Tranny or combustion problem?

1994 olds 88 royale with 3.8 sometimes hesitates or “bumps” when accelerating. sometimes it seems like the tranny is slipping, but other times it seems to feel like poor firing or slight misfire with hesitation. when at highway speeds of +50 it runs fine but occasionally bumps or seems sluggish if i rapid accelerate or speed up to pass. do i have a tranny problem or poor performance or emmisions problem thanks for the help and Click n Clack are the best

What are the condition (color) and level of the transmission fluid?

dirty red but not black or gritty! lvl is mid range to lower end

Is it worse when the weather is wet/damp/humid? How many miles on the car? Ever change the spark plugs and wires? Could be a misfire.

just had the car for a couple of mos. 186000 mi. the previous owner and upkeep unknown. plugs are not dirty wires are not matching with 2 newer. could injectors or egr be dirty i cant complain too much as my son bought it at a dealer auction and gave it to me

Is it worse in wet weather? Any check engine light on?

In that case, I would get the transmission fluid changed and see if it gets any better. You should get the transmission fluid changed anyway.

any weather! no lights on! does seem to be more noticeable at speeds involving overdrive shifting up or down

Yes, changing the transmission fluid and filter (if it has one) seems like a very good idea. Since you don’t know the maintenance history, get all maintenance items taken care of.