I'm getting a kind of rattling noise from the fron of my engine. using a mechanic's stethoscope, i've isolated to the power steering pump. I've never heard one rattle before so I'm trying to research this before I start throwing parts at the car. Am I looking at a bad pump, loose bolt or something else? The other burning question is:can I continue to drive the car until I resolve the problem. I don't want to risk having the pump seize up if there is an internal problem. Thoughts?
Note to be clear it is NOT the typical wine power steering pumps make, it's a rattle.

Im no expert but my suggestions would be to make sure the bolts havent come loose due to vibration over time which is prolly less likely, my other suggestion is to see if the bearings are worn out. Sorry but thats the only 2 things i can think of besides fluid level being to low

I'll second the above posting and add a Welcome to NICO Club!

There are PS pump rebuild kits with the bearing, some o-rings and a gasket or two. Pretty affordable and available at most parts stores. I rebuilt mine once and it was pretty simple. I'm guessing your bearing is shot. Possibly from running out of fluid in the past. This is all based upon your description and assuming you've diagnosed the location of the sound correctly.

You want to fix it sooner rather than later. If the thing wears out to the point of failure, you won't have a rebuild option, just the expensive replacement. Also, to answer your question about safety... you won't crash and die, your steering will become super stiff is all. Stiffer than a non-power assisted steering type car.

Thanks for the replies. I confirmed the the noise was indeed coming from the power steering pump. I'll likely buy a rebuild kt and fix the .

Good idea. You can use the FSM for your car using the above "Service Manuals" link (kind of where the pull down menus would be). Please let us know how it goes!

Well as it turned out. I over tightened the serpentine belt. I had cause to remove it and took a bit more care in reinstalling and adjusting it. no more noise.

Good work. A tight belt can lead to bent pulleys and worn out bearings. If you do develop a whine in the future, remember this work and maybe start looking there first. I'm glad you have it all running nicely now.

The most important tool in your toolbox, the ability to look back over your previous work with a jaded eye..................................it has saved me personally thousands.

Yea, you're right about that. it may mean more work but it's worth it.