Date: Sun, 13 May 2001 17:41:02 -0500
Reply-To: John Rodgers <jhrodgers@charter.net>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: John Rodgers <jhrodgers@charter.net>
Subject: Re: Blue Smoke Screen- No kidding! (very looong)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
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?
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