I've noticed mine doing something similar recently but I can only hear it with the windows down, under moderate acceleration, from a stop, and it only lasts until about 25 mph where it either stops rattling or gets drowned out, I can't tell. I have no idea what it is yet. But I was hoping it was nothing inside the transmission waiting to let go.

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Ya the rattle in mine isn't constant, its normally when I hit bumps in the road. I found a little information but no smoking gun yet. I'm fairly certain it's nothing in my transmission, that already went out lol.

 

I wonder if it is the upper front strut mount washers clanking like mine last year after a transmission replacement. I got my 02 back after the trans replacement and a few weeks later, I could hear a tinny sound like metal washer playing music over rough bumps. Replaced just about everything, last item was the struts. Once removed, I dropped it on the ground and heard that tinny sound. The washer on top of the mount was loose, maybe just 0.5mm loose. I think the mechanic has the struts hanging from the top mounts when the subframe was down for transmission replacement and stretched something. I compressed the spring slightly and tightened the top Strut nut. All fixed.

hope this is your issue,

 

Ok ladies and gentlemen in the case of Twistedsteel vs. Satan's Old MDX I do believe I may have found the smoking gun. It took A LOT of looking but this is evidently a very well known issue that affects pretty much all first generation MDXs. There is a piece called the intermediate heat shield that connects strangly enough to the intermediate shaft, and it must be replaced. If you have a first generation MDX it is likely not worth having a mechanic do becasue the process sounds a bit time consuming. Having had my MDX from hell torn apart this far before I can say that it is not a difficult process if you take your time. Make sure you have all the parts and tools you need and give yourself an entire weekend to get it done, if you get tired and aggravated you start making mistakes or breaking things. Something I would also suggest is having a bottle of white out and a bright colored paint pen. The process calls for you to mark your camber bolt positions (I would use white out), in addition to that I would personally recommend loosening every nut and bolt associated with the suspension and put a dot of bright paint on it and as you put things back together you'll know what all was loosened so you can retorque them all back to specs.

 

I recall a member with a similar post and sound about a year back. Turned out to be a strut mount nut. He loosened the back of inner fender enough to bend it out of the way and was able to fish it out with a magnetic wand.

(If you ever change your struts, one way to not lose the top mount nuts off or on is to put some electrical tape on the hex so it fits tighter in the socket.)

Good luck!

 

I'll give it a check but the sound I'm hearing is very tinny not clunky

 

I've been trying to find the issue for the pinging becasue my transfer case has been whining, BAD SIGN, and I wanted to try to get everything addressed and only have to drop the front exhaust pipe once. I dropped the pipe and checked the heatshield and sure enough the built in bushings had discinagrated, so I ordered a new one. All I can say about my transfer case is WOW. I popped it off and found that I can freely spin the spindle in either direction with one finger, basically it should be so tight you need a wrench to turn it. So the bearings are SHOT, so I swapped it with one I found for $75 at a salvage yard. Once the parts and gaskets get in and I get it back together I'll post any differences I notice.

 

Ok here is what causes this sound

If you have the passenger CV axle removed, which for me was a whole other cluster that took 10 hours of work, you can fix this pretty easy for 10 cents in copper wire. If you have a welder, another option would be to spot weld the steel wool in the upper and lower bushing real quick. I haven't yet verified this is a long term fix. But I think it will be.

This is another garbage design by Honda, that it has these steel wool bushings that loosen around the heat shield mounting holes over time.

To "pretension" the heat shield and keep it held in the up position, you can drill a little hole in the top of the heat shield, and run a copper wire through it around the upper bushing mount to the inside. Then hold up the heat shield, and wind it tight to stop the rattle.

Here is a pic finished.