Bizarre behavior: no start 20v200 avant

[Tom Donohue]

Brett Dikeman wrote:

> At 2:29 PM -0400 8/2/02, Tom Donohue wrote:
>
>> The Avant suddenly decided that it would not start on Wednesday.
>
>
> <snip>
>
>> Decided to try starting the car again....started like nothing
>> ever had happened.  Turned the car off, and the problem was back!
>> Couldn't start the car the rest of the day.
>
>
> The starter cable has corroded- that's what my money is on, at least.
> <snip>  It will make/break at random causing symptoms you describe;
> the dead giveaway is that you can hear the solenoid clicking.
>
>
Brett and all...thanks for the info...the one thing that I failed to
mention in my previous post was that when the car is dead it is DEAD!
 No solenoid click at all.  All dash lights come on and all accessories
work (except now the central locking and alarm).  Completely noiseless
except for a hiss in the engine compartment that sounds like perhaps a
vacuum or pressure pump starting up when the key is first turned on.
 That's what got me thinking ignition switch, particularly in the
"start" position.  I'll be digging into the starter anyway this weekend
as I do think that is at least part of the problem.  Thanks.  Tom