i was driving around all day yesterday and the car was running great. towards the end of the day it stopped working! I turned the key and for a second the starter was going then it stopped. wouldn't engage again. the battery is good, all the lights and radio work. wouldn't start with a jump or a battery pack.
i checked out the starter and found what seems to be a ground wire from the solenoid to the starter was totally corroded and seperated. And it looks as if some time in the past (i've only had the car for 1.5 years) someone had soldered the connection to the solenoid. without any effort i was able to knock the wire off completely. it's a woven wire about an inch long and a bit thicker than a pencil.

could this be the cause of it all? it seems to have been built in to the starter body. is it possible to rig up a fix or would i be better off to replace the whole starter. I have photos that i can email, i don't know if i can attach them here.

the starter hasn't given me any trouble in the past, but it looks like it's been in there for a long time. there are no records of it being replaced or worked on from the previous owner

adam