Dim battery light...

Battery light is on real dim. Volt meter is saying 14.3 while running and 13.1 while not running. Any ideas? I am guessing the Alternator is getting ready to shit the bed? Also I keep getting zapped when I get out after I shut it off. Maybe a bad ground? I checked the one at the batter that goes to body, and the one at the firewall that goes to the head. Cleaned both. Light is still on. Any ideas? 5lug 2.4L...

 

I ended up needing to replace the alternator when something similar happened to me. I was on a long drive and the battery light came on intermittently, so I had it checked out when I got back, and the technician recommended replacing the alternator. The battery tested fine and continued to operate just fine for a few years after that.

As for getting zapped when you exit, is it cold and dry where you live right now? It's easy to build up static electricity, especially with cloth seats in the winter...

 

Alternator is going out, almost surely the brushes. SAVE SOME MONEY and keep your nice OEM alternator- purchase the brushes from Toyota, they are under $20.
Remove alternator, take off back cap, unbolt brushes. Clean up the commutator with some 800 grit. Install new brushes and reassemble, should take about an hour and you get to keep the nice alternator in your truck.

 

Then you might have another circuit grounding back through that light .

Static electricity can build up giving you a zap that is why it is suggested to never get back in a vehicle when pumping gas.

If you had a short to ground the battery would drain over night but more likely the wire carrying the current would melt and open or burn the truck

 

Sooo... I replaced the alternator, aaaaand no change... there’s $90 I didn’t need to spend...

 

Told you to start with the under $20 option with brushes!

Check your Alt-S fuse (in the under-hood fuse box, only 7.5A fuse in there). If it's not that, you need to check wiring from that to the alternator plug, then to the dash light. It's a very simple circuit, not much else going on with it.

You may have an overall chargin circuit problem like a bad battery, bad battery connection, bad alternator to engine connection (lots of people add a ground bonding jumper here).

 

take some jumper cables and ground the body of the alternator to the negative post of the battery. If the light goes out, then start chasing bad grounds.

 

Yes! This is the simplest thing to troubleshoot. I remember I added bunch of copper anti-seize to that alternator mounting/pivot bolt, once I figured out it was essentially THE one and only ground the alternaotr has. Added a #4 welding cable/lug from there to the frame and back to the body after that (basially part of the "big 3 upgrade").

 

Not to hijack this thread, but my scan gauge says my truck is putting out like 13.8 volts. Is this a good number, just curious.

 

Depending on the load on the charging system not bad.

I always check with the lights on the flashers on and blower motor on high that gives a more realistic number .

A fine line between to low and over charging.