HI been having a clunking noise for a little while when engaging transmission going from forward to reverse and when going from engine accelerating to engine braking. Transmission finally gave up now can select all gears but when I lift clutch just get graunchy noise and don't get any transmission.

I did have a CV boot go on the inner passenger CV joint and thought it was something to do with that. Now wondering if DMF or something in gearbox? Not sure where to start any ideas?

sounds like the dmf has disintegrated to me.

Snap!....or is it crunch? My mk1 tdi130pd did exactly that on saturday night- 4 days after your post, Chortle. What is yours and have you had a diagnosis yet? I was in nowheresville in central France when it happened- happily at 5mph rather than in a committing overtake!

I'm pretty sure it's not DMF failure....that failed a few years back and the symptoms were quite different.

The recovery agent said he had seen it often in golfs and passats, but my French was not good enough to confirm whether the failure was between gearbox and final drive/differential or differential and driveshaft. It's still in France- allegedly getting fixed with me meant to recover it this weekend (full marks to directline/green flag breakdown insurance so far- they've been pretty helpful about getting me home for work.)

Anyway, I'd be interested to hear how you doing and of anyone else who can offer experience/thoughts.

Mine turned out to happily just be the drive shaft. Quick check if yours is the same is leave in 1st gear lift bonnet and check out drive shaft. Mine was rotating before inner CV joint but not after on passenger side. Swapped drive shaft and splines had stripped on drive shaft inner CV joint so clunk I was hearing was taking up slack from forward to reverse and when engine braking etc

Glad that turned out a lot less bad than it might have been- there's some horror stories about diff bearings and all sorts which seem to involve serious cost out there.

I'm crossing my fingers that I'll have the same diagnosis as I am about 700 miles away from my car! And now I know that French for driveshaft is arbre de transmission.

Cheers