when i start my 97 max up in the morning or when it's been sitting for a few hours it makes a chugging sound. I have about 112k on it. It seems like it coming from the drive belt or something running off the drive belt(maybe the alternator?). When the engine warms up, the sound goes away. I had the drive belt replace about...8 months ago...which was 15-20k miles ago. Any ideas?

 

For how long does this chugging sound persist after startup? A few seconds? A minute? Five minutes? Are there any other symptoms such as black smoky exhaust? Does the engine run roughly or smoothly while you hear the chugging sound?

 

I recently had my alternator replaced and my timing chain tighten. The alternator noise came on suddenly and was very noticeable. The timing chain noise developed gradually, but would go away after car was warm. Timing chain repair $1200-1600. Alternator around $500.

 

there is no smoke or anything unusual exect for the sound....it stays on for several minutes....i started it up today and left it warming up because i forgot something in the house....it was idling for about 5 minutes and the sound was still there....it got quieter, but didn't go away...it goes away after i drive somewhere...when it is very warmed up.

I think it could be the alternator. I don't know about the timing chain because it seems to drive fine. I am going to get the 120k tune up in a few months, but i think this needs to be taken care of now

 

It is important to identify the source of the noise. A four-foot length
of small diameter rubber vacuum hose will help you do this. You can buy
the hose in any auto parts store. They typically sell it in bulk for about
US$0.80 per foot. Start the engine and let it idle. Put one end of the
hose in your ear and the other end near any suspected source of noise.
The engine compartment presents a cacophony of sound. The benefit
of the hose is that it isolates the sound from one specific area. Work safely!
Avoid contact with any moving parts!

You may find it interesting to explore the sounds of your engine with this
inexpensive tool. Each moving part has its own characteristic sound. For
example, listen to the muted clicking of the fuel injectors. They should
all sound alike. If you find one with a different sound (or no sound at
all) you have found a problem.

The dealer's service department is equipped with high-tech diagnostic
instruments. These are wonderful devices but they are expensive and the
dealer has to recover his cost by charging you for diagnostic time.
Sometimes the home mechanic can do legitimate diagnostic work with
nothing more than a rubber tube.

 

I had a simular prob when my altenator was starting to play up though there are, signs you should look for, my car was running like a lumpy V8 when the altenator was on its way out, the lights were going dimm whilst driving at night, get a multi meter and test what charge you're getting across the battery whilst the car is running. But it doesn't sound from your description like it's your altenator. If this noise is going away once the car has warmed up I'd say it'd be internal.