Our cars (both 25% bigger than yours) require about a minute of connection time to the other RUNNING car (at 13.8 volts/70 amps, and the solid Group 49 battery at 800 CCA) to be able to do a cold start. That equivalent booster pack would probably weight 300 pounds.

With a gasser, you only need to spin the engine fast enough to draw in the mixture, and then have enough juice to run the electronics/coil (to light the fire). With a diesel, you need high amps for significant glow time, and then you still need reserve juice for a full-speed cranking cycle (to make enough heat to light the fire). Boosters are great, IMO, for gas vehicles, and virtually useless for a diesel.

Sounds like a waste of money to me. Either fix it, pull the fuses, disconnect the battery, or get a quick-disconnect for the battery.

(you don't even want to ask about trying to jump the Suburban at 15 dF, which at that point has a pair of 800-CCA "dead" batteries, a 6.5 engine, and a 5 kW starter)

__________________
James Marriott
2003 Buick Regal
1983 300D (228k, frau Auto)
1996 Suburban K2500 (192k, 6.5 turbo diesel/4WD towmaster 10,000)
www.engineeringworks.biz
1987 300SDL junker 170k
1982 300SD junker, 265k