The ps pumps don't always fail completely but sometimes work on and off intermittently for a while......once you have had the first warning of impending failure you should get it replaced as it will only get worse. Powerflex bushes should make no difference to the power steering pump.
Many known problems.
- pump won't spool up to full speed (wire fallen off the back of the alternator - causes the ECU some confusion)
- power connector falls off the back of the pump (had this happen at 60mph heading into a big sweeping bend after crossing a railway line).
- total failure of the pump (doesn't come back to life)
I drove into work fine and parked, have just gone to my car started the engine went to pull away and the steering feels like I am trying to drive a 20 ton truck with flat tyres. The steering lock is not on, the engine sounds fine there are no leaks under the car and I can go backwards and forwards just cannot turn the steering wheel. Thank goodness I was not on a roundabout when this happened. Reading through the forum it looks like I am going to be hit with an £800 bill plus recovery. AGGGGGGGGGGGHHHH
BMW 2003 Mini Cooper chilli pack less than 50000 miles on the clock
BMW are now fixing most of these under 'goodwill' if you ask the Dealer to claim and the pump can easily be replaced for much less than £800 at a good independent garage.
Hi, I have a mini cooper S 2005, I have my power steering pump failure but i have some weird problem around that. Some light who stay on while the car is off ( some time headlight, sometime back light and always odometer light).
In the middle of winter my steering begin to be hard to turn and maybe 1 month later the battery get off charge on a night. I had made some battery and alternator test and all seem to be good. An electrical specialist tell me its a instrument cluster module that fail and take charge from 70 minutes after the car stop and that i have to unplug fuse 21 when i stop my car to keep my battery up. he also tell me that i have to go to BMW to update that cluster or replace it. So I had make some test while unplug the fuse 21 and the battery still goes off charge. So I store my mini to get enough money to make it repair (124$/ hour... they dont give it).
Last week, A contact of a friend tell me that power steering pump could make those electrical problem and ask me to unplug the pump to make some test.
Last Saturday I had unplug the pump and plug my battery on again, full charge. When i had unplug the pump the odometer light had turn off (good news). Monday night I goes back to my car to see if it stay some charge on battery, so i tried to start the car and nothing happen.
What could going on in that car? Is the only power steering fail can cause all that even if its unplug?
Oh!! and i forgot to mention that my keyless don't work since the first time my i have unplug my battery.
Last edited by Maxblade; May 8th, 2012 at 11:00 PM.
just had a call off my better half saying that just as she got to work(20 miles away) her power steering had stopped working. her car is a 2003 mini one with 70000 miles on it and i was wondering what our chances are with bmw sorting it out as a goodwill gesture?
Hello, will they fix it for free? I live in the US and I called my nearest MINI dealer and they said they had no recall for it. I haven't been able to drive it and I am really missing my MINI. Thanks.
Call or visit your local/nearest Mini Dealer who will confirm/diagnose the fault then ask them to contact MINI HQ in the UK (or USA) for authorisation to carry out the repair for free or at a discount depending on the mileage/age of your Mini.
An nearly 10 year old car with 70000 miles, I wouldnt expect them to do anything actually, things dont last forever although it appears we hope they will.
If you sold the car to someone else and it went wrong the week after, would you fix it as a good will gesture for the new owner because he bought it off you?
I think most people would say its a bit of hard luck pal, just one of those things.
I had a 2003 MCS from 2006 until 2009, at which point I bought a Mk1 TT and gave the MCS to my dad. The MCS is very well looked after by an independent and has given him no problems whatsoever (unlike myself with the TT!).
Today, I decided to treat both parents to a lovely meal around 60 miles from home, so we headed out in the MCS (TT having insufficient rear leg room). As we were around 50 miles away (typically, in the countryside!), the PSP failed. Long story short, and we've now had it recovered to the local Mini dealership.
The MCS had full Mini SH until the TLC ran out in January 2008, and has been serviced by reputable independents ever since. I rang Mini Customer Service from the roadside (nothing better to do!) and I have a reference number. I am, however, prepared for a fight, should that be necessary, and have done some research since getting home. I'm a solicitor, so am perfectly prepared to take this to court should the goodwill gesture not be forthcoming.
I'm more than a little peeved that I voted on this poll back when I had the car, and said that I had never had the failure. Shame I can't change my vote now!
I shall post back in due course as to the outcome anyway. BMW would do well to remember the old saying: Good news travels far; bad news travels further. What price reputation, eh?
Gents (& Ladies!) Just joined this site after purchasing my R53 2003 MCS. Have had this sort of problem happen to me three times already, but it has not stuck on. power steering went off (all three times while idle and manouvering), satnav/aircon went off then back on and power was restored to the powersteering. Is this an issue some people are aware of? I see a post above mentioning "pump won't spool up to full speed (wire fallen off the back of the alternator - causes the ECU some confusion)" which seems to be it - could anyone expand on this? BTW, have taken it to the mini official dealer who quoted me 600£ to replace the pump, but then again I wouldnt really want to trust them too much after being disappointed by their inspection as much as their prices! Any help here appreciated to pinpoint the problem before i take it to another mechanic.. (Based in London UK should you wish to point me in any direction) Cheers!
Well, girls and boys, it's good news. All credit to BMW, power steering pump replaced for free, with only the cost of the diagnostic to pay. Now we all know that the diagnostic fee is just a legalised fiddle, but who would rather pay around £550 for the whole thing, than £100 or so for a diagnostic alone?
So, for those who, like me, lurk around places like this, soaking up information about such faults and fixes, ready to leap into action should the car so much as hiccup, here are the MCS' vital statistics:
9 years old, 53 reg
Built August 2003
95k miles
Manufacturers warranty expired August 2006
TLC pack expired January 2008
Serviced by an independent ever since
Well done BMW - what a super advert for your customer care. My only suggested improvements would be to lose the diagnostic fee (I diagnosed it for you, so why charge?! We all know it's a sham!) and for them to have issued a recall (like the Canadian tingent have done for this same fault) so that we wouldn't have had to go through this in the first place, and have the worry of our cars being razed to the ground, as some others have (some seriously horrific stories in America!).
So if your PSP goes, get your MINI flat bedded to your dealer and let them sort it.
And now...back to the independent she will go for all future work!
LinkBack to this Thread: http://www.mini2.com/forum/first-generation-faults-fixes/49527-important-have-you-had-power-steering-pump-failure-please-vote-yes-no.html
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Steering failure 
