Need help diagnosing power steering pump issue

[TooManyRaccoons]

Crossposting here because I think I put this in the wrong section! Oops!

Hey folks, I have a 2003 Baja, haven't had it for all that long so I'm not familiar with everything yet but recently I took it into the shop to have the timing belt and clutch replaced while I was out of town and when i got it back, it was making this weird squealing sound.

Now, i have done a bit of research, seems like its something to do with the power steering pump. The sound is sort of like a squeal that happens when I turn the wheel. The pitch increases as rpm increases and the volume changes the further I turn the wheel.

Some info that may or way not matter: the car was sitting for ~2 weeks while I was out of town. I never had any evidence of power steering issues before this. I did check the power steering fluid reservoir and it seems fine, slightly below the max fill line.

Any info would be a great help, thanks!

[anarchy1024]

Not sure if it's related to your issue, but in below-freezing weather, my Baja's power steering pump makes a sound similar to what you described, until it warms up (about first 5-10 minutes after starting). The best explanation I could find is something like, the seals in the pump are getting old, and when they're cold, they let some air past, which aerates the fluid. The noise is the fluid pump trying to move something that's effectively froth. When everything warms up, the seals expand to prevent that air from coming in, and the noise goes away.

I've never looked into what it takes to replace those seals, since my problem doesn't happen whenever the temperature is above freezing, and I have another car that I usually drive in the winter (trying to keep the Baja away from salt as much as possible).

No idea how relevant this is to your issue, but I'd probably look into things that wear out due to age, first, before considering replacing expensive parts.... Although I imagine most mechanics would say to just replace the entire pump (like how they say to replace the whole A/C compressor when really you just need to remove a shim from behind the clutch shaft).

[TooManyRaccoons]

Thanks for the info, not sure if its related either but it gives me somewhere to start!

And yeah, I get the feeling that replacing the whole thing probably isn't necessary yet but of course that's what mechanics etc. are offering!