Why does my car's engine chug ? please help me

Your car sounds like a bit of a mess TBH!

I am having a hard time understanding exactly what you mean by a chugging noise - I keep imagining that you are driving and old tractor! I am not familiar with your car's engine, but do you know when the fuel filter was last changed? You say that you know there is a problem with the MAF sensor. Why haven't you fixed this? It isn't there purely to control the engine light on your dashboard!

Is it only a noise or do you also notice a drop in power from the engine?

Hi
I think it is usually when the engine isn't very hot. when at a stop at lights or traffic, car feels slightly lumpy perhaps like a misfire symptom..........

Sounds like it is misfiring when idling. Does the engine management light ever come on. If so get a diagnostic.
Given the age of the car and it picks up OK when driving, I would suspect a fuel injector.

Well... I'd assume it'd be one of these problems.In short, get that damn leak sorted out. It may well be what's causing it.

Also, smoke can be a good way to determine what's wrong.

Black smoke - Air:fuel imbalance.
Could result from:
Faulty injectors
Faulty injector pump
Dirty air cleaner
Faulty turbo or intercooler
Problems within the cylinder head (valves clogging up due to faulty EGR)

White smoke - Fuel isn't burning correctly, will burn your eyes.
Engine/pump timing out
Fuel starvation sending the timings off
Low engine compression
Contaminated fuel (generally water or petrol)

Blue smoke - Ye be burning oil
Engine problems (worn cylinders, piston rings, faulty valves, faulty valve stem seals)
Too much oil
Faulty injector pump/lift pump allowing oil to mix with diesel.

I am wondering if when I sort out the wiring problem with the maf sensor if this would stop the chugging noise ? as I said though it was still chugging before the wiring fault but who know's ?

-snip-
Oh, and sort what leak out ????? why did you mention leak, my car has no leak ??!!!

Haven't we been through this before?

The MAF isn't connected. The ECU hasn't got a clue how to fuel this engine.
You know you have a problem there so until you sort that out there's no point discussing it further.

The maf sensor is an important part of the engine and if it isn't working properly it can cause all sorts of problems. It is a good place to start as you already know that there is something wrong with it!

If the problem still exists afterwards then at least you know where the problem isn't.

I know you've already ruled out some problems. It was just easier to list the lot rather than check through the thread.

As for the leak, I must've misread your last post or something.

Either way, the point still stands, although not in the same way. The problem is probably something fuel related if you ask me. What is it exactly? I wouldn't know. As the others said, I'd get the MAF sensor sorted out. It's a pretty important part which needs to work properly.

Haven't we been through this before?

The MAF isn't connected. The ECU hasn't got a clue how to fuel this engine.
You know you have a problem there so until you sort that out there's no point discussing it further.

Hi all, thanks for replying

My car was chugging way before the problem with the maf sensor and maf wiring loom issues so not sure it has anything to do with the chugging noise but obviously the problem with the maf harness needs fixing so guess I will find out if this was was the cause once maf wiring is sorted.

When I bought My car it originally had a 6 prong Maf sensor on it with 6 wires from the harness connecting to it. I later bought a new 6 pin maf sensor and put that on but still had problem with maf sensor. So my friend Brian had a used 4 prong sensor in his garage so he took off the maf sensor and put the 4 pin maf sensor on,
As my car had 6 wires going to the previous 6 pin maf sensor and he had taken that sensor off and put the 4 pin sensor on, Brian connected only 4 wires to the 4 pin sensor and the other 2 wires at each end he put in a loop saying that they were not important because they are just for an open loop, he later cut off the 2 wires, 1 at each end so now car only has 4 wires in the maf wiring loom but according to Brian it didn't need the other 2 wires that he cut off as he said they were just open loop

But I am still having problems with the maf wiring , and engine lightlight still on ATM because of it.
Despite the maf problem still present the car is not suffering as bad since swapping the color sequence of the wires around although the colors is not correct atm as we cant find what color goes where it must be close as car not stalling any more, but when you rev too hard the engine suddenly thuds and won't pick up speed or takes a long time to accelerate, also when engine not started for a while and you start engine, when you press accelerator for first 5 seconds or so the revs drop as if it wants to stall but is OK after that.
Those symptoms occured for first time on the day maf wiring was cut.

Now Brian is saying put the 6 prong sensor back on, so we will try that ( though there is only 4 wires now as he cut the 2 wires off, 1 at each end but as he said those 2 wires were just open loop and not needed )

I'm beginning to suspect the OP thinks that if he posts enough threads about his car it will heal itself. Along with the MAF issue, I'm sure I wrote a fairly detailed explanation as to why supergluing/cable tieing fuel injectors has a fairly high risk of very gruesome injury, if not worse, several months ago...

I think the issue is the lad he is sending his car in to. Im pretty sure I wrote a fairly detailed explanation on one of his previous posts about a mechanic that claims an EGR clean is a "big job" probably isnt worth their salt as a mechanic. Also all the sketchy backstreet **** he has been describing with the MAF issues. I know plenty of "mechanics" like your mate. They are alright for minor maintenance work but giving them a car to diagnose and fix tends to end in tears.

Imo just cut your loses & sell the motor. Or take it to someone who knows what the f*ck they are doing.

Six months we've been hearing about that MAF sensor... I think it's probably time for the ignore list.

And he's definitely not my mate If I was taking my car to a mate for work to be done on it, it would be someone who wasn't stumped by the wire colours not matching up