Plastic Guide Rail Repairs in Dallas For Your Mercedes

Posted on | 3 Jun 2024 By Anita Gaal

Is your Mercedes making strange engine noises or are you experiencing performance problems? It might be best to check if your car’s plastic guide rails are okay. These small engine parts are very important in the operation of the timing chain system, and when they break, they can make your Mercedes engine go out of sync. Let’s start with what plastic guide rails are and how to know when they are failing before looking at how you can resolve this problem.

What Are Plastic Guide Rails?

Plastic guide rails are one of the smallest components of a Mercedes engine. They are responsible for guiding the timing chain by ensuring it stays in the exact position and receives the right amount of tension.

Even though guide rails are built to be strong, they are made of plastic and will definitely degrade as you use them due to the heat, pressure, and vibrations they are exposed to in the engine. When this component fails, your Mercedes timing chain will lose its tension and it might not be able to power the necessary engine accessories.

Signs of Failure

• Engine Rattling: Guide rail failure is often marked by a rattling sound coming from the engine. This noise occurs when the timing chain becomes slack and starts to hit other parts of the engine.
• Engine Misfires: A malfunctioning guide rail can cause timing chain problems such as engine misfires. In the worst-case scenario, the guide rail failure can cause the timing chain to jump teeth or skip, which will result in the overall engine performance loss.
• Check Engine Light: If your Mercedes-Benz’s onboard diagnostics system recognizes timing-related problems, such as timing chain slack, the check engine light on your dashboard may turn on.

How To Tackle Guide Rail Failure

• Diagnosis: The first step to take to tackle plastic guide rail failure is correct diagnosis. A Mercedes specialist or qualified mechanic will do a complete inspection of the components in the timing chain system such as the plastic guide rails, tensioners, and sprockets. This inspection can be done in two ways. Your mechanic might decide to either do a visual inspection of the mentioned components or run a diagnostic to get the stored trouble codes from the engine management system.
• Replacement: If the plastic guide rail proves to be faulty, it will need to be replaced. Guide rail replacement usually involves the dismantling of the timing chain cover, timing chain, and any other components preventing the guide rail from being exposed to repairs. The old guide rail is then removed and a new one is set in its place. This replacement must be done by a mechanic so that you can be sure it is correctly aligned and fitted.
• Inspect Other Components: When you replace the plastic guide rail, you should also check other parts of the timing chain system to see whether they are worn or damaged. There are a number of parts you can check some of which are the timing chain tensioner, sprockets, and the timing chain. Any worn or damaged part should be replaced to avoid problems in the future.
• Regular Maintenance: To avoid plastic guide rail failure and other timing chain problems, it is necessary to adhere to timely maintenance of your Mercedes. This servicing should be done by professional mechanics who understand how your Mercedes was designed to work.

Schedule Your Mercedes Repair And Maintenance With Euro Automotive Experts

At Euro Automotive, we are proud to be the top choice for luxury European auto service and repair with over 70 years of experience in the auto repair business. Our garage is located in Dallas, Texas, but we extend our services to drivers from the entire state including those in Garland, Arlington, and Fort Worth, TX.

If you have a rattling noise coming from your Mercedes or you have a plastic guide rail that is misaligned or broken, don’t wait to bring your car to us. Our professional mechanics will carry out a thorough assessment and will make sure to fix any problems that may be causing the Mercedes to be off. Schedule your appointment today by calling 214-956-7744.

* Blue Mercedes-Benz Car image credit goes to: Artistic Operations.