Posted by Don in Missouri [162.158.72.35] on Wednesday, April 06, 2016 at 22:48:30 :
In Reply to: Todays Cars. OT posted by The Dodge Boys [173.245.56.25] on Wednesday, April 06, 2016 at 20:48:33 :
The Mercedes diesel in my 03 Grand Cherokee has a belt-driven, viscous heater to mechanically help the coolant warm up faster. It has a magnetic clutch on it like you would expect on an AC compressor.
These engines, which are common in Sprinter vans also have a tendency for the thermostat to stick open. So, the viscous heater clutch never shuts off and it wastes energy trying to keep the engine warm. Next time someone refers to German Engineering, think about that.