Method for starting an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle

A method for starting an internal combustion engine (10) of a motor vehicle, comprising the steps of:

• detecting before a direct starting of the internal combustion engine (10), wherein an output shaft (14) of the internal combustion engine (10) rotates in a direction of rotation during fired operation for driving the motor vehicle and wherein a fuel is first directly injected into a start cylinder of the internal combustion engine in the direct starting, and while the output shaft (14) is stationary, that a piston which is disposed translationally moveably in the start cylinder is in an upper half of a stroke of the piston or in a middle of the stroke of the piston;
• rotating the output shaft (14) by an auxiliary drive device (26) in the direction of rotation in response to the detecting such that the piston is in a lower half of the stroke of the piston and in an intermediate position;
• rotating the output shaft (14) by the auxiliary drive device (26) in a second direction of rotation that is opposed to the direction of rotation such that the piston is moved out of the intermediate position in a direction of an upper dead center of the piston and air accommodated in the start cylinder is compressed by the moving of the piston out of the intermediate position in the direction of the upper dead center of the piston;
• and
• after or during the moving of the piston out of the intermediate position in the direction of the upper dead center of the piston and the compressing of the air accommodated in the start cylinder, first directly injecting the fuel into the start cylinder and igniting the fuel in the start cylinder to start the internal combustion engine (10) by direct starting.