1992 Subaru SVX Short in the Steering Column?

My car has issues when it's been sitting more than 4-5 hours. The batteries fine, it's getting power but won't start. It just clicks and the sound is coming from under the ABS unit. I thought it may be the starter because I have had luck hitting the starter with something, but not always. The left turn signal is kind of funky-sometimes you have to hold it down to get a blink. Would that have something to do with it? When I take it to work, I have to go start it at lunch, or it won't start when I get off. Then there's other mornings, (or afternoons), when it starts up right away. I don't get it. Also, sometimes I have to hold the key in the on position for a longer period of time, and all of a sudden it starts. The radio will sometimes come on when I'm trying to start it, when I have turned it off (maybe it's wired into something it shouldn't be?). The ABS light is also on-has been since I bought it. There's a lot of play in the ignition column-it wiggles around a lot, but jiggling it doesn't seem to have any effect on whether it starts or not. Usually after about 10 minutes and a few bangs to the starter, or wiggling of some wires, it starts, then is fine until it sits another 4-5 hours. I am not a car person, so I really don't know what to check, and I can't afford to take it in for troubleshooting-I'd like to try to do it myself. Ha! Do you have any guidance on this problem, anything else I can check before I get out my wallet? Thank you. You have been so helpful in the past.