Why does my automatic transmission gear up at slower speeds causing the engine to lug?

no car stated (Gaia what? er Toyota )
2.0Liter told later
no transmission type, AUTO IT IS. NOT STICKSHIFT.

I guess dragging means delayed shift in the automatic>?

why not ask your autoshop this,.>?>?> as 99% do.

if any automatic fails to up shift the speed is low
speed low cause the speedometer to read low.
not upshifting can be cause by 2 things, weak engine or bad transmission.
you will never learn or discover why only your shop will. BUT I did answer below. and can expand each line by 100 fold if need be.
and more if the year car was told or what transmission model is there, some cars had 2 choice or more back then.

kick down cable needs ajustment refer to the tube for complete instructions

Hi, I have spent some time researching this, and have come to the following evaluation:
Assuming your Toyota Corolla S is an automatic:

P, R, N, D, these are all letters on your automatic transmission that you're probably familiar with. However, you might rarely, if at all, shift into "L" on the gear shift. So what does this letter stand for? And should you use it?
L stands for low gear. When your car is in drive, or D, the automatic transmission will shift through the gears as your speed increases. When your car is in low, or L, the transmission won't shift. Instead, it remains in a low gear, and less fuel is injected into the engine. This gives you less speed, but what you sacrifice in speed you make up for in engine torque. Basically, using low gear gives the engine more power.
Torque is useful when you're towing something with your automatic. Towing requires more torque, but if you tow in drive it puts more strain on your engine as the transmission cycles through the gears. Keeping it in low gear lets you keep the torque, which makes towing easier, and reduces the stress on your engine. Another reason you might use low gear is for driving up a hill in order to give your engine the power to get up the hill without over-stressing it. Low gear is also useful for driving in snow or on icy roads, because it reduces your speed and gives you more control over the vehicle.

I hope this helped, please feel free to write a testimonial if it did :)

the process involves plenty of hydraulic fluid as well as gears and clutches.
If you have an automatic transmission, and it "slips" while you are driving it-that is, the car engine revs without the power going to the wheels-the most common cause (though not the only possible cause) is low transmission fluid. If the slipping is caused by low fluid, it will get worse as the transmission gets hotter.

How to adjust 3 speed column shifter - YouTube

? 9:53
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TCHzIvAvRQ
Mar 6, 2014 - Uploaded by luke Fugate
This is a video to show you how to adjust a Three speed on the column to ... It's great not having to wind the engine and transmission just to take off in 2nd or 3rd gear. ... It was ALWAYS getting stuck between 1st and 2nd gear. .... 1977 c10 3 On The Tree ' How to Drive a 3 Speed Column Shift - Duration: ...

Diagnose Automatic Transmission

www.aa1car.com/library/2002/bf90222.htm

All they know is that they put their gear selector in "D" for Drive and their vehicle ... But when internal problems cause the transmission to act up, it takes a fair amount .... In Chrysler three-speed automatics, changing the fluid to ATF+3 can also help ...kickdowns to get the transmission to downshift to 1st from 2nd or 3rd gear.

Manual transmission - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manual_transmission

Wikipedia1 Overview; 2 Unsynchronized transmission; 3 Synchronized transmission; 4 Internals.... gear speeds by blipping the throttle when shifting from 2nd into 1st. ... In a synchromesh gearbox, to correctly match the speed of the gear to that of the ... Even in transmissions that do not feature direct drive, it's an advantage for the ...

When do you use the 1,2,3 gears on an automatic car ...

https://www.reddit.com/.../when_do_you_use_the_123_gears_on_..

It always starts out in first, it's a 3 speed automatic, that's what automatics do. they start out in first and at about 15-20 miles per hour , they shift to second gear, and when the speed is about 35-45 MPH, the transmission automatically shifts into third gear, or Drive.

Bigger automatics have 4 or more speeds. Till recently, 4 speeds were the norm, and fourth gear was often dubbed Overdrive, as it allowed the engine to run slower in 4th gear, than it had to maintain speed in 3rd gear, drive. It's good, it increases your mileage per gallon of gas, so you save that way, but like all things more complicated, they cost more to fix when something goes wrong.

please do not have your transmission flushed , have someone take the oil pan off and replace the filter as well and what ever trans oil you take out replace it as well . no automotive repair shop will warrenty your trans if it should suddenly stop working , but just for your satisfaction ask the transmission repair shop who flushs trans if they guarantee it and have them put it in writing . ive never understood why flush dirty oil and leave the dirty filter in the trans , it collected all dirt and metal wear which is what is causing it to plug up causing it to restrict the oil flow

Depends on your engine.

