Heater issue on newly purchased 318is

[Chris E30 Cab]

Hey fellas, new to this E30 forum but kinda been around the others for some time.  Nice lil hideaway you M42 guys have here

Anyhow, I just purchased a 318is and the heater is having problems.  From the searching I've done on this forum and others it seems like a blower or resistor problem, but perhaps some of you could chime in since I'm sure others have had the same problem.

First of all the A/C won't turn on.  Next, the heater works on level 1 & 2 but when I switch it to 3 or 4 it starts buzzing and making all kinds of noise and then craps out.  Sometimes it will keep on if I switch it back down to 1 or 2.  There is a bit of a coolant smell but nothing on the floorboard so maybe just maybe it's a heater core prob??  There are no blown fuses.

It's pretty damn cold here already so any comments are appreciated.  Gonna freeze my ass off fixing this LAWL!!

[inx750]

In regards to the blower making noise at higher speeds, it sounds like the plastic impeller reinforcement ring may be broken and several of the impellers is rubbing against the blower housing.  I would recommend inspecting the impellers inside the blower housing, located behind a wall panel inside the engine bay below the front window.  There is also a switch resistor located above the blower motor with ~3 or 4 wire (spring shaped) fuses.  If you find that the blower impeller is broken, it is possible to replace the unit with a used one from a scrap yard (from personal experience, from an e30 car).  There should be instructions on how to pull the blower from the housing on the forums (couple of plastic clips, a metal clip, and electrical connections).  Its a bit tricky but it can come out of the housing "sideways" with a some effort.  Take care to not damage the replacement unit going back in.