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2005 Odyssey intermittent starting problems

botottbotott Member Posts: 1
edited August 2017 in Honda
Over the past several months, my 2005 van periodically simply won't start up, typically, after a day or so of non use, but not always.

I have been to the dealer 5 times, and they can never replicate this issue when its there.

I wonder if it could be the ignition kill switch. However, the green key light does come on when its supposed to when the key is turned to the correct position. The starter does crank, but its like its not getting any gas. Its not a battery issue, thats been checked.

Its appears that there was a recall issue on a 2004 for some cracked wiring in the fuel pump causing the car not to start.

This is truly one of the most frustrating things I have ever gone through in 25 years of car ownership.

Any advice would be most welcome.
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Comments

  • porkstuporkstu Member Posts: 4
    edited April 2016
    I know this is nearly a year later but I have this same model van and was wondering if you ever figured out the problem because we're experiencing the same issues!?

    Thanks,
    Jason
    [Email removed]
  • jaynepjaynep Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2007 Honda odyssey and I am having problems with the battery dying. If I leave anything on for more than one minute my car is dead. I took the car to the dealer thinking the battery was bad and there is nothing wrong with the battery. I have heard other people complaining about the same thing. When I called Honda they did not have any complaints If anyone else has this same problem please let me know and also call Honda to formally explain what is happening.
  • 6_of_us6_of_us Member Posts: 2
    For over a year I experienced intermittent starting problems. After several trips to the Dealer, several attempts to re-create the problem (without success), the car finally died for good. We had it towed to the Dealer and they could not get it started.

    Battery had full charge, starter/ignition kill switch checked out fine. All cables leading to/from the battery to the starter were fine at the connectors. As a last resort the Technician cut through the MIDDLE of the cable leading from the Battery to the Starter.... MASSIVE CORROSION!!!! He claims to only have seen this in the Honda CRV's.

    SInce the cable was replaced, I have never again experienced the intermittent starting problem.

    I have had PLENTY of other problems with the ca as well, and I am very disappointed with it.
    I have always owned Honda's and have always been very pleased - not so in this case.

    My 2005 Honda Odyssey has 75,000 miles on it and has had, among other things, the following:
    - the above mentioned intermittent starting problem lasted for 2 years until it was fixed.
    - Air Condenser has been replaced TWICE. (have experience several problems with the A/C).
    - BRAND NEW Transmission put in due to Transmission Failure at 70K.

    I am looking at the Toyota Sienna for our next Minivan, my wallet can't handle another Honda like this one.
  • xialibarenxialibaren Member Posts: 4
    Last night (12/25/2010) I have the same problem. Before I turn the ignition, it looked fine: dashboard lights on, reading lights can be turned on. When I turned ignition, the starting process stopped about 1/3 of the way, and went completely black, no dashboard lighting, no reading lights, cannot produce any response when I turn again. After I take the key out and left the car for one two minutes and before my kids got out, my son noticed dashboard lights on again. I turned ignition, it started the car just fine. I wonder if it will die on me again when I am in a remote parking lot with no cellphone signal.
  • 05odyssey05odyssey Member Posts: 1
    Did you find a fix to this problem? I have the same problem and now while I am driving the car will turn off for just a second and everything dies(radio, lights, etc.) then turns back on and all is back to normal.
  • xialibarenxialibaren Member Posts: 4
    I have not find a cure. The good news is it has not happened again. I told the Honda shop about this during last regular service. They did not find anything wrong and did not do anything special. So I'll wait for the next occurrence. Hope that's after I've donated it to charity.
  • sandman66sandman66 Member Posts: 1
    Has anyone else found the wiring corrosion to be the solution to the intermittent starting problem? I am having the same problem with my 2007 Honda Odyssey. I have taken it to the dealer several times and they have not been able to recreate the problem in the shop; one time the kept if for a week and did not recreate the problem. It was happening a lot, i.e. almost every time we drove it. Then the ignition switch was replaced and that did nothing to resolve the issue or reduce the frequency of incidents. I finally convinced the dealer to change the starter and that reduced the frequency tremendously, but the problem was still there. Recently we had to replace the AC coil; since that time, the frequency has increased. If anyone can offer their experience with a successful solution, please let me know.
  • alexinviningsalexinvinings Member Posts: 2
    We are just starting down this path with an '07 Honda Odyssey. I agree this has been a very problematic car - transmission and a/c issues for us - definitely not what we expected from a Honda.
    Full disclosure - this is not MY experience, but in researching online - I came across this link - where they discussed this being a "classic" malfunction of the neutral safety switch. If anyone finds anything else would really appreciate a post - as again - our car is sitting at the Honda Service department as we speak due to their inability to reproduce the issue on demand.

