Power Steering Noise?

[AlpineWhiteE46]

Does anyone get a weird "hissing" sound that's pretty loud when they turn their steering wheel all the way to one side or the other? I know the car tends to work a little harder when steering while the car is still, but this noise is pretty darn loud.

Just wondering if this is something I should have the dealer check out right away...

[97alpineM3]

I get that noise when my fluid is low.... have you check lately?...

[AlpineWhiteE46]

Very interesting...first of all, my car is only 6K miles old and if it's low, there's a problem...which leads me to an interesting point: I've noticed that sometimes after a long drive, there's something dripping underneath the car that seems to fizzle upon contact on the ground. Does power steering fluid do this? I'm not sure what the make-up of power steering fluid is...

[Slvr e39]

I found this site, Click Here and they gave a warning that said

CAUTION: Do not overfill the power steering reservoir. Fluid overflow, foaming, and possible system damage may occur.

That sounds like this stuff is pretty acidic or something, I'll keep looking for some other evidence that that is in fact power steering fluid

[Slvr e39]

No more about the fluid but I did find this warning also

Warnings:
Power steering fluid does not get "used up" - other than a leak, there's no reason that the fluid should be low. Fill the reservoir to the proper level and check frequently if you find it low. If it continues to be low, check for leaks and go see your mechanic. An empty power steering pump can be damaged very quickly and is costly to replace.

[Slvr e39]

My advice is check your power steering fluid to make sure that is in tact, I would say either way take it to a dealer

[AlpineWhiteE46]

Interesting stuff...I'll check the power steering fluid...anyone here know where to find it? As to be expected, the owner's manual doesn't specify the location...

[Slvr e39]

Have u checked under the hood for anything in plain view? I will check my M3 tommorrow and if I find anything i will take a pic....

[Slvr e39]

Hey alpine, were you in Saratoga today? I saw a whiteM3 and just thought of you for some weird reason. Although, there are probably over 100 white M3's in saratoga alone...LOL too many M3's around here