How to Use a Hair Dryer to Heat an Engine Block

According to the website Dummies.com, "Because diesel engines require much higher temperatures to fire the fuel, they've always been harder to start in cold weather than gasoline-powered vehicles." So if you live in a cold weather climate, you can invest in a gadget such as a block heater, something that you plug in to your car just before you park it overnight. Alternatively, you can warm the engine block by hand, using a hair dryer, and start your car like magic.

Things You'll Need

  • Hair dryer
  • Extension cord
  • Lift the hood up and pull the hood support rod up. Adjust the rod so that it fits into the hole on the interior of the hood. Attach the extension cord to the hair dryer and plug the extension cord into the nearest available outlet.

  • Turn the hair dryer on to low heat. Direct the flow of heat to the top of the engine block, distributing heat evenly. Move the hairdryer around the engine block, tilting it so heat flows around the sides. Do this for around four to five minutes.

  • Turn the blow dryer up to high heat. Continue to move the blow dryer evenly around the engine block. Increasing the heat slowly will prevent any parts from cracking suddenly if they're extremely cold. Keep the blow dryer on high for an additional five minutes, distributing the heat around the engine equally.

  • Shut off the blow dryer and unplug it. Pull the hood and hood support rod down and back in place. Try to turn on your car. It should turn on easily.