while obviously good practice to minimize electrical load on both vehicles
for either boost or true jump start, AC on was probably a mere correlation
rather than cause and effect - else belts flying would also happen with AC
on in car doing the jumping!

AC and blower bypassed on most cars during cranking anyway.

On Wed, 15 Jun 2005 05:34:11 EDT, Frank Condelli <RAlanen@AOL.COM> wrote:

>Just a note of warning, since we have a recent  thread of AC going on.  Do
>not attempt to jump start a van with a dead  battery with a van with the AC
>running.  Why, just listen to this  one.  Sunday as BusFusion is winding
up a
>woman with an '84 Vanagon  has a dead battery.  The battery was brand new
from
>Canadian Tire which her  son brought up to the Fairgrounds to replace her
tired
>and worn out  battery.  Why the new one was dead is still not known.
However,
>as  myself and a few friends try to jump start her van using my CARAT with
my
>friend  Simon at the helm of the CARAT keeping the RPMs around 3000 and I
at
>the helm of  the '84, we hear a loud bang and clanking sounds from the
CARAT's
>engine  compartment and the engine locks up as if it seized.  What
happened ?
> Well, quite the mess, the alternator locked up from being over loaded
trying
>to  maintain the AC, front fan, whatever else was running and trying to
>charge the  dead battery.  When the alternator locked up it threw the belt
which
>took  the other two belts with it, which in turn took the dipstick tube and
>wrapped it  around the pulley which in turn grabbed the coolant hose/pipe
>connection behind the pulley and ripped that out spewing all the hot
coolant out on
>the ground.  Clean up and repair still in progress.   Engine seems to have
>survived.
>
>Cheers,
>
>Frank  Condelli
>Almonte, Ontario, Canada
>_BusFusion_ (http://members.aol.com/BusFusion/bfhome.htm)  a VW Camper
>camping event, Almonte, ON, June 09 ~ 12, 2005
>'87 Westy, '90 Carat &  Lionel Trains
>Member: _Vanagon List_ (http://www.vanagon.com/) , _LiMBO_
>(http://www.bcn.net/~limbo/) , _IWCCC_ (http://www.westfalia.qc.ca/)  &
_CCVWC_
>(http://www.ccvwc.ca/)
>Vanagon/Vanagon Westfalia Service in  the Ottawa Valley
>_STEBRO/Vanagon Stainless Steel  Mufflers_
>(http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/stebro.htm)
>_Frank Condelli &  Associates_ (http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/busindex.html)
>or  http://frankcondelli.com