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A question about power steering pumps

2K views 7 replies 4 participants last post by  AldoLondon 
#1 ·
Hi guys.

I'm a newbie here and bought a Cooper S R53 2003 as a runaround.

Loving it so far however, I've only driven it on the day I picked it up as since then it has had the dreaded PAS pump failure.

I've spoken to BMW and they said they consider it on a case by case basis but I've seen that chances are slim on a 10 year plus car with 55k miles and non BMW full SH. I have to book it in and pay £100 to have it diagnosed and take it from there.

Having done some research I see that the BBA reman one is an option. I've ordered that as at the risk of paying BMW £100 and telling me where to go, I'd rather spend £260 inc labour for a BBA reman one.

However I'm now worried as to whether i've made the right decision and how long the BBA will actually last. One garage told me they are poo and to buy a genuine BMW one.

My question is for all of you who have the BBA one, hows it going? Any problems or failures again, or is it as reliable as it should be. I just don't want the car to be a garage queen where it sits there every other week.

Appreciate any thoughts and comments?
 
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#3 ·
Thanks mate. Do you know if they still retain the whine or are they quieter than previous pumps? I was reading a how to guide and if memory serves me right i think you fitted one to your car too. Has it been trouble free since?

I guess they must be really confident now because they offer a lifetime warranty, however the number of negative general reviews on their facebook was a bit offputting
 
#4 ·
Fitted one to my sons 2001 Mini and has been trouble free for 3-4 years but still retained the distinctive whine when he sold it recently to buy a JCW. Some are quieter but has no bearing on lifetime.....my 2002 Mini has original pump and has always whined loudly but I have grown to like it, part of the early Mini's character ! :D
 
#6 ·
Thanks all. Well I bought a BBA one and its working well. Only thing i've noticed that the steering is lighter but gets a bit heavier to turn when car is stationary. Is this the usual Mini characteristic?

It is still working and can here the usual Mini whine (although much quieter than old one).
 
#8 ·
My first BBA pump died after two weeks (the night before I was going to drive the mini to Le Mans Classic). BBA customer service was great and replaced it with another the next day no questions asked and I have now covered 1000 miles with the new one. The biggest pain was the inconvenience and cost of having the pump refitted.
 
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