well Robert........
you know the famous saying .......
( I'm the only one who quotes it.......but it really applies, and I suspect
that some people don't grasp the basic abstraction of it ..........but )

'it's just a leakage or blockage of fluids or electrons.'

i.e. you obviously have a big fat short.
the normal procedure is to isolate various parts of the circuits ( pulling
fuses is one way .....though I suspect the current draw you are having is
not in a fused circuit ) ......try removing the black wire from the coil (
you don't say what model vanagon this is of course.....
I'm guessing it's your 2.9 gal inline four westy , and not a diesel )

but you isolate parts of the circuitry in the van until the smoking
stops....
then you know what circuit to investigate and repair.

while I have you ..........
those big diesel heater units under Canadian diesel vanagons, and some US
models......
forget the model number right now.........but I have one of those for sale,
the whole works..........still installed in a Canadian model 82 diesel
vangon ........and I'm selling the diesel heater out of it .......( or the
whole van for parts ) .
the control switch is obviously broken ( got one of those ?  ) .......
located in southern Oregon.
$ 170 for the whole heater system  - , wires, fuel pumps, control unit,
sheet metal cover that goes under it , rear blower etc.
Scott
www.turbovans.com

----- Original Message -----
From: "Robert Keezer" <warmerwagen@YAHOO.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Monday, February 23, 2009 8:25 PM
Subject: What causes the ignition switch to get hot?

Hi- I replaced the switch and it also gets hot and smokes, engine off.

Robert
1982 Vanagon