Can I plug it in before going to bed and unplug it in the morning, or is it to long. How long does it take to heat up thanks

 

Yes you can leave it plugged in overnight.

It takes about 3 hours after being plugged in, before it reaches a saturation point.

Drew

 

Some folks buy a timer to plug the block heater into. This way if you regularly leave home around 7:00 AM you can set the timer for the block heater to come on around 4:00 AM to save on the ole electric bill.

 

I have a 2002 F350 and just started plugging it in using a timer (about 3 hours before starting). I thought I had read that if I leave my heater on, the truck would be warm in the morning. This does not seem to be the case. Does anyone know if the block heater heats the coolant or oil?

 

thought it was an oil heater.

It won't be warm, but it won't take near as long to warm up.

 

Thanks

Rich

 

It heats up the coolant in the engine block. It will not generate enough heat so your engine will be warm when you crank it. The block heaters purpose is to aid starting in cold weather.

 

I have good luck plugging mine in for about 2 hours unless it's under 10 degrees, then I give it about 3 hours. It also sits in a garage so there is no breeze to suck the heat back out of it. Has anyone tried a blanket over the hood when parked outsite?