I have a 2001 suzuki swift with 106000 miles. The car will start but with great trouble. When I turn the key to on I hear a humming noise for about 1-3 secs. When I turn the key to start either a) nothing happens or b) the car cranks. Generally nothing happens first and then after a couple of tries it starts to turn. If I continue trying for a few minutes (5-10) with intermittent breaks so that starter will not be damaged, it eventually turns on. Once it is on, it runs fine. I had recently noticed that the egine might be burning oil: white smoke from tail pipe (only when started) and losing about a quart of oil a month.

Optional Information:
2001 Suzuki swift

Already Tried:
jump start checking battery connections