MORE FREQUENTLY THAN NOT MY POWER STEERING PUMP ( I ASSUME) GROANS LIKE A CONSTIPATED GOAT...STEERING WORKS FINE AND THIS ONLY HAPPENS JUAST AFTER STARTUP AND WHEN TURNING WHEEL HARD TO LEFT OR RIGHT. 2005 CABRIO S
THANKS
BUD

 

Probably normal. The hydro-electric pumps do audibly whine when turning. More whine when you hit the stops is normal.

 

Sounds normal to me too. If you are putting your steering all the way to the lock that will make an ugly noise & IMO is not good for your car.

One other thing, your CAPS LOCK is broken.

 

Same thing happened to my wife's mini. I checked the tire pressure and found all four run-flat tires had 7 lbs in them.

32 pounds later all was well again. I hate those run-flats.

 

I was getting whining, groans, and a loud "gurgling" sound behind the dashboard. The whining was especially loud while I was turning the wheel, and the wheel would be stiff. At first, the whining and gurgling was not loud, but over the period of a month it got progressively louder and after a few weeks the steering was much stiffer.

I brought my '07 cabrio S into service at Morristown MINI in NJ, and they found that the steering pump was leaking and the associated fan had died, which was affecting the steering. They fixed it under warranty on the spot since they had the parts there (props to Morristown MINI service dept for diagnosing and fixing it fast!).

I don't know if the sounds your cabrio is making (constipated goat) were like mine (like a flushing toilet), but if you feel like your steering starts handling strange definitely get it checked out.