MINI Cooper Power Steering Pump

All modern MINI Cooper use a Pump to maintain consistent effort required for steering .  These pumps are a critical part of the car and failure can result in a very serious accident. When you even think the pump is going bad, replacement is the only safe action to take.

The Power steering pump on the first generation MINI Cooper has been a very well documented problem point. The Pump in the MINI is not a very common design as it is driven by an electric motor instead of the more common belt drive. While this saves power from the engine, the electric motor generates too much heat with the resulting deterioration of the hydraulic fluid.

The first thing you notice is the fluid in the pump will have very small metallic debris in it. Once you see this it is only a matter of time before the entire Power Steering Pump will need to be replaced. We would suggest that you check your fluid at least a couple times per year and in fact should change the fluid at least once per year simply as a safety measure to prolong the life.