The car has been doing this intermittently* for four years; turn the ignition switch to "start", nothing but a clicking noise roundabout where the starter/solenoid should be. Try one, two, three, or four times and it still won't start. Jiggling the gearshift, rocking the steering wheel, etc, sometimes works, other times it just has to sit for 5 minutes or so. Lately it's been getting more frequent, but the immediate remedy to get the thing to engage and start remains elusive, irregular, and seems to have no special preference; so I am stuck as to whether it's the starter/solenoid, a loose connection, the starter interlock switch in the gearshift mechanism, or demonic possession. I am pretty sure it's not the ignition switch, as I can hear the accessories go off and the lights dim a bit when I hit the "start" position.

(*Intermittent-this will happen once in three months, then not happen for a year. Then it'll do it twice in a week, then quit doing it for two or six months. Like I said, lately it's been one out of 10 starts.)

I am NOT going to turn in a car with intermittent problems over to a shop; the "fishing expedition" fees @$100/hr are just too much for my senior budget!

New alternator (2 yrs), battery (1 yr.), high mileage (200,000+) but runs like a dream. When it runs.

I am hoping it to fail outright, so I can have the thing towed in in a completely failed state, but it seems unable to reach this. It's driving me nuts.

As Groucho used to say, "Any questions? Any answers?"

Thanks to the group in advance.