Newbie's 1st post w/ 3 questions. Thanks in advance.

[mdude]

X5 is MY2001 w/ 77k miles.

2 questions:

1. Lately during cold start in the morning, I hear a high pitch squeaky noise which goes away once car is warmed up. I did a search but so far the problems discussed on the board has to do w/ PS or break squeak, which I don't think applies here.
2. Thermostat on dash board works intermittently. I suspect a dirty connection. Can anyone tell me where to look for (engine, under the dash?) to clean it up?
3. Handbrake doesn't pull up completely unless herculean effort is used. Dealer checked and said it's not the generic handbrake cable but rather the "actuator" broke and wanted $600-$700 to fix. Does anyone know what part I should get? I have a mechanic that can do this for more reasonable rates as long as I supply the part(s).

Thanks in advance for help.

mdude