Wretched Screeching Noise

[Sqwigy X]

Every now and then, my car will make this awful high-pitched screeching noise, like I'm dragging a banshee under my car. Its happened once when I was ~4500 RPM in first gear, but its also happened in low RPMs in 5th gear and in low RPMs in 1st as well. I can't seem to make the car make the noise, so I'm not exactly sure what the problem is. I've never heard a sound like it before, its really loud, lasts like 2-4 seconds, and sounds like its coming from right underneath the driver's seat. The first time it happened, it scared the crap outa me and I pulled over to see if anything was wrong, but nothing that I can tell. I've only heard it 3 or 4 times since I've had the car. Any help is very much appreciated.

[leper421]

loose belts?

[GroundZero]

it's your heat shielding on the exhaust, i had the same problem, just rip the shields off.

[Sqwigy X]

the heat shielding above the cat? or is it somewhere else?

[GroundZero]

from the headers to the cat

[racin-type]

i've got the same problem but mines happens all the damn time. anyway i wanno kno is before i "rip" the heat shields off, if you take the heat shield off the headers in the engine compartment doesn't that let more heat into the compartment? and does takin the heat shields from the top of the exhuast/cat heat up the driver area?? hopefully mines will be rattle free soon lol

[GroundZero]

i removed my heat shields and haven't notice any increase in heat.