Turning makes a moaning sound
 

Lately the car has been making a moaning sound sometimes, when I turn left or right. Usually in low speed, and especially if I hadn't been driving it for a few days.
I can't say I have heard it when I when I have been driving for hours.
I noticed the mineral oil reservoir level had dropped a little.
A little under half between min and max. So not very low.
I filled it up thinking that might be causing it.

There is a leak on the left side of the car. I saw that when I had the front wheels off. I suspect it must be the steering wheel pump.
As there is so much oil on the car, I guess that is why I didn't see a big puddle under the car. See photo.

Now I am worried that I will be embarrassing everybody if my car starts moaning in every turn I make :o

Very common for the power steering pressure hoses to fail in that area since they get sprayed with dirty water. Not too bad a job to change them on LHD. Not fun, but easier than RHD!

Does it stop moaning when the reservoir is up to max?

No it didn't.
But I haven't been driving much at all the past two weeks.

The car had this sound when I first bought it over a year ago. Then I replaced all the arms in the front suspension and started using the car regularly. And I believed that had fixed it as well. Because I didn't hear any more moaning.

Then I was without a job for 6 weeks in March-April. Again, only doing short trips to the shop.
The moaning returned at times, but not often, during that period and after.

Will it take any more fluid with the engine running?

I don't know if this is the correct (or even recommended) procedure, but I found that mine would continue to take fluid with the engine running, presumably because there was air in the system that would only be expelled with the pump running.

In fact when my power steering hoses first developed a leak, I wasn't sure what was leaking, only that something was because I would occasionally get plumes of smoke coming from under bonnet whenever it dripped onto the exhaust manifold. The power steering reservoir always seemed to be at about the correct level when I checked it. It was only when the power steering started groaning, and I tried putting more fluid in with the engine running, that I found it was a litre or so short.

I can't see that the level drops when the engine is running. Even when I turn the wheel right and left. I am only supposed to fill the reservoir up to max right, not until it is full?
Perhaps a long drive will again drop the level, and the moaning goes away again.

I am not sure either, where exactly the leak is.

You could try filling it. I think mine only started drawing the fluid in when it was at max or higher. I would frequently fill it the top. If it drops back down to max or below when you fill it, see if it'll take some more. The reservoir just slides out I believe, so it would be easy to remove some fluid if you find it makes no difference. In fact I suppose lifting the reservoir a little might have the same effect as overfilling, helping it to draw the fluid in.

I will try that then, and see if it helps. Thank you :)

Also woth checking oil level in centre differential as torsen can make noise when turning especially if it's low on oil

I tried to top it up. Seemed to be sucking in a bit more oil, but I didn't notice any change. And I doubt very much that it could be the centre differential.
The sound seems to come from centre of the engine room near the torpedo wall.
I stood outside the car while turning the wheel to try to locate it.

I decided to record how it sounds.

Notorious thread about steering hoses is troubling. If my car's oil leak is in one of those hoses I might have a problem.
What do you believe is the fault that causes the moaning, or squeaking?