Hello all, our Octavia whines in 1st gear, is generally reluctant to accept 1st gear, and when pulling away from stand still a couple of crunching noises are heard, then the whining - only audible in 1st gear, and whining increases related to revs. No noises heard at standstill. Any ideas?

I'd start by changing the gear oil, not because I think this is the likely cause (worn, chipped or cracked first gear cogs I think are likely), but because it just might be the gear oil, and that's way cheaper than an exchange box!