1980 JEEP CJ-7 2.5L 4-cyl Engine Code [B]
CAPACITIES
Engine, GM without filter..........2.4 quarts[1]
Wix Filter ........ 51040
Cooling System, Initial Fill..........8.0 quarts
Automatic Transmission, A904, 30RH Initial Fill..........4.0 quarts[2]
Automatic Transmission, A999, 32RH Initial Fill..........4.0 quarts[2]
Automatic Transmission, Total Fill
3 speed A999, 32RH..........8.4 quarts
3 speed A904, 30RH..........7.0 quarts
Manual Transmission, 4-SPD, SR-4..........3.0 pints
Manual Transmission, 4-SPD, T176..........3.6 pints
Differential, Front..........2.5 pints[3]
Differential, Rear..........4.9 pints
Transfer Case,..........4.0 pints

1. Add extra oil when replacing filter. After refill check oil level.
2. With engine automatic transmission operating temperature, shift through all gears.
Check fluid level in NEUTRAL and add fluid as needed.
3. 1984-1992 Models with command-Track, add 5 oz of 75W-90 GL-5 to shift motor housing opening.

TORQUES
Oil Drain Plug.....25 ft-lbs
Manual Transmission T176
Fill Plug.....15 ft-lbs
Drain Plug.....15 ft-lbs
Manual Transmission SR4
Fill Plug.....20 ft-lbs

1980 JEEP CJ-7 4.2L 6-cyl Engine Code [C]
CAPACITIES
Engine, without filter..........5.0 quarts[1]
Wix Filter..... 51522
Cooling System, Initial Fill..........11.0 quarts
Automatic Transmission, A904, 30RH Initial Fill..........4.0 quarts[2]
Automatic Transmission, A999, 32RH Initial Fill..........4.0 quarts[2]
Automatic Transmission, Total Fill
3 speed A999, 32RH..........8.4 quarts
3 speed A904, 30RH..........7.0 quarts
Manual Transmission, 4-SPD, SR-4..........3.0 pints
Manual Transmission, 4-SPD, T176..........3.6 pints
Differential, Front..........2.5 pints[3]
Differential, Rear..........4.9 pints
Transfer Case,..........4.0 pints

1. Add extra oil when replacing filter. After refill check oil level.
2. With engine automatic transmission operating temperature, shift through all gears.
Check fluid level in NEUTRAL and add fluid as needed.
3. 1984-1992 Models with command-Track, add 5 oz of 75W-90 GL-5 to shift motor housing opening.

TORQUES
Oil Drain Plug.....30 ft-lbs
Manual Transmission T176
Fill Plug.....15 ft-lbs
Drain Plug.....15 ft-lbs
Manual Transmission SR4
Fill Plug.....20 ft-lbs

1980 JEEP CJ-7 5.0L 8-cyl Engine Code [H]
CAPACITIES
Engine, without filter..........4.0 quarts[1]
Wix Filter..... 51258
Cooling System, Initial Fill..........13.0 quarts
Automatic Transmission, A999, 32RH Initial Fill..........4.0 quarts[2]
Automatic Transmission, A904, 30RH Initial Fill..........4.0 quarts[2]
Automatic Transmission, Total Fill
3 speed A904, 30RH..........7.0 quarts
3 speed A999, 32RH..........8.4 quarts
Manual Transmission, 4-SPD, SR-4..........3.0 pints
Manual Transmission, 4-SPD, T176..........3.6 pints
Differential, Front..........2.5 pints[3]
Differential, Rear..........4.9 pints
Transfer Case,..........4.0 pints

1. Add extra oil when replacing filter. After refill check oil level.
2. With engine automatic transmission operating temperature, shift through all gears.
Check fluid level in NEUTRAL and add fluid as needed.
3. 1984-1992 Models with command-Track, add 5 oz of 75W-90 GL-5 to shift motor housing opening.

TORQUES
Manual Transmission T176
Fill Plug.....15 ft-lbs
Drain Plug.....15 ft-lbs
Manual Transmission SR4
Fill Plug.....20 ft-lbs

Oilman

mcdevito75 here, I would figure yes, if your shifting while in motion, definetly yes, when you shift your changeing gear ratios in the 4 wheel drive or the transmission, this will cause the engine to slow but also make the gas pedal moe responsive.If you feel or hear this slowing down of the engine while standing still (at a red light) it"s most likely the computer contolled sensor in the tranny. I woulkd still check with my local shop for their advice too.

Check the 10 wire connector going into the transmission for water or corrosion. This could cause inadvertant shifting but would also probably set the check engine light. The throttle position sensor could also cause this. Speed sensors screw into the transmission from the outside and would cause a limp in condition where it wouldn't shift out of second gear.