The invention relates to an internal combustion engine comprising a combustion engine (10) and a cooling system, which has a coolant pump (40), a main cooler (38), a heating heat exchanger (36), coolant channels (28, 30) in the combustion engine (10), and a control device (20) having an actuator (26) for the closed-loop distribution of a coolant according to at least one local coolant temperature, characterised in that the control device (20) can be connected to a coolant compensation container (106) via a connection in line and, with an actuation of the actuator (26) in one direction, the control device (20): permits a coolant flow through the coolant channels (28, 30) of the combustion engine (10), and through the heating heat exchanger (36), and prevents same through the main cooler (38), and closes the connection line in a first primary position (80); releases the connection line in a second primary position (96); and also permits a coolant flow though the main cooler (38) in a third primary position (126).