Hey, I finally have an answer instead of a question <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />
I had the same problem, and thought my battery was giving out. My mechanic neighbour who knows everything about anything explained to me about a sleeve inside the starter that is drawn into position when I turn the ignition key. The small current from the wires in the steering column causes a magnet to pull this sleeve into position, at which point the sleeve completes the circut that turns the starter. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> It's a matter of replacing that sleeve....he showed me one...relatively cheap to repair. What causes the sleeve to fail, I don't know.