I've read a few alarmist threads about the achilles' heel properties of the MINI's power steering fan. Apparently its position is such that flying road debris can find its way over to it and jam it. I also read that the 2005 MCS has a plastic shield over it that either helps or does very little to help this situation. I found a few aftermarket stainless steel fan shields that were reasonably priced so I was thinking about acquiring one. But first I thought I'd check out the situation on my own 2005 MCS (convertible). After popping the "bonnet" I looked near, beside and even behind the radiator for this "weak link". I couldn't find anything even resembling a fan beyond some heiroglyphics that suggested that there was a fan deep inside the radiator and for that reason I shouldn't store any of my ties there.

I was, however, looking from the top of the engine and not from beneath. So the dumb question is this: Where the heck is the power steering fan? Thanks for your help.

 

Jack up the front, look under

 

My understanding from talking with a Mini tech (after my fan failed on my first Mini and it overheated stranding me on a busy highway... ) is that road debris is not the primary cause of failure - it's water. He said the fan is not completely water proof (way to source those parts BMW! ) and will short if immersed or hit with a major splash from below. Watch those big puddles!

Good news is that the PS fan circuit is now isolated from the engine cooling fan. That was not the case on my 02 - hence the over-heating incident.

 

I would recommend purchasing the aftermarket SS guard. They are available for around $30 and install in 10 minutes. This addition will not safeguard you from water but will protect you from all solid materials on the road. Definitely a worthwhile minimod.....

 

Your '05 has a power steering fan grille (located on the underside of the engine, just in front of the oil pan). There's no need to buy anything aftermarket.

 

Just don't drive it in the rain.

 

While the new style fan has a plastic screen/guard (somewhat) protecting it from inhaling debris, the fan still suffers from the same design fault as the original, and that's the impeller (blade) which forms a cup around the motor. This is not generally a problem (the radiator fan is designed the same way, and this design can be found on almost any electric radiator fan on a car nowadays) except in the case of the PS fan. The fan is mounted at a low angle, with the open end of the 'cup' surrounding the motor facing upwards. As you drive on wet roads, the water will find it's way into the 'cup' and essentially soak the motor. Since this fan does not come on very often (especially when driving in the rain, since this cools everything nicely) there is not very much chance of the motor running and 'slinging' the water out of the cup. Instead, it sits there, collecting dirt and corroding the bearings and eventually locking up the motor.

When this motor locks, in most cases the circuit controlling it AND the radiator fan is taken out when the fuse blows. The radiator fan will no longer run when the engine gets hot or when the a/c is running. In many cases, you wont realize this, because in normal driving, the airflow over the car is more than enough to cool everything. It's when you are sitting in traffic that the cooling system has no means of removing the heat and the car will eventually overheat.

I predict that there will be one more 'redesign' of this little fan before it's all said and done, and the '06 cars will do away with the electro-hydro power steering and instead go to a more conventional engine-driven pump (it's cheaper).

Those who put lengthened skid plates as well as the perforated guard on the fan actually deflect some of the water being thrown at the assembly, lengthening the life of the fan. Eventually though, depending on the amount of road dirt and/or water the underside of the car sees, the fan will collect enough crap despite the add-on guards and bite the big one and need to be replaced.

 

Like I said... just don't drive in the rain.

 

Driving home yesterday and noticed a HOWL coming from under the car. I've heard the fan noise before, but this was LOUD! Sure enought with a little investigation, it did turn out to be a very noisy PS fan. I've a 7:30AM appt at the dealership on Monday morning.

 

3 comments.
Some time in 2003 the power steering fan was put on a different fuse than the main fan so a PS fan failure won't take out the main cooling fan.

In 2004 the fan comes standard with a grill / guard / screen, call it what you like.

One poster on this site discovered that his fan had fallen off, and it had no detrimental effect on the car, he was fighting with his dealer to have it replaced. I THINK he said he found out that the first cars did not even have a PS fan.

How many turns per mile would you have to do to get the power steering fluid or motor hot anyway? ( Dragon?)

JD

 

...more like, just don't drive into any lakes or enormous bodies of water. Rain is fine.

 

Thought I'd post a picture for those that haven't seen the PS fan. Mine is a March 03 build MCS and they had already split the PS and radiator fan circuits so it must have been done quite early in 03 :smile: .

It does seem like quite an odd design as most cars with electro hydraulic power steering that I've seen get away without having a cooling fan

 

Well, happened to me last night. I have the MossMini shield on it, but it froze up, blew the 5 amp fuse, and caused the car to overheat in traffic. It's an 'O2 -S-. I guess this being only the second fault with the car in 75k I have nothing to complain about.


But I would like to increase my comfort level a bit. Has anybody found a way to fuse this fan so it blows before the fuse in common with the radiator fan goes? Perhaps some kind of in-line fuse? I change my oil ever 5k, which in my case is about 2.5 - 3 months, and I usually examine the fan whilst I'm under there, but I guess that won't cut it. Would be nice if I could fuse it and just check that.

 

I think there is a fix for this that your dealer can install. Basically just a new wiring harness for the PS fan. Pretty sure this was done to my 02 after the same thing happened.

 

someone else has a thread about this and i gave them a mod to rewire the fan
ah sure here it is again
but if the dealer has a fix then go with that
if not here is a diagram to change the wiring

 

Just wanted to chime in on when the PS fan got a shield: it was some time during the production of 04's. Mine was built in September 03 and did not have a fan shield. Everyone I know who bought their 04 in 2004 has a fan shield.

So don't go thinking your fan is safe just because you have an 04.

 

They must have started about that time. Mine was built 9/11/2003 and it has a plastic fan shield.

John

 

March 03 build S I believe mine has the guard already on it. I will look tonight.

 

12/20/02 build came with the plastic shield

 

mine is 10 JAN 03 no plastic shield

what if i removed the fan and drilled holes in the front maybe two holes and if the water gets behind the fan it will simply drain away????
any thoughts

 

You risk unbalancing it though unless you are very precise where you put the holes :smile: