during low speeds on anything other than the smoothest of roads theres a constant metal on metal clunking/rattling that seems to come from forward of the passenger compartment ( i realize this really doesnt lower the number of possible causes). At high speeds it goes away completely. at first i thought it couldve been compliance bushings but i checked them and they were fine. then i thought maybe it was cause my struts are blown thanks to the lovely roads that the state of colorado maintains soooo damn well but it seems to me that a clunk caused by that wouldnt go away over just 20mph on a road beating the **** out of the suspension and the clunk started before my struts blew... but then again im not a suspension guru. since its about 10 degrees on the warmest of days right now i really dont want to spend hours searching all the things it could be so i need to narrow down the list a bit. so im putting the question out there. any ideas as to what ails my car guys. btw the car is a 2002 ex sedan and has 171,658 miles on it for what help that is.

 

Sounds like a loose heatshield. Check the heatshield on the exhaust manifold.

 

Do you happen to drive over gravel a lot? My catalytic converter heat shield would trap rocks and had a cheap rattle sound after time until I removed it.

Make sure the header shield isn't cracked/rattling.

Check top shock mount bolts, engine mounts, front end bushings/ball joints/tie rod, sway bar bushings.

Im trying to think of anything metal on metal that could've come lose, maybe radiator mount?

 

Last winter I had the same rattle and it was the heat shield around the catalytic converter. Years of winter road salt ate away at it.

 

and its not good

someone please tell me that play in the axle (perpendicular to the axle) is more indicative of bad wheel bearings rather than a bad cv joint. i dont know a whole lot about axles cause its a subject that i havent really looked into yet. ive been searching google but im not finding much... i keep getting stuff on 4x4 axles.

 

Giving the top of the wheel a back-and-forth jiggle (pushing it towards the engine, and pulling it away) would be a better indicator of a bad bearing.

What you're describing sounds more like bad CV joints. It shouldn't be excessively loose.

You can rebuild the axles, but it would probably be easier for you to just replace the bad one.

 

yeah, the more i look into it, it seems like ive got inner joint problems... or problems all around since theres a crap ton of play on the outside too... bah humbug i dont have the money for this crap.

 

My car has the same rattling/clanking noise coming from the front passenger side area when stopped and sometimes when driving. Sounds to ME like exhaust pipe/hangers rattling but it only does it every now and then. Guess ill check the heat shields tomorrow while im replacing the rotors/pads.

 

Yep, it was the lower exhaust tubing vibrating against the frame.

 

Same problem here... it's pissing me off. I even took it to honda and he said it was probably a broken strut, wasn't much help. But I already had struts coming in the mail, installed them and still hear it. I know I have a punctured ball joint boot, but that shouldn't be this annoying noise that make my car sound like trash.