1997 Ford Station Wagon pos terminal

If the pos wire to the starter feels really hot and sometimes smoke when starting cause a combonation of errors such as long starts when cold and no start when hot and plugs misfireing and obd2 codes 171-174-306-443 show up occassionally but often 443 and 174 and171 please tell me if I change this wire will solve my problems? Also white powdery stuff keeps building on the positive terminal.