    http://community.cartalk.com/discussion/2286046/honda-odyssey-2007-sometimes-won- -t-start-in-park
  • alexinviningsalexinvinings Member Posts: 2
    I also found this online sandman - so it seems hopefully one of these 3 issues could be the culprit. (Neutral Switch, Shift Cable, range switch.) The technician online mentioned these are more common than the immobilizer, so I suppose that's a 4th potential root cause.
    http://www.justanswer.com/honda/4s15z-honda-odessey-intermittent-starting-proble- ms.html

    Alex
  • abarancoabaranco Member Posts: 1
    I've had the same problem with my 2005 Odyssey. Battery is new, had starter replaced in Dec 2015, and 3 months later, exact same problem. I wonder if it's a bigger overall electrical problem. There's been random times when the windows or door locks don't work for several minutes, but we try again and suddenly everything's fine. There have been other random electrical issues like the back right brake light needed to be replaced 3 times but the left only once. Sometimes when I first open the driver's door there's a "bing" as though the key was in the ignition but it's not. Other weird electrical quirks that happen once in a while but never when I take vehicle to be checked. 
  • zebra5zebra5 Member Posts: 47
    I have the same problem of intermittent failure to start with my 2006 Odyssey. Maybe every 20th time I turn the ignition, dash lights come on as normal, but the engine will not turn over. No sound at all. My local Honda dealer service dept kept the car for a day, but could not replicate the problem. They were reluctant to suggest to me to replace the starter. I had it replaced anyway (somewhere else), but the same starter problem continued, randomly, intermittently, and then would inexplicably resolve itself. After being stranded and frustrated a couple of times, I learned by experimentation that if I turn the auxillary power on and place the shifter in neutral (instead of keeping it in park), I can then turn the key and the car will start normally. This solves the issue every time, without fail. I still don't know the root cause of the problem, but I no longer worry about getting stranded somewhere (at least due to this issue).
  • alita11alita11 Member Posts: 1
    What is meant by "turn the auxiliary power on"? Is it a switch?
  • AjmoreiraAjmoreira Member Posts: 1
    My 2005 Honda Odyssey is at my mechanics right now due to this issue. Thought it was the battery but all the lights turn on. Do t think it's the starter either. I will post the resolution when I get the car back.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    zebra5 said:

    I have the same problem of intermittent failure to start with my 2006 Odyssey. Maybe every 20th time I turn the ignition, dash lights come on as normal, but the engine will not turn over. No sound at all. My local Honda dealer service dept kept the car for a day, but could not replicate the problem. They were reluctant to suggest to me to replace the starter. I had it replaced anyway (somewhere else), but the same starter problem continued, randomly, intermittently, and then would inexplicably resolve itself. After being stranded and frustrated a couple of times, I learned by experimentation that if I turn the auxillary power on and place the shifter in neutral (instead of keeping it in park), I can then turn the key and the car will start normally. This solves the issue every time, without fail. I still don't know the root cause of the problem, but I no longer worry about getting stranded somewhere (at least due to this issue).

    Well this sounds like you are fiddling with two components, either of which could be the problem---the ignition switch having a bad or corroded contact, or the neutral safety switch having a glitch or being out of adjustment.

