My 03 MCS (167K) has been getting rather hard to shift lately. Getting in and out of reverse is the hardest. It's no longer my daily driver and admittedly, isn't getting driven enough - but it seems like every time I drive it, this shifting issue gets worse. Today I went to take it to work, had a hard time getting it out of reverse (I leave it in reverse on my sloped driveway) - and once out of reverse, I can't get it back into reverse. Side-to-side movement is the problem. I can shift 1-to-2, or 3-to-4, or 5-to-6 - but moving the shifter from side to side is a problem. So now it's not really drivable. I'm thinking this is just the shift linkage - anyone have any experience like this?
If, while in neutral you have a hard time moving the shifter, it probably is just the linkage. They are in a place where salt and road debris can accumulate. Under the air filter you can see that side of things. Probably best to take a look, clean and lubricate...etc to see if there is anything you can do besides replace the cables.
Yea....check the linkage. I never leave my car in reverse anymore. Had a weird issue on another car where the battery was being drained rather quickly when off. Traced it to a slow draw on the battery when the car was left in reverse, so I just never do it anymore.