I am a college instructor. That is why I need reliable transportation in winter.

I do not have the budget for a device that costs hundreds of dollars. This is supposed to be an inexpensive modification.

Some information:

A link to the page I found:
https://www.gmforum.com/showthread.p...ond+gear+start

My Haynes manual identifies the pin needed as "Shift Select" on the PCM, used by the Ride Control (which I do not have). But it covers too many years and models with one diagram. What it does not tell me is how to find this wire in the car.

Does anyone have info on the Ride Control (where it is connected, and its wiring)?

Does anyone have the details of the Ride Control in the 2002 Pontiac Bonneville? Winter weather is only one month away, and I need a fix for this.

looking at that thread, i think i have found the solution to your problem. plugged those broken links into the wayback machine and this is what i found. as long as you know electrical theory this shouldn't be too difficult. not sure if ive got the guts to attempt it myself though.

That'* the brute force way, and it causes some problems with the PCM thinking the transmission failed.

There is supposed to be a pin on the PCM for second gear start.

Does anyone know what the PCM will really do if I tried El TATERTOTO'* idea? Will it set trouble codes that require a mechanic to clear them?

BTW, I found a way to do it with only one relay and the switch.

Typically, if the computer completely freaks out, and thinks the transmission is failing (this procedure will not make it happy I bet), then I believe it will set a trouble code, check engine light, and at worst, cause the vehicle to go to limp home mode. If that happens, I believe you will need to restart once it gets out of the driveway, but on the restart, you should be home free I believe. Codes can usually be cleared by a code reader, or by disconnecting the battery. Code readers can be had cheaply enough, so that is not too much of a concern. The codes may show up in history when scanned, but once you recognize which codes it sets, I think you will be able to manage.

Keep in mind though, I am a series 1 guy with OBD 1, so I am not an expert in the field, but I wouldn't be worried about it based on what I know.

I now have a diagram of the circuitry needed and a tune table for the transmission, thanks to some people at HP Tuners. I found out that the Performance shift switch and the Second Gear Start switch are the same thing, with different transmission tunes.

what are you going to use to program your computer? hpt is expensive

A mechanic I am doing this with has all the equipment.