Scary Screeching noise

[Nadsam]

Hi all

Just recently my 1993 E36 318i has started to make screeching noise....only when my front wheels are turned to the maximum right or maximum left...basically only when at full turn. It does so when my BMW is idling as well (what I mean is that the noise isn't just there while in motion but also while sationary. Its not belt related I'm sure but has the same kind of screech sound. Please tell me where I should look for the fault or what it might be ??

Kind Regards

Nadsam

[M3Daemon]

Check your power steering fluid. Check if there is enough and whether the fluid is burned (black instead of clear), you might have to change it. If all of the previous is ok you might have a bad power steering pump.
Hope that helps.

Daemon

[Nadsam]

I'll definetly check those , THX

[bitcore]

Watch the engine RPMs as you turn the wheel, and watch them dip as you turn the wheels all the way to either direction. This is the power steering pump suddenly having a large load to deal with because of how power steering works. The wheels reach the end of their turning travel, but the system keeps trying to turn them, causing the extra "load."
Every car with this type of power steering does this; some pumps just make a really loud noise once they have this huge, unchanging load to pump through, If adding\changing fluid does not help, either take it to a mechanic and have him check the belt tensioner to see if its the belt squealing on the pump's pulley due to the extra resistance, or have the pump replaced\repaired.

I recommend you don't turn the wheels *all the way* for long periods of time as the system was not designed to do this. (hence the loud noise) (EX: when you have to turn ALL THE WAY, do so, and turn back maybe, 10-20 degrees to ease the load on the power steering system and proceed with your turn as if you weren’t able to turn that far in the first place. That’s what I do.)