sorry if this sounds like a noob question. BUT...Need some help please. I have an 89 Yota 4x4 pickup 22re 5speed manual. while the truck is off my battery reads 14 volts but when I turn on my headlights they are very dim, almost no light.(while the truck is off) with the lights in the on position it still reads 14 volts. when i put the key in the ignition the buzzer comes on, and the idiot lights on the dash are very dim and the truck wont start.. When i turn the ignition to the acc before the starting position there is a relay in the fuse box that buzzes. i replaced that and its not the issue. Im wondering if there is anything other than the battery that this could be. reason i ask is because the battery reads 14 volts.

Thanks!

 

Your voltmeter is shot. The most you'd ever be able to get out of fully charged lead-acid battery is maybe 12.8volts on a warm day. (With the engine running, the alternator puts out about 14.1volts, but your alternator isn't running.) You have all the symptoms of a discharged battery.

The good news is that a perfectly good voltmeter is well within your reach: http://www.harborfreight.com/7-funct...ter-98025.html

(By the way, if you actually order the HF voltmeter, pick up one of these while you're at it: http://www.harborfreight.com/6-inch-...Y5In0%3D%0D%0A Very useful, and at the coupon price a helluva deal.)

 

Take your battery in to a place like Autozone and they will check it for free. That will rule out battery problems.

The other obvious place to look is at your battery terminals and your ground connections. If the terminals are loose or corroded, the vehicle will often not start. The same is true of your grounds. If the cable that connects battery ground to the truck body is not making a good connection, then no electrical flow.

Have you tried jump-starting the truck off of another vehicle or known good battery?

 

Battery was fine. It was a bad ground to the truck body. Thank you Sturmcrow. cleaned everything up and replaced the connector and cleaned up the area on the body and all is good.