Am curious about the occasional clunk i get selecting reverse. It doesn't happen every time, and doesn't seem to be accompanied by any other noises.

I haven't had the car long, it is secondhand, and didn't do it when i took it round the block before buying. As a car numpty i don't know alot, as long as starts, goes, and stops on demand it'll do.

Wondering if this is normal or at least nothing to worry about.

Not being cheeky, but its not the recirc coming on is it? Not sure if you have a diesel or not but it changes when reverse is selected and you get a change in noise when the blower is on. Just a thought, or is it a more meaty clunk?

it is a Tdi, sounds like a damped metalic clunk. best guess is like something falling into place with a thud, that make sense.

It's not the brakes un-sticking, is it? Brake, come to a halt and jam the handbrake on straightaway, and the brake pads can stick to the discs. If you engage reverse and start moving at pretty much the same time, I can see this happening...

Could be take-up somewhere in the transmission.

CV joints, diff, gearbox, clutch or even the steering assembly.

Not so obvious is a worn gearbox/engine mount with maybe taht much play that the exhaust or some other part is hitting the body underneath.

from a standing start, ie parked. Handbrake on, clutch in, shift into reverse and then get a clunk? but it doesn't happen every time, and it isn't a cold or hot engine either because it can happen at anytime.

It is due a service shortly, so hopefully someone will be able to tell me then. Would rather know if it is going to cost money before i walk in though...

When you're actually selecting the gear, or when you're starting to move off?

In the first case, it's probably a slight mis-alignment of the reverse gear cogs, and pretty much any car bar the few with synchromesh on reverse will do it occasionally (more likely with a heavily worn clutch).

In the second, ap0gee's covered the likely cause.

thanks, i'll go with the slight misalignment as it does happen when selecting, Not sure what is in the box, but it does sound like something falling into place. As the car is getting on i would assume the clutch has had a fair amount of use. i'll mention it at service and see what they say.

Well, unless the clutch is worn to the point of dragging when the pedal's right down, it's "one of those things". What' will be happening is that the gear teeth are pushing each other out of the way, rather than cleanly interlocking. Nothing that the garage can do about it.