I have a '97 Vilager with 120k miles on it. It has been problem free for the most part ( except for regular Brake jobs, routine oil changes and front right axle replacement) . Recently, the engine started to rev up and down very slightly and a week ago, there was white smoke coming out of the engine. Alongwith the smoke was the coolant boiling in the coolant reservoir. I let it cool down, refilled the coolant, since the coolant had boiled over from the container. I took the Van out for a short drive and checked under the hood and found the same white smoke coming out of the engine. Any suggestions on where to begin to troubleshoot?

its a blown head gasket

Pressure test the cooling system to see if you can find any leaks. Some autoparts stores rent specialty tools. Supposedly there is a kit that you can buy at an autoparts store to test for exhaust gases in the cooling system. Exhaust gasses in the cooling system is indicative of a blown headgasket.

Do you have white smoke coming out of the tailpipe? Is your vehicle overheating?

Thanks for replying. Yes, there is white smoke coming from the tailpipe. I figured it might be a blown gasket too.