I have a 1994 pontiac bonneville, [ SAVE THE JOKES, HEARD THEM ALL] LOL. Anyway. The automatic transmission is not working properly. It runs just like it should when I have it in 1st and 2nd gears. But when I take off from a stop, in drive, it runs real sluggish until I get up to about 15 MPH. Then it seems to run ok until I come to a stop and have to take off again. Someone told me that it could be the tranny filter. Another told me it might be the transmission modulator. What do you guys think?
If the transmission fluid and filter were never changed the whole 15 years since the car was new, it's not surprising that you may be having transmission problems. On a car that's had at least GM's recommended maintenance, there can often be a question as to whether it's an engine or transmission performance problem. If it has the original fluid and filter, it's best to do a simple pan removal to drain the fluid and change the filter. Flushing the transmission could loosen a lot of debris that might be the final nail in the coffin. A common problem with your 3800 engine is ignition module and coil pack burnout due to bad spark plug wires and connections reflecting the high voltage spark backwards instead of through the spark plugs. Remove the coil pack to check for any evidence of that and install a new set of spark plug wires if you've never had new ones installed.
