my cooling system dosent seem to be quite right when the engines been running for 7 or 8 mile and stood for 20mins ticking over the top pipe on the rad on the right (o/side) is hot the top pipe on the other side is quite cool which I could probably understand if the car wasnt warmed up properly but the thing that has me thinking is the hot water in the expansion tank it dosent seem to me to be normal any ideas welcome

so we know the thermostat is opening, you expect the water coming out the other side of the rad to be cooler, so that all sounds normal to me. i think your temp gauge may be simply be the common fault where it reads high.

Thanks for your reply jug you confirm the what I have been told from a garage