Iva wrote on 8/31/2004 15:52:

> Joachim Feise wrote:
>
>>I have experienced something similar with my '99. I sometimes
>
> have to repeatedly
>
>>turn the key and/or engage and disengage the clutch.
>>The people in my Miata club had a lot of suggestions:
>>- battery and battery terminals
>>- neutral safety switch
>>- ignition switch
>>- fly wheel
>>- starter solenoid
>>
>>Next time this happens, I am going to go down the list...
>
>
> Sounds like the ignition switch - particularly if you can
> jiggle/turn the key and the car starts. Had to replace mine this
> past year.

In my case, I doubt it. I had an ignition key problem with my motorcycle,
and it was obvious there, with it working after wiggling the key.
With the Miata, wiggling the key doesn't change anything.
It also happens rather rarely, but unpredictably.
I suspect the flywheel or solenoid. I hear the click that the OP described
when I turn the key and when I disengage the clutch.
One of the members in the club who had the same problem before said:
"When we pulled the transmission out to replace the clutch, there were
several worn teeth on it. We theorize that every so often those teeth would
stop on top of the starter teeth and fail to make a mechanical link. This
theory was supported by the fact that when I experienced the problem, I
found that all I had to do was put the car in gear, push it a few feet and
release the clutch, effectively turning the flywheel about 90 degrees, and
the car would start right up."

-Joe