Subaru Repair: Neutral Safety Switch, subaru legacy wagon, neutral safety switch

Question
Hi. I read your reply to someone with the subject: "Outback randomly won't start-no power", from 27. March. I have a 2003 Subaru Legacy Wagon with apparently exactly the same problem. The car randomly does not start, but everything else seems to get electric power supplied. The digital kilometre status etc is still displayed and on those occasions when the car is not starting, then I can hear a humming sound from the back of the car, which I understand is a pump at the fuel tank. All this implies to me that it is the neutral safety switch. (It has however been suggested to me that it could be a simple ground connection that has been disengaged.)
Questions: 1. Assuming it is the neutral safety switch, can you suggest a way to test this for the non expert or would I be better advised to take the car to a professional mechanic?
2. When I am having starting problems, then it seems to help to move the automatic shifting lever back and forth a bit. Could this possibly imply a connection problem at that end, i.e. the connection between the shift lever and the neutral safety switch cable?  

Answer
Not knowing the contents of your toolbox and your personal capabilities its hard to say if you can diagnose it yourself.It could just as easily be a starter issue or one of a number of other components as well.The proper procedure is to see if it has  proper amount of power to the start terminal on the starter when it acts up and if it doesn't diagnose why.If it does you know you have a starter issue.I hope that helps

Justin
All Wheel Drive Auto