off, the power steering does not work

If i start the car and select reverse and then first gear, the power steering does work.

Basiacally it doesnt work till you select reverse, and seems to work fine afterwards, but have only done short journeys,

Anyway.. I replaced the pump last night with a reconditiond unit from bba reman, and its still doing the exact same thing.
my girlfriend refuses to drive the car till its fixed haha.
Any help would be much appreciated
Thanks
Patrick

[mab01uk]

I am struggling to think what the connection between your power steering pump and selecting reverse gear is.......

Not sure how the selection of reverse can help give power to the ps pump motor, is a gear selector cable or linkage touching power cables to the pump, or the reversing light activation linked in somehow......keep us informed.???

[PatricK91]

Right well i left it over night and played around a bit more the next day, im not sure what i did but it started working, i drove it round the block a few times and it all seemed fine, everything working as it should..

However, my girlfriend took it home and when she went to it the next morning the battery was compleatly flat, i charged the battery today and started the car, the steering works fine still but the pump continues runnung once the ignition is switched off, i know this is a sign of a failing pump but ive just replaced it. Im begginng not to like it now haha, any suggestions?

[mab01uk]

As you say running on is one of the known faults of a failing ps pump, if left running they can overheat badly and even catch fire before the battery goes flat!

As not everything is replaced on reconditioned pumps they can occasionally be faulty out the box despite testing and it sounds like the electronic control circuits/components built into the pump motor have failed. I would ask BBA Reman for further advice on what is best to do next.

Quote from link below:
"the motor casing encloses a small controller circuit card that, because it is enclosed, is readily subject to failure due to heat, conductive brush dust, or both (and as Matt states, the more accumulation of dust, the worse the heat problem becomes) — shorts in this card leads to the observed strange behavior of the pumps as they fail, such as continuing to run after engine shut down."
Power Steering Pump replacement - Forums