Hi folks. After a few years without a trusty Toyota Van in my driveway, I'm finally back in the club with an '87 2WD manual trans cargo! This makes #5 for me, and I'm pretty stoked!

However, there's issues-a-plenty to deal with here, starting with, well... starting. I've not a ton of time for deeper diagnostics right now, so here's the quick skinny:

Battery is fully charged at just over 12.5 volts. However, when measuring at the positive terminal post in the engine compartment, i.e where ya hook up the positive jumper cable, i read only 5.95 volts. Van starts right up from a jump-start, albeit with the classic christmas lights.

Where do I start? What's between the battery and the engine compartment that could cause a 6 volt voltage drop that's not read at the battery itself? Any ideas and direction pointing most appreciated... thanks y'all!