Cooling arrangement for a liquid-cooled motor vehicle internal-combustion engine

Claim 1

A cooling arrangement for a liquid-cooled internal-combustion engine of a motor vehicle, comprising a coolant circuit having a forward flow pipe, a return flow pipe, a radiator operatively connected to the forward flow pipe and return flow pipe of the coolant circuit, and having one of a closable feed opening and a fluidic connection with an expansion tank with a closable feed opening, a temperature-controlled thermostatic valve configured such that coolant is one of completely and partially guided through one of the radiator and past the radiator by a short-circuit pipe between the forward flow pipe and the return forward pipe, and is electrically heatable to limit or reduce coolant temperature in the coolant circuit to a value which is lower in comparison to an unheated condition thereof, and means for heating the thermostatic valve, wherein means is provided for comparing a distance covered by the motor vehicle after the vehicle start with a limit distance determined such that, when a limit distance is covered in a predetermined normal driving operation, the coolant temperature in the coolant circuit remains clearly below the opening temperature of the thermostatic valve to which current is not then supplied, and thus remains below a boiling temperature, and current is supplied to the thermostatic valve from a vehicle start when the distance covered after the motor vehicle start is shorter than the limit distance.