IMPORTANT. Have you had a power steering pump failure? Please vote YES or NO!!!

[NeuroBeaker]

Quote: Originally Posted by luggylugsden (original)

hi neurobeaker, my mileage is 47000, surely pump should last longer?

Yes, it should - I would deem 47,000 miles to be 'premature failure'. I think anything under 50,000 miles should stand a reasonable chance at a successful claim for assistance with the repairs.

But remember that you're out of warranty and that BMW are not obliged to help you! Have a read of my advice posts - you must ask with the right sort of tone (i.e. polite but firm, and expressing optimistic confidence in your wonderful dealer who will help you approach MINI UK for the assistance you humbly hope they will offer).

Read my advice post (as linked previously), and I really would recommend handling communications via written letter - it's very easy to be fobbed off on the phone. Letters (note: not an e-mail or phone call) are more formal, a record of your concerns/expectations, and are very difficult for dealerships/manufacturers not to take seriously.

It is very important that you do not go in guns blazing with accusations of poor quality, or to expect dealerships/BMW/MINI to have all the costs covered for you - if you do either, you're likely to get nothing. Dealerships and MINI UK are not going to fix cars out of warranty when the customer demands it as the bare-bones minimum, as it has already lasted for the previously agreed warranty period. The motivation for them to offer assistance with repairs is to score brownie points with you and steer you towards future purchases with benevolent care for your current MINI - and, out of warranty, I think they've behaved very fairly and admirably thus far to the overwhelming majority of customers who have approached them for assistance.

So, humbly request benevolent financial assistance, as you're a loyal and thus-far satisfied customer. You're just asking for help with this one specific issue as it is a known problem - while for the future you are poised to continue supporting the MINI brand with future purchase decisions. That's the way to do it.

All the best,
Andrew.

[luggylugsden]

car sorted, cooper sunderland were very helpful and contacted mini uk for me and they agreed to fit new pump with a 2 year guarantee for free , all i pay is 120 labour, great result, i am happy with that. pick car up tonite, i would like to thank NEUROBEAKER for his sound advise, cheers mate

[oldmots]

There are a few things one can do to extend the life of the pump: never turn the steering wheel to either stop and hold it there more than a second or so, never turn the steering wheel when the car is stationary, especially so if the tires are large and sticky (the strain on the pump to do this can lock the rotor, ensuring you will be replacing the pump early), keep the fluid cleanliness and level under watch and verify the cooling fan is operational. The pump could easily last 100K if it is not abused as in the above. Many people damage the pumps themselves due to their not understanding the nature of a little 12v electric motor driven hydraulic pump

[ladycool]

Well after the fiasco with my Mini cooper 2001 when psp went and I fought to get it replaced by MINIUK I have went ahead and bought another Mini...
This time a Mini One 2002 model, had it for a few weeks but notice the whine coming from steering when used is this the beginning of the end

I did report my first failure problem to VOSA and advise anyone else to do so NOW, maybe in the end they will do a recall as it is happening to often and could be disastrous for someone.
I know my car put me in danger when steering failed on motorway..

Why buy another again I hear you ask well despite this I do enjoy driving my wee Mini..
Do all Minis give off this whine or is it only when the psp is failing?

[mab01uk]

Quote: Originally Posted by ladycool (original)

Well after the fiasco with my Mini cooper 2001 when psp went and I fought to get it replaced by MINIUK I have went ahead and bought another Mini...
This time a Mini One 2002 model, had it for a few weeks but notice the whine coming from steering when used is this the beginning of the end

I did report my first failure problem to VOSA and advise anyone else to do so NOW, maybe in the end they will do a recall as it is happening to often and could be disastrous for someone.
I know my car put me in danger when steering failed on motorway..

Why buy another again I hear you ask well despite this I do enjoy driving my wee Mini..
Do all Minis give off this whine or is it only when the psp is failing?

The steering pump whine is normal and a charcteristic of the car, it does not indicate it is failing, although many of the new replacement PS pumps are much quieter. I actually like the distinctive steering whine of the first gen MINI !

[NeuroBeaker]

Quote: Originally Posted by ladycool (original)

Do all Minis give off this whine or is it only when the psp is failing?

I like the whine, it's a quirk of the car.

If it suddenly disappears, you should worry. As long as it's still singing away, you're fine.

All the best,
Andrew.

