Yes I no there is a low speed resistor thread that is already a sticky, but it cover's 2002 - 2008 with some members posting info when they don't even know if they have a 2002-2003 early build before March 2003 or built after March 2003.

So, let's start over.

Below is the fuse box from a 2003 Late production of March 2003 to 2008




If your fuse box has the above relays in the fuse box, then you have the 2003-2008 system.

This means the radiator fan has the resistor mounted on it, but no relay as it is inside the fuse box.

 

Now, my power steering quit recently and the following morning the power steering was working again.

With the power steering is working, I know the relay and 30 amp fuse are good.

With the motor running and the A/C on, the high speed fan comes on and then off and then back on and off in short spurts. This seems to show the low speed resistor is bad.

The low speed fan and the power steering fan never came on while testing.

I would like to jumper the resistor to see if the power steering fan would then run.

I am wondering if I can get to the two wires for the resister without pulling the whole front bumper off the car.

 

You could bypass the resistor by disconnecting the 3-wire plug/harness.
Then connect the pins with a jumper as follows:
connect ground to ground (brown wire's socket to black wire's pin), and thin red/green (engine side socket)
to thick red (fan side pin).
This would result in the fan coming on (at high speed) when its supposed to come on at low speed,
but then nothing would happen when the high speed is called for.

 

The resistor irself is mounted on the fan....not accessable with it in place. Typically the resisror melts (it is just a coil of high resistance wire wound around a ceramic core...
the resistor melts/burns out, removing the path of power to the fan on lowspeed...
To do any homebrew fix (including replaving the resistor, bypassing it, or replacing the fan), you basicly have to yank the fan....
The wires going to the fan DO pass through the connector (round plug/plugs) at the top of the fan and (on unmodified pre 2005 model year cars) a ps fan pump connector...relocated, when the power scource is relocated to to a seperate fuse IN the car that it shares with the optional backup sensor.
If you do not see a 2 pronged, ovalish (square with rounded edges) connector next too/near the fan connector, you need yo check a seperate fuse IN THE CAR.
When the dealer does the mod, the connector on the fan is cut off (A NEW FAN WILL STILL HAVE IT, BUT IT IS NO LONGER USED), and the fan is plugged in elsewhere....the looks just like the ones on the fan....
Many cars were modifed by dealers to meet this model year 2005 standard....
The ps fan should turn on with a 30 second delay after yhe hi speed yurns on....short cycling means checking it without a shop tool might not happen....
But the fan is bad...car is running hotter than needed, and the ac pump is running VERY HI PREASURES, shortening its life.....
New fan is about $100, and the bumper cover/bumper removal is about a 30 min job....no real tools...just a ratchest, screwdricer, and a torix bolt or two...typical easy diy stuff.

 

Thanks Cristo and Zippy

While the low speed fan is an issue, my main problem is the PS shutting down on me do to the PS fan not working.

If I have to pull the front off to replace the resistor, I'll go ahaed and replace the whole fan.

I still don't like the PS fan being controlled by the radiator fans.

I may still install an additional relay and wire the PS Fan to come on when ever the motor is running, whether the coolant in the radiator is at operating temp or not.

 

If I recall correctly, MINIs up to 12/02 only activate the PS fan when 2nd stage cooling fan is called. Onwards, PS fan turns on w/ 1st & 2nd stage cooling fan relays.
Many have jumped on the resistor replacement when you can simply milk more life out your OEM by this simple mod BLWN mentions on post 16 here:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-resistor.html

You may opt for no resistor, cooler A/C & engine.

 

I am still troubleshooting my power steering issues and trying to get this straight. My radiator fan no longer runs at low speed, but comes on at high speed at the appropriate times. So the fan motor is not the problem.

However, my PS fan runs REGARDLESS of the radiator fan operation. If the AC is switched on, the PS fan comes on (while the radiator fan does not).

So is the PS fan really controlled by the radiator fans? My situation would imply that it isn't.

 

No, it's controlled by the same circuit. Having no Low Speed doesn't mean no signal is being sent to the fan. Power is sent but to a busted resistor, hence low won't work. PS fan isn't routed thru that bad resistor, that's why it still works when low is supposedly called.