I have had this problem for a few years and seasonally gets worse. 1.9 BKC 2005 Octy hatch 5 speed 256k Miles . The gear stick just won’t return to centre, it’s not the common sloppy issue.. If I go from second I need to guide it into 3rd. I have actually managed to live with it and changed my driving style to accommodate it. Today I managed to find the cause. Had checked the gear stick area. Sprayed wd40 on the shaft that goes into the gearbox quite a few times over the years. Placebo as I thought it was better. 
 

You need to remove the airbox for best access. 

There is a bracket that joins onto one of the cables and the shifter shaft to be removed and cleaned.  

I had to hammer it out and clean the shaft both ends grease up and replace. 

First remove the 3 clips one from each gear cable one from the end of the shaft/bracket thing. No tools needed just lever the front and prise away. 
 

Move the cables off the linkages. 

To remove the shaft off the gearbox using a hammer with light taps to the left. I scraped down the chrome shaft and cleaned out the aperture where it slides in with wd40 and cotton buds. Then used normal wheel bearing grease on the shaft and smeared some on the entry point. 
 

Refitted everything reverse of removal. 
 

 

 

Gear stick wobbles and centres like it should now. 

 

 

Edited 28 May, 20224 yr by gav_is_con
Corrections

Very satisfying I bet!

 

I had a similar issue but was unaware, it revealed itself when I removed the gearbox to do the clutch, mine was just generally sloppy rather than notchy, a very easy lazy non precise gearchange like a high mileage Schnorrer.

 

The rusty nut in your photo 3 was loose where some bodger had removed the gearbox before me, I found a few other loose/missing fasteners, afterwards the gearchange was much more precise but ironically I also had to be much more precise with the gearlever movements. It had a tapered splined shaft & would have soon been spinning freely locked in neutral or the last gear.

1 minute ago, J.R. said:

Very satisfying I bet!

 

I had a similar issue but was unaware, it revealed itself when I removed the gearbox to do the clutch, mine was just generally sloppy rather than notchy, a very easy lazy non precise gearchange like a high mileage Schnorrer.

 

The rusty nut in your photo 3 was loose where some bodger had removed the gearbox before me, I found a few other loose/missing fasteners, afterwards the gearchange was much more precise but ironically I also had to be much more precise with the gearlever movements. It had a tapered splined shaft & would have soon been spinning freely locked in neutral or the last gear.

Yes, finally nailed the issue. I tried to remove that nut without removing the battery tray for access as my initial thoughts were to remove the shaft into the gearbox. It just would not budge. 
once I removed the cables off the linkages. I realised the gear stick was wobbling/moving unrestricted, where previously it’s movement was limited side to side. This further compounded the issue away from the gearstick area. 
the shaft where this bracket sits, seems to be a plastic insert to the assumed aluminium housing. Must have just dried out over the years. This particular lever/cable arrangement controlled the left right movement of the gearstick when moved back and forwards bulkhead to headlight direction. 
 

I originally intended to try and remove the shaft to the gearbox as a T5 forum seemed to suggest this was the issue. Clearly a different gearbox arrangement, as no amount of pulling would allow me to remove that from inside the gearbox just the normal up and down movement. 

Taken the car for a longer drive. Reminded me what I have had to contend with for an awful long time. Gear shift feels a lot smoother due to no resistance. On previous occasions I would miss gears due to some resistance at the gate going into say 5th and 3rd, this also appears considerably better. Recommend this to any high miler. Given it’s progressive nature, I just learned to change my driving style to accommodate it.