No power steering, wipers on, speedometer - MINI Cooper Forum

Pau1GTI · #1 (**permalink**) Jan 19th, 2013, 05:05 PM

Good afternoon guys,

Hoping for some advice. My mother has a 2007 BMW mini copper and it has developed a intermittent fault recently.

Sometimes when you start the car it start up ok but the power steering has stopped working, the wipers are on and you can't turn them off, the speedometer is reading fully clockwise, the rev counter is the same and also the fuel gauge.

If you leave the car for 10 mins or so it will start up and be fine, or sometimes you can start it 10 mins later at it will be the same. Leave it for a while and it will be back to normal.

I checked all the ECU/fuse connections for water ingress but it all looked fine. We have snow at the moment and it is very wet so thought it could be that.

When the fault is present, the powers steering, engine management light is on.

Also the engine sounds like it is labouring when it does this, and once it's back to normal it sounds ok!

If its is electrical, how would that stop the power steering from working? Any ideas would be much appreciated.

Thanks
Paul

Pau1GTI · #2 (**permalink**) Jan 21st, 2013, 09:21 PM

Any help on this guys?

mab01uk · #3 (**permalink**) Jan 21st, 2013, 09:55 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Pau1GTI (original)

If its is electrical, how would that stop the power steering from working? Any ideas would be much appreciated.

Thanks
Paul

The power steering on 2nd Gen/Mk2 Mini's is fully electric assisted with no conventional ps pump, unlike the 1st Gen/Mk1 Mini which still has a hydraulic pump with fluid but driven by an electric motor.

Electrical problems can therefore stop both types of power steering systems working. On cars where the hydraulic ps pump is driven by a belt off the engine, then electrical failures would have no effect as long as the engine is running.

Pau1GTI · #4 (**permalink**) Jan 22nd, 2013, 09:55 PM

Ah thanks for confirming that mate. I did suspect that when I happened but wasn't 100% sure.

Any ideas on where water would get into the electrics?

Thanks
Paul

mab01uk · #5 (**permalink**) Jan 22nd, 2013, 10:40 PM

On the Gen 1 Mini it is often down to the BC1 (Body Control Module) see details in link below. However I have not heard much about a similar problem on Gen 2 Mini's and I am personally not so familiar with them as yet in order to advise you.
The BC1 (Body Control Unit) - Forums

Pau1GTI · #6 (**permalink**) Jan 22nd, 2013, 10:52 PM

Massive help thanks.