My van did that especially going around tight curves like cloverleafs
and on and off ramps on expressway intersections. Turned out to be a
burned cylinder and ring and piston damage. It ran fine, but the damage
produced bluewhite smoke that was a major warning, and I didn't know
enough about the engines at the time to read what it was telling me.I
drove it for quite a while like that and eventually drove it to failure.

I suggest, beased on my experience, that you stop driving it immediately
and have a compression test. Also examine the plugs for oil signs. If
the compression check is OK, you can breath a bit easier. It probably
isn't pointing at something major like cylinder replacement or head
replacement.

Good luck

John Klun wrote:
>
> Volks-
>
> Something verrry interesting happened to me (vanagon) this past week.
>
> Last weekend, I was using my '84 2 wheel drive GL like a pickup truck,
> hauling stuff over extremely rough (for a 2 wheel drive) terrain.  (List
> member Steve Wacker has seen the terrain).  While doing this hauling, I
> didn't get out of 2nd gear.  The terrain consisted of old irrigation ditches
> I had to cross, abandoned adobe-covered formerly irrigated fields and
> prairie dog colonies.  I also had to 'climb' up some inclines I'd rather not
> repeat.  For all practical purposes, I was 4 wheelin'- involuntarily.
>
> Last Monday, I had to make a run to Walmart and Country General 34 miles
> away.  As I headed out of town on the 4 lane and hit my usual 70mph, I
> noticed a cloud of blue smoke coming out of the exhaust.  I slowed down and
> it went away.  I speeded up and there it was again but not as intense.  I
> went a little faster and it got bigger and bluer with some mixed in dark
> gray smoke.  Then it suddenly turned into a horrendous smoke screen, that
> would have made a World War II Destroyer proud.  I thought I had blown my
> engine!  There were no lights on the dashboard and the temp gauge was
> absolutely normal.
>
> Of course, I immediately pulled over and the cloud dissipated.  I turned off
> the engine and checked everything around and under the vanagon.  No leaks,
> no nothing.  I got back in, started her up and got back up to speed.  As
> soon as I hit 70mph, again it happened.  I pulled over and stopped and shut
> her off.  I got out again and this time I checked the oil.  The dip stick
> seemed dry!  Several times, I checked it and each time it seemed dry.  I
> added a quart of oil just in case, got back in and started driving again.
> This time I kept the speed down to around 55mph and there was no smoke at
> all.  Only when I speeded up to 70 did I notice any smoke but much less
> intense.
>
> I got to Country General and bought 3 quarts of oil thinking I'd have to add
> it.  After the vanagon sat in the parking lot for about 25 minutes, I
> checked the oil again.  This time it appeared to be slightly over full and I
> didn't have to add any oil at all.  I figured it'd burn off eventually if
> there was too much.
>
> I finished my errands and started for home.  Again, at 70mph on the 4 lane,
> heavy blue/dark gray smoke billowed out thick enough you couldn't see any
> car behind you.  After a quarter mile of this the smoke disappeared!  To get
> this blue smoke, I now had to drive faster than 70.  At slower speeds, no
> smoke and everything was fine.
>
> Any thoughts anyone?