hi,my wife has just bought an octavia 2.0litre glxi registered october2000,does anyone have a service schedule for this car,as i havent a clue about timing belt changes etc.I was told off the seller(trader)that the brake fluid needs changing every 2 years,is this necessary.

will change oil and filter yearly as will only do about 4000miles but could do with any advice on plugs etc..

on a limited budget and dont want to have unnecessary work done by garage.

we have no service history,car has 87000 miles on and looks/sounds good.

any problems to look out for would also be a bonus.

Well, if you don't have any service history, I would do the following based on current age of car:-

1) Have the cam belt kit (full kit, including idler and tensioner pulleys) changed, and have a new water pump installed whilst you're at it. There are a number of reasons for this, but mostly associated with the plastic impellor having a tendancy to break up between 90_000 and 100_000 miles.

2) Have a garage change the brake fluid. These cars use a funny bleed order, and this way someone else is to blame if it's c0cked up! The reason for doing this is that brake fluid is hydroscobic, so its boiling temperature drops with age.

3) Have the antifreeze mixture checked by a VAG specialist. Get it reset to 50/50 G12+ and water.

After that, with your annual DIY plan, you'll be "good to go" for 4 years, as long as you get the brake fluid changed again in 2 years.