PontiacBonnevilleClub.com

Help please my 97 Car has been trying to go dead in drive and reverse when in drive or reverse rpms are under 1 battery gauge drops car tries to die put in park it idles back to normal and battery gauge goes back to normal when on the highway you can see the battery trying to die i have replaced alternator - water pump - serpentine belt - battery Thanks

Many things can do this.
It could be electrical or it could be something else, like worn out spark plugs, a broken vacuum hose, clogged fuel filter, failing fuel pump or even just a tank of bad gas.

You originally posted on a good thread for something to check---the ground buses beneath the carpets.
When these develop corrosion--and it happens on many Bonnevilles--- all sorts of troubles can occur because electric parts that don't have a good ground aren't going to work well, if at all.
Another common area of corrosion is on the ends of the battery cables, underneath the plastic covering.
Once you remove the bolt, the covers should slide off rather easily.

Are you losing any coolant?
Usually noticed first in the coolant reserve tank but remove the radiator cap when the engine is cool just to be sure it's full.
The 3800 engines develop intake gasket leaks and plenum (plastic upper intake) leaks which must be addressed quickly to prevent engine damage.
It's a problem with the original plastic intake gaskets and original plastic plenum.

Have you had the car checked for codes?
Are there any codes or is the Service Engine light on?

If the car has not been "tuned up" in recent memory, that can be a very good place to start.
Rockauto.com has very good prices and gives forum members a discount.
Look at their post in the Pontiac Bonneville Club Vendor's Forum for the code.

A tune up means replacing the spark plugs (preferably ACDelco or NGK plugs), fuel filter, PCV valve and air filter.
If it has been a long time since they were replaced, it can be a good idea to also replace the spark plug wires.

You can remove and inspect the spark plugs for wear or fouling.
There's no way to visually inspect the fuel filter.
The PCV valve should rattle when shaken.
The air filter should be clean.

You could also have a vacuum leak from cracked vacuum hoses or a stuck PCV valve.
All the rubber vacuum hoses get brittle and crack over the time--often where you can't see.

Something like this happened to me a few weeks back, turned out I need a new Ignition Control Module. Replaced it and the stalling stopped! Very easy and simple to replace!

any diagnostic codes? that could help a lot. - BC