One reason I did not feel the need to include the detailed description is because I would prefer responses from people who have had to deal with this exact problem. Anyone who has had to fix a "electromagnetic clutch" problem would know immediately what 1419 means.

Thanks for all the input Quick update. As is always the case with an older car, there's a twist in this story I discovered. The car was involved in a minor fender bender. When it happened, I did a close inspection to make sure the car was drivable, which everything checked out. Well, discovered that the fan shroud was jarred loose and periodically makes contact with the front pulley on the compressor. I discovered this when I reached in there to see if the pulley would rotate with the engine off, which it does. So, new question - It's a periodic gentle rub - but enough to have carved out a about a two inch slit in the shroud. I'm guessing this could be the culprit in heating up the sensor causing the compressor to shut down and throw the 1419 code. Since the pulley rotates that is good indicator that it's just the thermal fuse, correct?

Thoughts?

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1998 E300D, 287k, barely broken in.