    The starter should never have been replaced on a guess like that. They should have kept the car until it failed to start and then put a test light or meter on the starter "ignition" contact to see if a signal is coming from the ignition switch to the starter. If not, then either the ignition switch is bad, or the neutral safety switch has intercepted the signal to the starter (which it is supposed to do when working normally). This is so you can't start the car in gear.
  • gotovritgotovrit Member Posts: 5
    I have never had so many problems with a car like my 2004 Honda Odyssey. What a lemon. I always heard Honda’s were good cars so I bought one. Never again. I’m having the same issues as above. For a couple months it occasionally won’t start, it turns over but doesn’t engage. I have to stick a key in the linkage release slot located on top of steering column to put car in neutral. Also, everytime this happens, the green light on drive “d” doesn’t light up while all others do(dash lights) I can play with it n as soon as the d lights up, I shift to park n it always starts up. Abt a month ago, it started stalling n the same thing was happening with the light on the d, it goes out n won’t start back up for about 5-10mins. I replaced the elec part of ignition switch n for a whole day it was great n I thought problem was solved. I stalled on the interstate at night. Scary. Dangerous. With the hundreds of reports I’ve read online, I can’t believe there hasn’t been a recall. I just went 5 days with no stalling n today it started all over again. Won’t start, n then it stalls when I do get going. I cannot afford to keep replacing parts in hopes I will figure it out. If anyone has, please write a post for the rest of us! Ty in advance.

  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    The car has to be diagnosed while the problem is occurring, preferably with a professional scan tool to assist in tracking down the problem.

    Are you saying that the engine will crank and crank but not start up, or are you saying that when the "D" light goes out, you turn the key and nothing at all happens? No cranking, nothing.

    So do you have crank/no start OR no crank/no start.

  • gotovritgotovrit Member Posts: 5
    It turns over but doesn’t start when d light is out. Also when driving, it stalls, all lights go out the when I turn key, all lights come back on except the d light. I have to stick the key in the hole on column, it releases linkage so I can shift. Then I play with the shifter until I get the d to light, then it starts rt up every time.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    So I wonder why, since you can reliably reproduce the problem, that the repair shop can't determine what goes "missing" when there's a no start. If the car cranks but doesn't start, then either spark, or fuel, or injector pulse has momentarily left the building. The scan tool should be able to determine this with freeze frame data.
  • gotovritgotovrit Member Posts: 5
    It only stalls sporadically. It was doing it everyday. Then I had the elec part of ignition replaced. I went 1 day then it did it again then 5 days w/o incident. Then today it stalled. 
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Maybe the repair shop has to drive it for a day, or overnight, with equipment hooked up to it.
  • thecardoc3thecardoc3 Member Posts: 5,747
    edited February 2019
    gotovrit said:

    It only stalls sporadically. It was doing it everyday. Then I had the elec part of ignition replaced. I went 1 day then it did it again then 5 days w/o incident. Then today it stalled. 

    Most likely explanation, there was more than one failure that resulted in the engine stalling. One was obvious/ evident at the time that the car was looked at, the other being more random wasn't discovered. Problems like this are difficult for anyone to work through because you can only make progress with it when it occurrs, provided you have testing equipment attached.

    Right now you need to try and see how many details surrounding the condition you can identify that might assist the technician in recreating the conditions that result in the stalling. Take notes on how long and how far you typically drive before the failure occurs.
    What are the weather conditions like when it happens?
    How long does the car have to sit before you start it up when a stalling event occurs?
    Is it quitting while you are on the highway, slowing down or stopped?
    What accessories are turned on when it happens, (AC, defroster, rear defogger) etc.
    Did you do anything else just before the stalling like refuel?
    Does it start right back up when it stalls, or does it have a period of time that it refuses to restart? If so how long?

  • gotovritgotovrit Member Posts: 5
    I’ve been keeping a list n ty for your help, I’ve found someone with the diagnostic equip to help. I will post when we figure it out 
  • Joe21222Joe21222 Member Posts: 1

    Bringing in 2024! Lol I have a 2005 Odyssey, still running. But I have had this same issue. Always happens after rain when it happens. Key fob won't work, dash lights do nothing till I turn the key (they usually light up upon entry), cranks but won't start. Usually after it dries out everything returns to normal. It doesn't happen all the time, but it rained all night and now it is cranking/no start and I am waiting for it to dry out. Battery is good, starter is good, and I believe the fuel pump is good. Gonna start tarping the damn thing.

  • thecardoc3thecardoc3 Member Posts: 5,747
    You need to test for what is missing while it won't start. When humidity appears to play a role one of the first things to prove is whether you have spark available to the spark plugs or not. The best way to do that is with a spark tester like this one. https://www.summitracing.com/parts/otc-6589?seid=srese1&ppckw=pmax-tools&gclid=CjwKCAiAk9itBhASEiwA1my_66whwEv7zREH2zThZCTQfj2uAZkXu28FeU7p48RaE8BN8K8-ZYM8pBoCEJwQAvD_BwE
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