Toyota Repair: TOYOTA TOWNACE TROUBLE LIGHTS, toyota townace, trouble lights

Question
Hello Mr. Ritter,
I am a Marine stationed in Okinawa and the owner of a 1991 Townace.  Good van!  
BACKGROUND:  Between my wife and two children, the driver door and slider have been left open on numerous occassions, forcing me to jump start the dead battery.  It has always come back strong and held a charge.  The battery is about 3 and 1/2 years old.  Today the battery, radiator and oil lights came on while driving to work.  When I got to work I noticed a decrease in accessory power.  I new the battery was going fast.  Two days ago, I had to perform another jump.  Before leaving for home, I the battery was shot.  I was able to jump it though and drive without incident (just no accessories).  I have replaced the battery and it runs great now.  All back to normal with one exception.  The aforementioned lights remain on.  Is there a reset switch somewhere? I am fairly certain the alternator is fine and I know the oil and water are good.
Thank you for your time,
Semper Fidelis,
Confused Toyota Owner on the Rock,
Woody Biggs


Answer
First, let me thank you for your service to Our Country.
The lights that are coming on are typical of an alternator malfunction.
The vehicle is running ok as long as the battery is above about 11.8 volts, without the alternator charging the battery back up the same problem will soon happen again as the engine's ignition system will run off the battery until it's depleted. The solution is to replace the alternator.