Electrical Starting problem

Hi,

I'm having a problem starting my 1995 Honda Civic sometimes. Here are the symptoms and situation when it won't start:

The car has power in the ACC and ON key positions (stereo, lights, overhead light all work). When I turn to START position, there is an audible click and the entire electrical system cuts out. Dies. Ceases to have any power whatsoever. If I go back to the ACC or ON, there isn't any power there either. When I jumper-cable to another persons battery, the power immediately comes back on in my car (lights work again, CD spits out, etc.), and I can start it just fine.

There aren't any problems with it running, and this doesn't happen every time. It has been happening more recently though, which has me worried (used to be once a month, maybe; now maybe a couple times a week).

I had a mechanic friend of mine check out the battery with a battery tester "thing". He said it had good voltage and current, but now that I think about it he was testing it with the car on and running (i.e. being charged by the alternator). So I don't want to rule out it being a battery problem, but I don't think thats what it is. He said to clean the terminals and that would take care of it. I think the problem is more "car" and less "battery" but I'm not that good with cars.

Anybody know what is happening and what to do to fix it?

Thanks for any help

Kolea

clean all connections and teminals. tighten them good and stsrt from there.

That definately sounds like a dead battery. Take the car to autozone, or whatever you have in your area and get them to test it, I'd bet the results will be weak or dead.

If you need a bit more life out of it, like have to wait until next paycheck, fill the cells of the battery up with distilled water and charge it, that can get a bit more life out of a battery.