Leaderboard

HiYa CRD28AUTO CRD's with a good battery and good LP pressure will usually start without good glow plugs. Glow takes 1-2 minutes NOT the 3 seconds on the warning light. https://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/articles/images/722_6.jpg Changing glow plugs is always torment time wobble-end, one hardly ever gets tackled by garages - ditto many other things. You seem to be in decent fettle, congratulations.

My Antifreeze is something I need to address when the weather gets a bit better. Mine is reddish brown and can’t see the needle readings on my antifreeze tester. So for piece of mind I syphoned 5 litres out and replaced with 5 litres of holts 05 hoat to get me through the winter. My thermostat is working fine but like @@RichardM I have a Renault in-line thermostat in my toolbox just in case. As for the starting, I only have bother below 5 degrees C. And the it only takes a few more seconds to start than normal. (Must have some decent compression). I have found that all my glow plugs are duff, I have brought a new set, but again will wait for the better weather to change.

Hoat I've always used. I get Comma 05 from amazon under £30 delivered and dilute with a gallon of distilled about a quid. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Comma-XHD5L-Xstream-Antifreeze-Concentrate/dp/B0048778U6 I've never, and never would backflush. The matrix is equally important. Burping is easy. Stat should keep it under half way temp. My 2.8 is now 15 years old no temp problems ever. Mine has a Webasto WaterTop but I've done the batteryMOD and inlineSTAT mod along with Screwfix lagging in front of RAD. Congratulations, looking after your car gives it the best chance of looking after you. Best of luck.