spun off the road today onto some smooth grass - thankfully!
used a fair amount of opposite lock to control the spin and upon moving off a horrible sound was coming from under the bonnet. sounds like the steering pump - pitch rises and falls with engine speed. slight vibration through steering aswell.
anyone got a solid idea what it is? i'm putting it down to the pump unless some other gem of knowlege puts me onto something else.

thanks keith

 

Fill up your power steering fluid. It may look full but you'll be surprise with how much more fluid is needed to top it up..

 

thanks, i'll give it a go. fluids gotta be cheaper than £285 plus the vat for a new pump!!
here's hoping
keith

 

certainly ain't fluid - filled to the fill level and noise/vibration persists. had a right good look at it once i'd gotten over the panicky "oh no whats gone wrong now stage" the pully is vibrating so it's the front bearing for definate .
more mod money spent on keeping the blinking thing running - whats new eh? LOL
thanks katana just wished you'd been right!

keith