I have a 2005 Odeyssy EX and just needed to replace the positive battery cable and one of my co-workers had the same problem last week. Lot of corrosion on the terminal and when I went to clean the terminal it broke into 2 pieces. This seems like a poor design or faulty system that would cause such corrosion in just 52K miles. Both vans are 2005 and within 5K miles of each other. Have others experienced similar problems? When it happens it can leave you stranded since the car cannot operate without the battery connected. Not like the cars before electronics and computers where you could get the car started and drive without a battery as long as you didn't use lights and accessories. My co-worker needed to have the van towed to the "stealership" and had a new battery and a positive cable installed. Cost without towing was over $500.....WOW!
I cleaned things up and removed the old connection and replaced with a standard battery cable connector I bought at WalMart for under $2 and it worked great. Connector should last much longer than the OEM thin stamped metal connector. Keep and eye on the corrosion under the red terminal cap and be ready with replacement or your stealership might get you too.

We are having this same problem with our 2006 Odyssey. Started around 35,000 miles. At first I thought it was the battery and replaced it when the warranty expired. However, it started happening with the new battery a week later. After seeing the corrosion on the Positive Battery cable, I figured it out....it's not the battery, it's the cable & constant corrosion that is the problem.

So when the Van won't start (happens 1x or 2x per month now), each time I simply wiggle the Positive Battery cable on the terminal, and it works again. I'm not sure what is the cause of the problem, other than a bad cable design...but if anyone has a permanent do it yourself fix, I'd like to know.

I took it to the dealership once when it was still under 3yr/36K miles, and they said it's the owner's responsibility to bring the Van in 1x per year and have a battery cable cleaning service done, which is routine maintenance. I've never had to do that on any of my previous autos and it just sounded like bunk to me.

no need to pay for a 'cleaning service' just scrub the area down with a baking powder paste. ( wear safety glasses and gloves )

Then use something like those little felt pads under the connector or something like dielectric grease over the connector
http://www.HandA-Accessories.com/lithium.jpg (http://www.handa-accessories.com/odymaint05.html)

-Trevor

I think a bad solenoid can also cause starter problems. The solenoid acts like a relay to route power directly to the starter from the battery. It may be mounted on the starter or located elsewhere in the engine compartment, and is usually connected to the positive battery cable. Corrosion, poor ground at the solenoid mount or poor battery cable connections will prevent the solenoid from doing its job.

:) :) :)

I had the same problem today with my 2007 Odyssey. To back up, we replaced the battery last month. When I tried to start the van this morning the battery was dead. Long story short, Honda batteries have a large terminal. If you replace the battery with something other than a Honda battery, make sure the new battery has a tight connection. In my case, we replaced with a smaller terminal battery. The person who installed the battery did not get the tight connection on the positive terminal causing the alternator to drain the new battery. At the dealership they ended up taking a pair of pliers to the connector and 'crimped' the connector to fit. This saved me a lot of money as I was getting ready to replace the connectors.

Same battery cable connector problem in my 2007 Ody. ~40k miles. No or limited current came out from the battery. Car could not start. Found a lot of corrosion on the battery positive cable connector. While loosening the positive cable for cleaning, the connector broke into two pieces. Followed the steps of the first poster. Bought a standard cable connector under $3 from Walmart. Put it on and car started without a problem. Thank you for sharing information.

I have a 2007 honda odyssey, runs good with daily use no problems, if sits for 5 days or more battery dies, anyone else ? second honda battery in Van, battery only one year old, anyone else with this problem ? checked all inter. lights, all off !

I had the same problem today with my 2007 Odyssey. To back up, we replaced the battery last month. When I tried to start the van this morning the hid bulbs (http://motorfiend.com/hid-bulbs-c-254_135_148.html) was dead. Long story short, Honda batteries have a large terminal. If you replace the battery with something other than a Honda battery, make sure the new battery has a tight connection. In my case, we replaced with a smaller terminal battery. The person who installed the battery did not get the tight connection on the positive terminal causing the alternator to drain the new battery. At the dealership they ended up taking a pair of pliers to the connector and 'crimped' the connector to fit. This saved me a lot of money as I was getting ready to replace the connectors.

I had sort of the same problem, but it was something with the coil packing module. I didn't even know what that was to be honest, but apparently it's when gas doesn't get pumped into the engine. I replaced my battery and everything, I don't know how much money I has spent for just this repair. So for those who bought a new battery and the car still doesn't start, maybe it's your coil packing module.