Engine Warm-up

[hpf350]

Here's my question of the day. Would a portable battery jump starter with a plug work long enough to warm-up the engine block heater on our 7.3s?
I live in MD and it gets cold enough to be a problem starting in the morning. I usually warm the glow plugs 2-3 times and then try which has been working.

I read that cold starts can dramatically reduce the life of our engines. Any techs wanna chime in on that one?

SO...if I can't reach my truck with power can I use the 12v plug on the jump starter to power the engine block heater for about 30 minutes until start up?

I look forward to hearing what you all say.
Thanks

[layson]

I don't know if that is enough. It is a 1000 watts, you probably need to leave it on there a few hours just to get it warm enough.

[ianstew]

no, you can not use the 12v plug to power the block keater. the block heater is powered from a 110 line.....and cycling the GP's really isn't as effective as one might think, as the GP's stay on anyways even after the engine is running......so it's better to just let them contuosly heat for 30 seconds or so...... If you are having cold start issues and are having to cycle the glow plugs, then there is a problem with your truck. Find NChornets write up in the 7.3 help section to assist in dagnosing the issue you have.

[NCHornet]

Ianstew said pretty much exactly what I was going to say. Follow what he said.

NCH

[speed_racer_801]

I was under the impression that cycling the glow plugs was not advised because it only serves to wear out the GPR and then plugs stay on well after the light is off on the dash. I was also told, maybe read somewhere, that the block heater would need close to 3 hours to really work. I have my timer at home set up to turn on 3.5 hours before I leave and it works but have not tried a shorter time.