High-pitched whine on Idle - 2003 AWD Vibe

[zipfool]

We started noticing a high-pitched whine coming from what seems to be under the hood when the car is idling. It's mostly noticeable when we are trying to parallel park, and it sounds almost as if there's a small bird caught under the hood somewhere....and no, I checked there isn't.Has anyone else experienced the same problem?

[Raven]

Try checking the level of your power steering fluid.

[zipfool]

It doesn't seem to be motivated by any steering though. If I have my hands off the wheel entirely, I still hear the whine.

[fitness freak]

Maybe a vacuum hose leak.

[ColonelPanic]

Hmm, this is an interesting one! Does the noise only occur at idle? On the last car, I had a whine that was proportional to engine speed -- that turned out to be the alternator. Guess the bearing died in the thing. But, I can't say I heard the whine at idle... Also had a noisy (and leaking) power steering pump that had to be replaced on that car as well.If you open the hood while it's doing it, can you tell approximately where the noise is coming from?