last week I jumped in my 02 MCS and the steering seemed heavy. It didn't seem like power steering was completely gone, but it was definitely very heavy when making slow turns (I'm not sure how tough it should feel with no PS at all?)

I read around here that the Power Steering could have problems if the fan isn't working and I also read that the PS pump fan and the radiator fan are linked.

The day after the PS problem started, I parked the car and the radiator fan stayed on, didn't switch off and ended up draining the battery. After jump starting, I got home and had to pull the radiator fuse to stop the fan. I waited until the car was definitely cool and plugged the fuse in again, only for the fan to spin up again (sounds like it's spinning at 100%). So I took the car back to the dealer we bought it from (Subaru Dealer). For some reason when we dropped it off, the fan did stop correctly. Subaru said the steering is fine (it's not) and they told us nothing was wrong.

It seems to me that the radiator fan issue and the PS issue happening so quickly can't be a co-incidence, does anyone know of a common component that might be acting up to cause both of these symptoms?

Also.. I'm now looking for a good mechanic for MINIs in Massachusetts if anyone has any recommendations?

Cheers,
Ant.

 

sounds like maybe a couple of things. 1. power steering pump or the knuckle on the steering shaft is starting to bind.
2. Bad radiator cooling fan, it's common when the fans go bad they stay on.

 

There were common problems with the power steering fan and radiator fans on the 2002. There was a TSB that should have been done to the car to replace the PS fan with one with a stone guard and a bit of rewiring. If your PS fan has a guard, then that was done.

Then there is a problem with the radiator fans staying on. First you should make sure your coolant is full and there is no leak at the thermostat housing. Low fluid will cause the fans to come on and stay on. But if that is not the problem then there is a resistor on the fan assembly that cannot be replaced by itself and must be done with the entire fan assembly. And if you have to pay for it yourself it can be around $600 as it is not a simple job to get at the fan.

So check the fluid level and see if there are any leaks. document to the Subaru dealer that the fans came on and stayed on so if it happens again, they pay not you.

Good luck and Motor On!

Rich

 

oh man.. sounds like this could get expensive pretty quick :(
At the moment, the steering is just a bit heavier than normal and the fans are behaving.. I might poke around and see if I can figure out if the PS fan replacement was done. It doesn't need to be fixed instantly, but I don't want it to cause more issues if I don't fix it quickly..

There are no coolant leaks, the car had an issue with the coolant leaking when we bought it but it was fixed quickly and hasn't been a problem since.

So, I guess my next question is - if the fan has fixed itself, does that still mean it could be a resistor issue and also - will on of those code reader devices give me any more info in this situation? The geek in me kinda wants to get one anyway

 

Good question and one for which I have no answer. Artoo is a 2003 and had the fans replaced at 45,000 miles. Now at around 90,000 it has been happening again and then clears in a couple of days. And I am a charter geek as well and this one has me stumped but I am prepared psychologically for a fan replacement. The Mini techs all say that if the coolant full and not leaking, switch the fan relay in the engine bay to see if that changes anything. It usually doesn't and the only way to get the fans fixed (they obviously work as they are on HIGH) is to replace the assembly at around $200 for the parts and $400 for labor.

There are a lot of threads on this and a couple of detailed instructions around but at minimum it requires the bumper cover, bumper to be removed and the radiator and condenser to be loosened. It scares me to even think of it. So if you can get it done under your warranty period, that would be good.

Rich