Power Steering going?
 

So for the past couple days the power steering pump seemed to be making that whining noise when I would start my car but after a few minutes of warming up it would go away. Today same deal except when I get the car going it comes back and it comes back strong. Especially when turning the wheel left and right. I checked the fluid and that seems to be fine.. is the Pump going ? If so what's this type of situation cost to fix as I am definitely a novice.. The car is a 99' SC300 and it just hit the 150k mark... any info/advice is much much appreciated thanks guys!

I would flush it first and see if that helps any. You will only be out maybe an hour of your time and it wont hurt. Follow the instructions on CL or go to www.lexls.com and use their method. Good luck.

Lastly, is there any leaks on the bottom of the pump or on top of the alternator?

I haven't really noticed any leaks but I will definitely check again tomorrow..anything else I should look for that may be pretty obvious? Like I said I'm a novice heh thanks again!

I agree with flushing there might be a flow issue cause the fluid is to thick or there is dirt in. The pump is probably working harder then it needs to leading up to it making that noise. As long as the fluid level is good you shouldn't have an noise. Flush it and see what happens and also check for any leaks.

mine just started to do this today, what did you find the problem was?

There is a filter that gets clogged over time. If it's not that...and it has proper fluid/amount-it's the pump.

I had this problem, It would make a whining noise when I started my car especially on cold mornings then it would go away. Solution: I simply replaced the old dirty fluid with fresh fluid and never had a problem since.