being used to an american car i try to be light on the key when im turning it to start.ive noticed too in that she wants to fire up but its ugly to say the least for 5-6 seconds,,that is,, when i turn the key just enough to fire the engine and let it go. if it fires it idles rough and unless i let it run a few second before giving her gas it wants to stall but doesnt.,,,,,but if when i turn the key all the way over as far as i can firmly,but of course not roughly {she was already "rescued"from a bad owner once}.when doing that shell fire up strong and proud. it would seem obvious,,just start her up as described in the latter. but,id rather look stupid asking a question,than look stupid at the mechanics shop having him tell me i could have prevented this...so,is a firm turn to the right/o.k./the way its supposed to be ???? or is she trying to tell me theres an electrical failure in the ignition sometime soon?? im pretty sure the computer system on mine isnt one that a rocket scientist would be afraid of,,but for me,well,im not much of a car mechanic nor mechanics enthusiast.ive just learned that if its possible i should do all the mechanical work i can because its so hard to trust anyone..nobody cares about my car more than me.

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How you handle the key is meaningless.

If your starting problems are with a hot engine, it's flooded.

This is caused by leaking injectors, and can be verified by holding accelerator down a bit when cranking.

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Kent Christensen
Albuquerque
'07 GL320CDI, '10 CL550. '01 Porsche Boxster
Two BMW motorcycles

I'm not sure if I fully understand your question. But I'll add what I know. I always start my '93 190 2.3 the same way every time since I bought it new...I turn the key all the way to the right and let her crank. When the car started being a little hard to start about 3 years ago, I got a tip from a forum member to clean the throttle body. This made a world of difference. From that point on, it started right up the first time I hit the starter.
Then a few months ago, the starter went out. After replacing the starter, the engine even starts quicker than before.

On a different note, my SLK has tip starting...you just hit the starter once and the engine starts up, I don't have to hold the key in the cranking position.

Dave

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1993 190E 2.3
2001 SLK230
1971 LS5 (454) Corvette Convertible