'97 buick lesabre transmission needs to warm up before it will engage in drive.

Hi Max Jet here , I just replaced my fluid and filter due to clunkie shifting, I did note until I had proper level of fluid it would not shift into 4th gear have you changed your fluid? Made a big difference on mine 128 k looked like it had never bee changed black uck. To change u have to drop your pan and the filter is inside,the filter just pulls down. Good idea to get part and gasket first so you have a better idea of how to pull down filter. Their are 20, 10mm bolts. Have a big catch tray under pan and lower one side slowly to help guide fluid to catch basin. A small kids pool not crazy idea for catch tray. Clean the pan then Blue goo the rim of the pan and attach the gasket . Line up the holes an push bolts through before you go under car after market gasket holes were tight on bolts I didn't do this and waisted a lot time under car. After finger tight bolts I use bat. Drill with torque settings starting low until torque slipped then set higher all around to insure even torque on all 20 bolts. Good luck