[what?!]

ok, so i drove my friend's 04 mini cooper and i think i broke her power steering or something.

so i was driving and showing her how to downshift and revmatch. then i decided to take the car out to see what it could do. i was gonna try and hairpin rally stylee w/ the handbrake and all of a sudden, the power steering goes dead. we make it back to my house and pop the hood. i look for blown fuses and stuff (why do they have to friggin use ONLY pictures??) and nothing. so i put em back and start the car...that's when it starts making this wierd sort-of, whining/hissing sound. NO LEAKS. what's wierd is that the power steering actually worked a little better that time around. it just kept making that wierd sound even while driving around.

so i park the car and turn it off. still, no leaks, but the car's still making the whining sound. what could it be? i pop the power steering resovoir and it looks like the liquid is circulating...even while the car's off! i try to see if it's a fan or something but the engine bay's so damn cramped it's not even funny...

ok, i think her car has an electric power steering...i also think that the newer civics (ep3) have it too...so what could it be?!?!?!? HELP PLEASE, because we're goin to the dealership tomorrow and i have a feeling that i'ma be bent over backwards over gettin this fixed...

oh, i read the recalls, and i think it may be either the diode/PS tech service action 610403 on page 2 or SI M 32 01 04 Steering and Wheel Alignment June 2004 Technical Service...i'm just not sure. anyone have actual experience w/ this?? the car was bought ~March 04 in the US