1997 Bonneville Tranny Problem. HELP!

ALEX98392

MEMBER
1997 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE

1997 Pontiac Bonneville, V6 3.8 L 3800 series 2, 135,000 miles, A/T. When I am driving with the shift lever in automatic overdrive, and I start to go up a hill, the car lunges forward in surges repeatedly until I press on the gas pedal a little harder. It also does this when I am merging onto the freeway and I am accelerating quickly and hit about 65mph. I had the tranny power flushed about 2000 miles ago with no improvement. Also I just took a trip of about 200 miles @ 80 mph. No big problems on the way there, but on the way back I had the cruise control on, and when going up a hill, the rpm's started to steadily climb, but the car didn't go any faster, like something was slipping. I took off the cruise control, and it did the same thing when I used my foot. If I waited for a couple of miles and turned the cruise back on, it worked fine for a while, then did it again. When I got home I checked the fluid level and it was fine, but the tranny had overheated from the smell and brown color of the fluid. I took it in when the lunging started and they said it might be the overdrive. What does that mean? What part of it? I don't know how to fix it as my car diagnostic capabilities are limited. :

1 Reply

TBDK

MEMBER
24 POSTS

If the fluid is brown then it's definelty time for a trans servicing. Did you service it last or did a shop? Maybe they forgot to change the filter? Are you getting a check engine light at all when surgin or losing power? My 87 did the surgin and loss of power and it ended up being the oxygen sensor. I don't know about the early brown fluid though.