After five years of the heater fan either giving no speed, or full speed only (I lost the variable settings years ago  :oops: ), I regret to announce that the full speed gave up the ghost on the M1 last night. So I now have no fan at all 

I actually heard the transistor - or what's left of it - go *click* *pffft*....and then silence. Which, given the heavy fog which we've had here for the last couple of days, was strangely appropriate.

Looks like I'll have to spend a day pulling out the centre console now, to get at the fan speed control unit     

Christmas.

Having checked out "Horsetan's wonders of how to fit a e24 rear bumper" (many thanks! bumper now arrived, and instructions in hand), I fear I am once again following in his footsteps!:

A strange electrical smell starts in the 6 tonight. Fan stops working. Then electrical smelling smoke begins to seep into cabin of the car. I look in engine bay and see it is coming from somewhere around the fire wall.

I left the car and caught a bus - it being pitch black and blowing a gale outside!

But wondering (Forum) if this sounds like a typical "e24 heater fan going going gone" scenario?!

If only to put my mind to rest that this is what has happened, all responses greatly appreciated!

GraemeH wrote: ....A strange electrical smell starts in the 6 tonight. Fan stops working. Then electrical smelling smoke begins to seep into cabin of the car......

Ah, no.... you got this as well!

Maybe our cars were separated at birth.

Checked all the fuses today - they were OK. So it looks like the blower fan and cage will all have to come out. And that's for starters

Weird... mine's just gone as well, only on the M4 not the M1 !! Got the strange electrical burning smell as well - only i thought it was a crappy Pug diesel in front of me - until that got overtaken and the smell continued. After a few minutes the fan died  Just about the worst time of year given the temperature today - i froze my ar*e off on the way to and from work!!

Have either of you two used the "amour all" quick-fix to the heater squeal problem before? I did this as per some advice on Big Coupe about 6 months ago and wondered if it had some deteriorating effect on the heater components.....

If it makes you feel any better, a bearing went on my heater fan in the E30 M3 so it would only work (slowly & NOISILY) on the top setting.

but it only took me 5mins to fit the new one!

Oh, ok, it took 45mins to strip the wiring and covers off in the engine bulkhead to get at the old one, and then 20 mins to get the old one out, and then another 35 mins to replace the covers and wiring.............