The cooling fan is definitely a design defect. I bought new a 2007 S convertible. In 3 years and 37,000 miles the fan has burned out 4 times. The trouble in the convertible is that when the fan seizes is blows the fuse that also controls the reverse sensors. The only way to know if the fan is dead is when the beeping stops. Found out the hard way by backing into a parked car. The dealer was willing to disconnect the fan saying it wasn't really needed. Duh! I have waited for service when another customer got a quote to replace the power steering pump for thousands of dollars.

I have asked for a fix not a replacement fan. I have also asked for reimbursement of my insurance deductible. We shall see.

 

I just installed the fan shroud that was not included on my used '02 MCS (Feb build). Funny how it's a BMW certified part but you cannot buy them at the dealership. Moss sent me one easy enough.

Being that this is a very old issue, I can only wonder what the warranty list looked like for this car. I've heard the early models did not have it but why wouldn't the dealership put on a fan shroud over the course of it's warranty? Do they like throwing money away? This is the Pac NW so I'd put money on the it being replaced before.

Oh well, it's "fixed" for now.

Maybe I'll start an all-weather sealed fan business...

 

Asking for a insurance deductible is a bit much......be sure to look out the window when you back-up....no matter what gizimos's you have.
And besides that....what are you doing using more than the first 2/3's of the parking spot?! If you back in all the way, someone who is not paying attention may try to pull in and hit your car ....so most MINI drivers I know tend to park so the end of their car matches up with the other cars they are next too...rather than all the way in!!
And if the dealer offered to just disconnect the fan....they are full of BS...Call MINI USA and tell them....the dealer is just too cheap to warranty it!! I would never trust that dealership with my car again!!
I'd bet you money that the dealer is just cleaning out the old fan, installing a new fuse, and sending you back out! (This is just a short term fix...a NEW fan should last a long time, no problems). That is why the fan keeps on seizing.....it just sounds like a bad dealer.....the fans, especially when they have the OEM duct retro-fit that the Cabriolet's came with is pretty reliable when they are shielded from road grime and rocks.

 

Before I discovered this thread, I ordered a power steering fan replacement -- not the metal housing, just the fan. The fan I got looks just like the one on the left in your (Gil-galad's) picture. But my metal housing is just like the one on the right (I have 2004 MCS), and my old fan is identical to the one on the right. So, there is no bracket for mounting the extra electronics box. Has anyone dealt with this? I can return the fan and buy the assembly with the metal housing for about $180. Has anyone found a simple way to secure the electronics box in the old metal housing?

 

I was checking on my PS fan today (2006 MCS) and found the fuse blown (F40-5amp fuse) after reading about fan problems. My fan was stuck and I turned the blades until it turned smoothly. Checked on EBay for a replacement fan and found this one for $38 and is the same part number that was a replacement in a MINI blog about failure of PS fan.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/SPAL-...item2c5e191970
I keep seeing replacement cost of about $115 for this same motor from MINI or other part dealers. Same fan but way cheaper.

 

I had already purchased the PS fan off eBay. I paid $115. I ended up installing it without securing the electronics box. Turns out the wiring is stiff and short, and it fits in a pretty tight spot, so I don't think it will be a problem. We'll see. It was very easy to install and the result has been amazing. Before, whenever I turned on the A/C, after a few seconds there would be a loud whining noise that sounded like it was coming from the dash. It made driving with the A/C on sheer misery. With the new fan, everything is nice and quiet again. After replacing the radiator fan and the PS fan, my "certified used" MINI is where it should have been when I bought it.