Method for meshing a starting pinion with a toothed ring of an internal combustion engine

A control unit for a start/stop operation of an internal combustion engine (210) in a motor vehicle (310) for briefly stopping and starting the internal combustion engine (210), wherein the internal combustion engine (210) can be started by an electric starter device (10), wherein the control unit (255) has a processor (313) with a program memory (303), characterized in that the processor (313) is embodied as a detection device, evaluation device and control device in order to actuate the starter device (10) in a defined fashion, having a computer program loaded into the program memory (303) which carries out the steps of:

• a. detecting firstly a rotational speed (n, n1, n2, n3) of the drive shaft (222) in a previously determined position with a specific angle (an, aOT, aUT),
• b. comparing the detected rotational speed (n, n1, n2, n3) with a predefined rotational speed value (nG), and
• c. initiating the pre-engagement of the starting pinion (22) in the direction of the toothed ring (25) if the rotational speed (n, n1, n2, n3) is lower than or equal to the predefined rotational speed value (nG) and a further predefined condition (nStart, tStart, aStart) of reaching a further specific angular position or a further predefined rotational speed value is met.