What causes the CLUNK noise in reverse in the morning?

Sounds like the parking pawl noise? I didn't get the "clunk" with my 11 MDX (or 08 RDX or 06 TSX) parking on my incline driveway. I never had to use the emergency brake when I placed those vehicles into park. I started to get the "clunk" shifting into reverse with my 19 MDX Sport Hybrid. Maybe your MDX is shifting/moving slightly putting pressure on the parking pawl?

I started to engage the parking brake first and then put it in park with my foot on the brake. In the morning, foot on the brake, put into reverse, and release the parking brake to reduce the clunk.

But why only makes noise after the car park overnight? I don’t get the noise during the day between drives and parks

I would try the parking brake thing or even try parking in reverse to see it that make a change in the clunk.

Mr gold,
What is the mechanical movement involved when you shift from P to R?

I don't know what is all involved for our 6ATs when you shift the mechanical gear levels? I'm just thinking when I troubleshoot and try something different to see if I get the same results or find what conditions help or cause the situation.

Yes it sound like the noise is coming from park pawl

mrgold35 said:

Sounds like the parking pawl noise? I didn't get the "clunk" with my 11 MDX (or 08 RDX or 06 TSX) parking on my incline driveway. I never had to use the emergency brake when I placed those vehicles into park. I started to get the "clunk" shifting into reverse with my 19 MDX Sport Hybrid. Maybe your MDX is shifting/moving slightly putting pressure on the parking pawl?

I started to engage the parking brake first and then put it in park with my foot on the brake. In the morning, foot on the brake, put into reverse, and release the parking brake to reduce the clunk.

Click to expand...

That’s not entirely right.

1 Normal brake
2 Parking brake
3 Shift to neutral
4 Release normal brake
5 Shift to P
2 and 3 can switch. Doesn’t matter.


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The noise is causing park pawl...

josiannehaumont13 said:

The noise is causing park pawl...

Click to expand...

Ok. Is this typical or normal when parked on a leveled street?

Parking on an inclined slope may not affect your vehicle but if you do it regularly and continue parking on an incline it may have detrimental effects on some parts of the car which are not good for your car.

bad motor mount or drive shaft u joint!!

qqzj said:

That’s not entirely right.

1 Normal brake
2 Parking brake
3 Shift to neutral
4 Release normal brake
5 Shift to P
2 and 3 can switch. Doesn’t matter.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Click to expand...

Like I said above with troubleshooting, I tried different procedures until I found one that worked reversing from my inclined driveway. It worked 100% for my 18 RLX Sport Hybrid and 19 MDX Hybrid with the 7DCT. I've since moved to another home with flat driveway. Jimhow4545 might need to modify either procedure for the 2nd Gen MDX with +150,000 miles to help narrow down what works best (assuming that is the issue).

mrgold35 said:

Like I said above with troubleshooting, I tried different procedures until I found one that worked reversing from my inclined driveway. It worked 100% for my 18 RLX Sport Hybrid and 19 MDX Hybrid with the 7DCT. I've since moved to another home with flat driveway. Jimhow4545 might need to modify either procedure for the 2nd Gen MDX with +150,000 miles to help narrow down what works best (assuming that is the issue).

Click to expand...

Ok. I still don’t understand why I don’t get the pawl brake noise when the car is driven and parked through out the day. Only got the pawl brake noise only first thing in the morning. May be it has to do switching from PARK to REVERSE in 1st gear is making this noise due to cold or bad transmission oil?

ALWAYS use your parking brake. Not matter the level.

AcuraAddicted said:

ALWAYS use your parking brake. Not matter the level.

Click to expand...

I will try from now on. What really bugs me is that I never had this issue before and never use a parking brake and only used parking brake on sloped or hill. And I am puzzled why only happened in the morning.

I think this is happening because you weren't using the parking brake. The parking pawl gets a lot of stress.

AcuraAddicted said:

I think this is happening because you weren't using the parking brake. The parking pawl gets a lot of stress.

Click to expand...

I understand but why I don’t get the clunk during the day when park? Stress and tension buildup overnight?

jimhow4545 said:

I understand but why I don’t get the clunk during the day when park? Stress and tension buildup overnight?

Click to expand...

Yes, probably.

This is my observation so far:
1. Parked overnight on perfectly leveled street.
2. Engaged parking brake with foot still on the brake pedal and shifter still in D.
3. Shifted from D to P and removal the key.
4. Next morning started the car
5. Foot on brake and shifted from P to R while the parking brake still engaged. Still get the clunk noise.
6. The following day I repeated the whole process and modified step 3. This time I shifted from D to N and then engaged the parking brake and then shifted to P while foot on the brake pedal. Next morning when I repeated step 5 I don’t get the clunk noise.

I am confused.