"yes, the 3.5L engines are harder to turnover and that is just the normal idle". I complained to my local BMW service dept. about the starting and idle problem with my 735iL and that is what they told me. Thanks to you guys on this board I have a load of info to show the service dept. when I go in for my Inspection(I) due soon. I don't know much about cars so it's impossible for me to do something like you are to get to the bottom of these common problems with the 735's. Good Luck.