starting question 300E
 

Is it normal for the engine to take a few seconds to "catch"? The manual says 4 seconds is normal. My friend tells it's normal, but my car is an '88 300E with only 23K miles. I have a Peugeot 505 with CIS-E and it fires immediately. Seems a bit odd, but everything checks out and the car is like new. My first Benz, so I don't know. Help?

I believe it's normal.
Mine also takes about 4-5 seconds when engine is cold. If warm, it fires up instantly.

Freestyler

hot start also
 

Hot or cold it takes a bit of cranking. Never fires immediately. Always starts but sometimes makes you wonder....

FYI: New injectors fixed the problem and it starts instantly.

My 300E varies but it always starts within 3-5 seconds. Hot starts are immediate.

103
 

If everything is spot on the engine starts are always instant;hot or cold at the turn of the key.

Rarely, on a very hot summer day one does gets a couple of seconds uneven running .Fuel vaporization/percolation?
mak
300se

The fuel accumulator plays a significant role in how well the car starts after being off for a while. When I swapped my bad one with a better one (used) it improved starts significantly. Though lately it has been taking longer again. I'll probably just buy a new one eventually.

My car has always started instantly cold, and warm too. But I always have 2-3 seconds of idle instability (misfiring?) when warm starting, then it goes to normal ~500rpm idle.

Is that located near the fuel dist? or is it under the car?

The fuel accumulator and/or a leaking fuel injector will cause pressure loss after sitting a while. My problem was the injector(s), once it fired it ran very rough/rich like a flooding conditon until it cleared itself.