Where to put a power steering pump in a Mini Cooper?
It’s a good idea to push the power steering fluid reservoir down towards the rack from up inside the engine compartment. This will give you more room to remove the return line. Once the pump is removed from the car, you’ll need to remove the mounting frame and transfer it onto the new pump.
What kind of fluid is used in a mini power steering pump?
Reconnect the two electrical connectors going to the pump and re-install the power steering fan. The last step is to re-fill the reservoir with fluid and bleed it. MINI specifies the use of CHF-11S fluid ONLY. This fluid is available from Pelican Parts from and is specially formulated for use with electric power steering pumps.
How much does a power steering pump replacement cost?
Power steering failure is a common complaint for Mini vehicles between 2002 and 2011. And that can be financially devastating since the average price for a pump replacement can cost $800. Scott McCracken is a writer and analyst for CarComplaints.com.
Where is the power steering pump plug located?
Remove the smaller harness plug (green arrow) from the connector on the pump (yellow arrow). Now remove the larger electrical connector towards the back of the pump by prying it out to the left. This is the main power feed to the power steering pump. Shown here are the connections for the fluid hoses going to the pump.
How to replace power steering pump in Mini Cooper?
The first step is to remove as much power steering fluid as you can from the reservoir. A siphon or even a turkey baster will work well for this task. Remove the nut securing the clamp around the reservoir (yellow arrow) and the two nuts and rubber grommets holding the bracket to the rear firewall (green arrows).
Reconnect the two electrical connectors going to the pump and re-install the power steering fan. The last step is to re-fill the reservoir with fluid and bleed it. MINI specifies the use of CHF-11S fluid ONLY. This fluid is available from Pelican Parts from and is specially formulated for use with electric power steering pumps.
Is the power steering fluid in a Mini Cooper lifetime?
This article applies to the Mini Cooper and Cooper S (2001-2006). The power steering fluid in the Mini Cooper is said to be a “lifetime” fluid capable of lasting the life of the vehicle; but if you were to examine the fluid in your power steering reservoir, chances are you would be surprised with how dirty it is.
How do you replace a power steering pump?
The green arrow shows the 13mm bolt that holds the high pressure line to the pump. Remove the bolt. The purple arrow showing the crimped on hose clamp holding the low pressure (or return) line that carries fluid back to the reservoir. Use a long flat head screwdriver to pry the hose clamp open, but don’t try to take the line off yet.