so im getting a whining or groaning noise from the front of the car when im driving.. when i turn the steering wheel it gets twice as loud....this leads me to believe somethings up with my power steering....HOWEVER... i also get the same whining noise when i drive in a straight line, not as loud, and usually under low RPMs, and it sounds like its rpm dependant (changes pitch as rpms go up and down)... can this still be the power steering? i checked the fluid and its fine, oh and the sounds does NOT go away after the car warms up.

any ideas?

 

Your Steering rack is probably broken, that or your power steering pump. Check for leaks, is going to be difficult since is cold outside now, but on your steering rack, the little boots that connect to the spindle on the tire normally get swollen with fluid, that means that your rack seals are broken, that's time to replace the rack.

 

PS pumps are notorious in B6's. They make a loud racket when the air temperature is cold and the colder it gets, the worse it gets. Doesn't seem to affect drivability, but its damn annoying and I assume would eventually fail.

Lots of guys have luck with doing a full PS flush and fill, others wind up replacing the pump and/or rack as well.