Starter vs. Alarm Problems on 850 GLT

I am following up on an idea from this list...

My car has been eating a starter a year for a while...

After about a year it goes "clunk" and won't start. Battery is charged,
cables are good, all the regular stuff checked.

If I "Whack" the starter hard with a stick/mallet/etc... it starts right
away...

Sounds like a starter right....

Someone on this list said look at the Aftermarket Alarm... the starter
dissabler... if the connection there is bad it will do this... Someone at
the dealer had the same idea...

1st... Has anyone ELSE heard of this problem
2nd.. Is the starter control wire (Green I think) a Ground to start or a
make HOT to start?
3rd.. How much current does the control lead pull/sink?

Any help would be appreciated as the dealer isn't going to replace another
starter and it is starting to get flakey again....

Bob Sisson