The lever-ring along the gear shifter, which is moved upward so to go into reverse, seems broken. It is loose and no longer has any resistance. The past few years I've been (over-)using the lever-ring to get into first, when that posed as a problem, now I can't get into reverse.

All this occurred as I'm having problems with my battery (and/or alternator). Last month the car wouldn't start after, toward the end of one day, stopping for about an hour. And it died out after two successive jumps, dying out after a few feet(and less). I changed the battery, rightly or not. After a four days of commuter driving it died at a stop light. I was able to restart it the following day, but that was it. Did start again a few days later, before dying on the driveway. Two weeks later I brought the battery back to Kragen's and they said it was overcharged (1000, norm 675). A few hours later they said it was now 200, and a bit later it gave a reading as bad. New battery started the car (twice), but I haven't tried to drive it since, which was last week.

The alternator (and/or it's components) have been changed twice since I got the car 9 years ago, last time about five years ago.

Temoc
Thanks