# 2005 MINI COOPER S — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
> NHTSA complaint `917376` · 2012-05-04 · BMW of North America, LLC
## Severity
- **Deaths:** 0
- **Injured:** 0
- **Fire:** Yes
- **Crash:** No
- **Police report:** No
- **Medical attention:** No
- **Vehicle towed:** No
## Vehicle
- **Make:** MINI
- **Model:** COOPER S
- **Year:** 2005
- **Manufacturer:** BMW of North America, LLC
- **Component:** ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
- **Miles at failure:** 59,930
## Narrative
VEHICLE FIRE 5/2/2012.  CAR PARKED FOR 4 HRS.  RETURNED TO CAR & DROVE IT <50 YARDS FOR ~2 MINUTES (MOVED IT FROM STREET TO PARKING LOT).  TURNED IT OFF AND WENT IN STORE.  RETURNED ~4 MINUTES LATER, NOTICED SMOKE/EXHAUST SMELL; PRESUMED IT WAS ADJACENT CAR.  UNLOCKED CAR.  CAR WOULD'T START (NO LIGHTS/ELECTRICAL AT ALL).  I THEN NOTICED WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM HOOD.  OPENED HOOD THEN NOTICED FLAME/FIRE INSIDE ENGINE COMPARTMENT.  WENT IN STORE, GOT FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND PUT FIRE OUT. INVOICE WAS >$3500 FROM MINI DEALER.  THE DEALER'S ASSESSMENT:  "VERIFIED POWER STEERING PUMP HAS OVERHEATED TO THE POINT WHERE IT HAS BURNED UP INTERNALLY AS WELL AS EXTERNALLY (MELTING ALL  THREE CONNECTORS AND THE WIRING LEADING TO THEM). INSPECTED  POWER STEERING COOLING FAN AND VERIFIED COOLING FAN IS  SEIZING UP WHICH VERY LIKELY LED TO THE OVERHEATING AND  EVENTUAL FAILURE OF THE POWER STEERING PUMP. REMOVED ENGINE  COMPARTMENT FUSE BOX TO EXAMINE MEGAFUSE POWERING THE POWER  STEERING PUMP, FUSE IS INTACT AND DID NOT BURN UP. INSPECTED  POWER STEERING PRESSURE HOSE AND IT APPEARS THE RUBBER  SECTION OF THE POWER STEERING PRESSURE LINE WAS SUBJECTED TO  THE HEAT/MELTING OF THE MAIN POWER CONNECTOR (IT'S IN VERY  CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE CONNECTOR) AND IT APPEARS THE HOSE  HAS TAKEN A LEVEL OF DAMAGE FROM THE HEAT. RECOMMEND  REPLACEMENT OF POWER STEERING PUMP, THE WIRING  SECTION/CONNECTOR PIGTAIL FROM THE FUSE BOX (THIS IS THE  MAIN POWER CONNECTOR), THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS (CONTAINS  TWO
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*Source: [NHTSA ODI](https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/downloads/) · AI Analytics · CC0 1.0*