OK. this is my friends car. its a 91 civic DX auto hatch. the car won't stay started. as soon as you let the key go it shuts down. the lock cylinder was replaced and it didn't fix it. any other ideas? how about the actual switch? can I test it some how? it just happened out of know where.

 

nobody has had a problem like this?

 

You obviously have an electrical problem. The job now is to narrow down the problems location. Try to see if it will start and stay on. Get a wire and run it from the starter ignition terminal to the positive terminal on the battery. Speaker wire works well, it can carry the current and it is shielded to avoid getting electrocuted. About a 8 or 10 gauge, 18" is enough. Turn it to the on position, then run the wire. If it starts and stays on with no problem, it is your ignition switch. If you are interested, Ebay has people selling Honda service manuals on CD. Very cheap compared to the actual price for the paper versions. Very useful, I'm glad I got mine.