1997 qx4 rattling in engine compartment in all gears

[t111]

Hello, I am the proud owner of a 1997 qx4 that has been good to me. While driving, I suddenly started hearing a rattling sound. I checked and sure enough it was coming from the engine compartment. The sound is heard in all gears and does not change in tone whether accelerating or not. The performance has not changed either. Checked oil and it was fine. Not running hot and drove it for a good 20 minutes before shutting down. Started it up 1.5 hours later and no problem starting but sound remains. Drove on highway for 45 minutes and same performance. Any ideas?

[t111]

I have had my qx4 since 05 and have driven it for about 75k. Due to the number of these and the pathfinders of the same style on the road and in good condition, I find that they are probably the most durable suv's produced. IMHO of my friends have the same style pathfinders. I bought mine because of 1 friend while the others took my advice (luckily it worked out).

[AZhitman]

Hard to tell, but can you move around the engine bay and get a sense of where (in general) it sounds like it's coming from?

Also, can you describe the sound? (Don't worry if it sounds crazy, believe it or not, it helps!) The pitch, frequency (fast, slow, sporadic, etc), and tone will give us a better idea.