Next couple of questions...

Ok, battery hasn't drained and is strong - been on since Monday now.
EAS however is just staying at max ride height, wont come down?? Dropped to ride height on a 15 min journey last night eventually, and I pumped it back to full when got home to see if it dropped over night. It hasn't and won't come down at all? lol. Any ideas?

Also, coolant loss due to o-rings - when the car was sitting lop sided it seemed to lose a bit more than usual and dropped to just below bottom of expansion tank. I gently filled and was ok, well it seemed, but as car warmed it came out the top of tank as I had the cap off.
So let it cool, topped it up again, and whilst it hasn't risen since, and it NEVER overheated, it's given me a little concern.
Top pipe was pressurised when this happened, however i've just been out running it to normal temp and again it didnt overheat on the gauge. BUT... it did feel very hot on the pipes, I do mean that hot uncomfortable to touch for more than a second. All pipes felt hot with water. Constant flow of water from the small rad pipe back into the expansion tank. However the rad didnt seem to get warm at all. I know what's coming next, blocked rad out of nothing?? surely not. Well the bottom pipes into rad seemed warm coming out of that big white plastic connecter, where 3 pipes join, but the short rad pipe and bottom felt cool. The top of the rad luke warm at best.

Car was running for about 7 minutes from cold.

Water in the expansion tank felt very hot, kettle hot with a light steam, is this right?
As I say the temp guage was perfect as usual??

Bit worried to drive it to the garage tho, as it's 17 miles in traffic, about a 45 min journey.

the plastic connector is the thermostat, it sounds like this could be stuck closed or nearly closed. take the stat off and drop in in water thats just off the boil to check its function. there are two types that open at slightly different temperatures, if you can get the lower temp one. whilst this is off you can take the rad out and flush it, not a big job just undo top hose, take cowl off from fan, unclip the bit that connect to rad and push it back over the fan uno the two bolts at the bottom of rad on sides and rad will slide up and out, will need a firm tug.

clean inside with hose pipes/fill empty a few times. also tak it to asda(air is free) or if you have a air supply genly blow debris from the rad and from the fins.

put back together with new stat if required and it should be as good as new!

if the rad is shagged though it may still do the same if this happens you will need to replace rad!

also fill the coolant, till coolant bottle is full and then top up while car is running, it should take around 11 litres, or roughly 2 watering cans, just water at first to check all is ok then drain again and add 5 litres of coolant and remainder water!

me fecking hands are hurting after all that typing!

fook me, something else to try and sort. List is getting endless of niggly little bits. All doable with time, I just dont have any.
Shame but it's gonna have to go. I need simple and reliable these days lol...
Well at least the thermostat is easy to get to. Bleeding the whole system could be fun, not...

also if youre gonna do o rings flush the heater matrix with hose, bothe the pipes on bulkhead in engine bay near abs pump