2000 cavalier wind up noise
 

So my 2000 cavi sounds like a wind up car, both the alternator and starter have been replaced, but my dad thinks it could be the steering pump? Any ideas as to what could be causing my car to sound this way?

If you have the car running in park, and you turn the steering wheel left and right, does the noise get a lot louder?

This isn't a definite test, but it would point towards a P/S pump. Also, the whining could be coming from a belt tensioner or idler pulley. It really just takes a good ear, a stethoscope, and a manual check of each pulley with the belt off.

Check your power steering fluid level and pump - occasionally with some vehicles they just get noisy after time - but its often caused by low fluid levels in the pump. Does the car steer easily at idle? Does turning the steering wheel increase the noise? If so - check the fluid level in the pump and add PS fluid to the level indicated on the cap/dipstick.