MINI Steering Pump Failure

[GB1]

How many of you have had a Steering Pump failure with a first generation MINI?

 

[JFeher]

Steering pump?

 

[jessebogan]

I am guessing you mean the "new" mini. I don't own one, but service a few. The pumps fail due to the low rent cooling fan employed. Check that the fan is free of debris on a regular basis. It is my understanding that some folks are plumbing in a small cooler and losing the fan completely. I have not tried this yet, but it is on my list. Use the correct fluid..... and yes, they fail with annoying regularity.

 

[GB1]

Yes caps get there "MINI" and me 72 doesn't haave this prob lol

 

[LarryK]

I had an oil leak and found one of the crimp connections on the hoses was seeping. Replaced all hoses and reservoir and refilled with the prescribed hydralic oil. I find what failures I have seen is from adding wrong fluid and driving thru water which shorts the fan and overheats the pump. I use a rock guard on mine and a full skid plate and have done solos and pdxs and time trials and 3 years of a full schedule of road rallying with 2 trips to Fla and 1 to PA without a glitch. I have 71K on the 03 S with 30+K competition miles. If my pump would go I would just replace it and go on as most of your new small cars now have the same system. Rebuilts are in the neighborhood of $450 and not hard to replace. New MINIs aren't cheap as they are BMWs.