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

[rastaFarai]

"herculean" LMAO - :xoutpost:

Try www.realoem.com - you may find your part # and pricing there. good luck.

[BimmerDude]

First question, normal sound. Car is just warming up. It has a special cats that heat up the engine faster.
2nd question, might be the final stage resistor. Check that out.
3rd question, don't know. Can't help you there. I'm sure if you wait till tomorrow, someone will help you out. We have a lot of good people on this site. They have helped me multiple times. Good Luck.

[JCL]

Pretty hard to diagnose over the internet, but here are some ideas for your mechanic to follow up on:

Squeak could be an accessory drive belt, or one of the components being driven by a belt on the front of the engine.

Temperature indicator could be the sending unit on the engine, wiring, or the dashboard unit. Since you say dashboard, I presume you mean the engine temperature indicator, and not the climate control indicator (which is what the reference above to the final stage resistor is related to)

Assuming the dealer didn't mean the handbrake actuator in the centre console, then I suspect that he was referring to the mechanism in the rear drum brakes. In the centre of each rear disk brake rotor there is a small drum brake, mechanically actuated by the cable. It could be the pivot assembly in there. Your mechanic will need to further diagnose it before you know what parts you require.

Good luck.

[mdude]

Thanks for replies so far. A couple clarifications:
1) I should have said "temperature indicator" on dashboard. It works intermittently, which leads me to suspect a dirty connection which is more a cleaning than a replacement job.
2) Two dealers diagnosed the handbrake issue. One said "brake handle ratchet" and the other said "e-brake actuator".
Hope this additional info helps.

Thanks again.