[plotstyle]

Hey Neurobeaker!

I just want to show my appreciation for you excellent advice on this subject.....
I have a super clean Mini One 52 plate with 33,000 miles on the clock - bam! power steering failure.
Way out of warranty!
Followed your step by step guide, wrote the letter, took my Mini into BMW Cooper Croydon.
They contacted mini UK who made a goodwill gesture of a new pump! All I paid was the labour!

Thanks a million for you good solid advice

Keep up the good work!
Marcus

[pollywaddle71]

I have a 2002 Cooper and the whine from the Power steering pump is very loud at slow speeds, manoevering etc. I can hear it from inside the house with windows shut above the noise of the engine.

What are the tell tale signes that the pump is about to fail? Does it get louder? Should I be checking for leaks?

Help much appreciated - thanks.

[mab01uk]

Quote: Originally Posted by pollywaddle71 (original)

I have a 2002 Cooper and the whine from the Power steering pump is very loud at slow speeds, manoevering etc. I can hear it from inside the house with windows shut above the noise of the engine.

What are the tell tale signes that the pump is about to fail? Does it get louder? Should I be checking for leaks?

Help much appreciated - thanks.

This is a very common question but no the pump whine noise is a characteristic of the MINI and does not mean the pump is failing, you can get to like it ! However the new replacement pumps seem to be quieter than the original pumps fitted. The second generation MINI uses fully electric power steering which is also much quieter in operation.
See oldmots post (number #543) above on how to prolong the life and look after your PS Pump.

[Richard Crofts]

Mine was loud from the day I collected it 3-4 years back. However mine now broke. I had it fixed at ThinkMINI at a fraction of BMW costs, and they got me a fab deal on the part cost through the local BMW dealer Robert Stern. The cars PAS is now very quiet, so the loud whine although not meaning its going to fail (mine lasted 3-4 years) is not that normal obviously, as my new one does not do it anything like as loud as my car did when i first bought it.

[murtz]

Im having the intermittant steering problem too!

I just wanted to know.. a lot of people on here have said that they have received good will gestures from Mini. Have you guys actually bought the car from Mini themselves to receive this gesture?.. the reason Im asking is because I've got mine from an independent BMW retailer.. do I have the same option?

My car is still under warranty.. hopefully I wont need to contact Mini themselves!

[mab01uk]

Quote: Originally Posted by murtz (original)

Im having the intermittant steering problem too!

I just wanted to know.. a lot of people on here have said that they have received good will gestures from Mini. Have you guys actually bought the car from Mini themselves to receive this gesture?.. the reason Im asking is because I've got mine from an independent BMW retailer.. do I have the same option?

My car is still under warranty.. hopefully I wont need to contact Mini themselves!

If the independent warranty does not cover it, you should still be ok............. MINI UK have been giving "Goodwill" payments for replacement parts even if the MINI is out of BMW warranty, provided the mileage is reasonable (approx. 40K or less) and you follow the right approach as detailed by "Neurobeaker" on here.

[murtz]

Last week the wheel went stiff again.. and I was only a few miles away from the garage so I thought I'd risk the problem and not restart the car and take it there so they cant 'deny' anything being wrong with it!

Risky.. but it paid off.. the guy stuck a computer thing in the car.. and 3 faults came up.. all to do with the motor. He restarted the car and no problems were shown on the computer! So he had to replace the pump.. and I collected the car off him yesterday and the steering is so much more smoother!

Thanks to everyone on this thread for all your help!!

[Redwytch]

Thanks for this wonderful forum, this fabulous thread and the brilliant advice on offer here I've just had my dealer on the phone to tell me that the PSP failure I had last week will be done under WT by MINI, all I have to pay is for the consumables and half the fitting price! They've also spotted a leaky thermostat gasket and will be replacing the gasket and thermostat under wt too!! Not too shabby at all for a 54K mile 3yr and 3 month old car!! Bravo MINI!!

Very impressed with the advice here, you guys have saved me a fortune!!

[fijeroo]

I just got my mini back from Woods of Bournemouth, 04 plate cooper S with 42K miles.

The steerings been intermittently failing this week, and the fault code when at the dealer showed a pump failure.

Mini UK paid for the pump and half the fitting. Total bill was £58. (and they cleaned it inside and out, how much is that worth)

Not a bad result as the cars 17 months out of warranty!