I'm new to the site, and certainly am going to be poking around trying to find answers to my many questions, but if anybody knows a quick answer, or wants to share, these are my current problems with my Bonny:

1) First and foremost the thing gets terrible gas mileage, I haven't calculated it, but I'd guess single digits, mainly on highway, bringing me to my next issue:

2) Half the time my overdrive works, the other half it doesn't. If I get on the highway sometimes it drops into OD, and if it doesn't I have to pull over, shut the car off, turn it back on and get back to speed. This doesn't work 100% of the time, but most of the time. If I drive with OD off on the highway, the MPG seriously has to be single digits.

3) The first two weeks I owned it, it started up right away, every time. Then, out of nowhere and up until today, it generally won't start unless I give it gas to start. It'* always fine driving, just starting can be a PITA.

4) The motor is tired, it burns oil and has ticking upon first/cold start up. It feels decently quick, although I don't know what an SE feels like in its "prime".

5) The transmission is equally tired if not worse. When cold if I go anywhere near a decent throttle, the car will shudder, as if somethings getting caught in the transmission. Any time I take any high-throttle left hand turn, the trans slips badly, right turns are fine? I've drained the fluid and changed the gasket then refilled, to no help.

6) the passenger rear window won't go up with my controls, and wont go down with the PS Rear door controls. So basically you have to use the "main" controls to go down and the door controls on that door to go back up. Kind of annoying.

Well, first off how many miles are on the car? Do you know anything about past work done on it? The window problem seems to be an issue with the switches to me, and I would try cleaning first and making sure there isn't any dirt or grime stuck in them. The bright side of this problem is that your window does still function and I would think no matter what is going there it'* much better than having to install a new window motor. Got to look at the good points

For one and three...when was the last tune-up? Plugs, wires, O2 sensor, air filter, etc. Check your fuel pressure, also...along with how long it may take to bleed down.

Two and four. When was the transmission fluid and filter last changed? A tranny cooler may help you here.

Three. When does it burn the oil? Start up? Acceleration? Deceleration?

I agree on #6. Try cleaning the switches.

Ah, I copied most of the problems from the intro thread I made, but it cut off some details.

The car has a few hundred miles under 100k, like 99,800 or so. I know some of its past, before I got it, a lot of maintenance was done on it:

Big 3 upgraded
Transmission was replaced with one with 66k
Gas Tank and straps
Complete exhaust(including cat, resonator, muffler)
Front calipers and pads
rear wheel cylinder and new shoes
Alternator
Starter
Newer Suspension, plugs and wires

1/3: I've put less than 3k on the car, but, he said plugs/wires were recent but I have no idea on mileage or age. air filter looks decent, and if i remove it completely, it doesn't change the starting of the car.

2/4: Within 1500 miles I drained the fluid, changed the gasket and added fluid. I don't think a cooler would be the issue since part of the problem is during a cold-start (the stuttering) and the other issue happens regardless of being cold/hot.

3: Hard to say, I don't see it often, I don't think its BAD, because only every now and then I can see blue smoke, but my best guess would be on acceleration.

6: So you think both switchs that control that window happen to be bad? One being bad going down and one being bad going up? I wasn't sure if theres some sort of relay that would control that. Any pictures/howtos on taking the door panel and switch apart?

I don't know too much about the electrics of the windows but I can't think of anything other than switches that would do that, so I'll have to say yes both are probably bad, well most likly dirty or a bit rusted and not making contact as they should. Anyone else know anything that could cause this? If it were me I might try the back switch first, it'* bound to be easier to deal with than the driver switch.

The door panel shouldn't be too hard to get off but you do have to go easy. I have a 1995 Olds Eighty Eight so it will be a little different, but for mine it was 2 screws, a couple plastic pieces that just pryed off and the plastic clips that go around the sides and botton of the panel. On an Olds the switch is in a different location than the Pontiac so I can't say too much on that, I'm not sure if you need to remove the panel to get the switches out or not.

But, If you do have to take the whole panel off the only thing I think you would really want to be extra careful with are the clips around the sides, which I'm sure are on the Bonneville too. Just slide a flat head screw driver in along the side of the panel and force one out at a time. They look like the the clips that hold the carpet around inside the truck if you're wondering. I think there were a total of 7 or 8 that held on my front passenger side panel, and when done they just pop back in place,

But, like I said; I have an Olds, so it will have some differences. I'm sure someone here can give some more specific instructions before you try it.

Pretty sure the switch panel just pries out (carefully). No need to remove the door panel.

Switch is the only thing I can imagine it being too, without looking at a wiring diagram.

JEES, mine has 96k and runs like it just rolled off the showroom floor. Not to mention, like my 89, is extremely reliable.

Lets see. A good checklist here for making sure the basics are ruled out..

Plugs (Delco, NGK or Autolite) -
Wires (Delco, Napa Belden, or Autolite Pro) -
Clean MAF sensor element -
o2 sensor (Delco or Denso) -
Tire pressure -
Uneven Alignment -
Dragging Brakes -
Air Filter (Purolator or K&N) -

Hi Ronnie.. I'm off to find that intro post. I'm in Enfield CT and have been under the hood of a couple of these cars. If you are close.. maybe we get together and look it over.

There'* plenty of little things like vacuum etc that could be causing a large chunk of your problems.

That'd be cool. I'm like 20 minutes from Enfield, if that.

http://www.bonnevilleclub.com/forum/...=963026#963026 is my intro post.

Also, just to throw in there, when the hard starting started to happen, I replaced the fuel filter. The one on the car was fine, I could blow through it with ease, but regardless it didn't help any.