Power steering pump whine

About a month ago I started getting a whine that sounds like my ps pump after starting that would go away after driving for a bit. Fluid was fine level wise but dark. Did some searching on the boards and it's not unheard of.

Started flushing out the old fluid by draining the reservoir, refilling with new fluid, and repeating after driving for a few days like I'd seen others do. I've now flushed about a quart and a half of fluid through with no change in the noise.

Any chance the whine will go away after more flushing or if it's hung around this long is it likely to stay? Or is it something else making the noise that sounds like ps pump whine?

 

Could your belt tensioner be going bad? It seems like those crap out a lot. But my PS pump in my 2010 started making noise right before my steering rack went out.

 

Do you have a lift or big tires?

 

My water pump would make a whine that I thought was my steering.
It went away immediately after the water pump was swapped.

 

Leveled on 295/60r20. Nothing crazy but not stock

 

I ask cause it could contribute to early steering component wear. On ford's noisy ps pumps were common but they got noisier before they went out too.

 

They were hella easy to change (cheap too) so nobody cared lol

 

True that