Oldsmobile Intrigue
Produced in model years 1998 to 2002, the Oldsmobile Intrigue was the first casualty of the Oldsmobile phase out process. This mid-sized, four-door sedan, has a singletrack cable regulator in each door. The mechanism works similarly to an elevator cable system, except that a power window motor pulls on the cable mechanism attached to the glass, which in turn lifts the glass up and down inside the door. It’s the very same mechanism found in the Buick Century and Buick Regal.
What Happens
Oldsmobile Intrigue, there are typically five places where the power window system can fail. We’ll walk you through them as best we can.
The most common power window failure in the Oldsmobile Intrigue is the power window regulator. The main anchor that secures the cable to the glass carrier breaks, releasing the glass and causing it to slide into the door panel. The lower fairlead is almost always broken, as a result of the glass falling onto it. Once the main anchor is released, another touch of the switch is all it takes to break the upper fairlead.
The power window switches in the Oldsmobile Intrigue also fail. This type of failure is generally found in the master power window switch located on the driver’s door. The window lock feature is also problematic, as it seems to be where the driver’s arm typically will rest. Perspiration may be a factor or it could simply be the extra pressure and connections that are made to that switch when the vehicle is driven and armrest used.
While the power window regulator is likely to go first, we do occasionally see power window motor failure in about 1 of every 80 calls. That’s not very often.
The difficulties we find associated with repairing the Oldsmobile Intrigue power window systems include the age of the vehicle and whether or not the vehicle has been garaged or sitting in the sun and other elements. If your Oldsmobile Intrigue has spent most of its life parked on the driveway, we expect to find the the plastic parts on the door panel and the door panel clips to be very weak or what we like to call crispy. Extreme care is taken when our technicians remove a door panel on this vehicle. Having the proper tools for this repair is a must!
What We Do
At Power Window Repair, we only repair OEM Oldsmobile Intrigue power window regulators. We believe so strongly in our proprietary method of repair that we have an additional fee for all non-rebuildable cores. Power Window Repair defines a “non-rebuildable” window regulator core as an aftermarket, non-OEM window regulator or an OEM window regulator that someone has attempted to repair unsuccessfully. When this happens, we simply add that fee for our rebuilt Oldsmobile Intrigue OEM core and we install quality and reliability back in your door!
How We Do It
There are good reasons behind what we do and how we do it!
Power Window Repair entire existence surrounds providing our customers with a repair they can count on. If we are going to stake our good reputation on a repair, you can bet we’ll need to do it our way! The reasons are simple. Our repair is stronger and superior to even the original OEM design, aftermarket parts are made with the cheapest of materials and are inferior, and most importantly any repair done in a junkyard or slapped together is never going to be worth the money!
Our repair on the Oldsmobile Intrigue OEM power window regulator includes five areas that are strengthened with our proprietary process, which is intended to last the lifetime of the vehicle. We first apply an avionic stainless steel repair to the metal glass carrier. That connects the cables to the glass carrier, replacing what the original plastic was designed to do, but clearly isn’t doing any longer. Next we strengthen the upper and lower fairleads securing them in such a way that that they stay secure, allowing the cable to run smoothly across as the window is operated up and down. If the power window regulator is tensioned properly and is in solid working order, the rest of the power window system will operate for years, just as it was designed to. A regulator problem can quickly cause problems with motors and switches if not repaired in timely manner. It’s important not to use the power window system if you suspect it isn’t working properly.
Aftermarket Parts
We’ve heard it all. From saying they just replaced it months ago themselves, to they’ve paid someone to do it 9 months ago and now they’re being asked for more labor to install the part under warranty. This just reinforces what we already know. While the price looks right, aftermarket parts are inferior to the OEM part. Side by side, there’s no comparison. These power window regulators often break under warranty, causing you to pay more in labor at your mechanics or in your time and labor shipping parts back and forth, uninstalling and reinstalling. That process can quickly turn into a shade-tree mechanics nightmare.
Inexperienced Mechanics
While we understand that money is often a factor in the decision making process, PLEASE DON’T TAKE YOUR NICE CAR TO A MEAN OLD JUNKYARD! It’s immediately evident to us when someone inexperienced has been in the door of a vehicle before us. You can’t fool our technicians. These repairs are often crude and in turn have damaged some of the internal workings of the door, for example the power window switch connectors, interior door handle linkage, the door lock system, speakers and wire harness. The repair may have looked enticing and may have even appeared to work for a short time, but it’s going to cause one whopper of a headache later.