Why does my AIR pump whine like crazy
 

My AIR pump is so loud. Its been like that since I bought the car.

You can hear it over everything. A lot of people say its supercharged. LOL

But it's still annoying.

Any Ideas?

Are you sure it's not your power steering pump?

+1. The air pump only works for a few minutes upon start up, then does nothing.

Yea. It goes off after like 5 minutes. Its not the power steering pump, lol I know that.

A quick test to know for sure, would be to remove the belt and see if the noise goes away.

If it is your air pump, either get a new one or delete it.

Can I just unplug it?

I have a SES light anyway cause of the O2s. Would it effect my performance at all?

Yes you can unplug it, depending on the year of your car it may set a code, and no it has no effect on performance.

EDIT: 96 - It will set a code, but the pump is only there to improve cold start emissions. You won't notice a thing with it not functioning. And if you have to pass smog later on, you can just hook it back up.

:D I agree...........cleans up your engine bay

-1lb also.

There was a Recall years ago. Call a local Chevy dealership, state your VIN, and they'll tell you if it was ever replaced. If not, they'll do it for free.

When exhaust gas leaks back through the check valves, the water in it condenses in the pump and the pump rusts up, causing the squeal. Eventually it will draw enough current to blow the AIR pump fuse.