I have a 5.8 vtech cordless phone and answering machine combo. The answering machine has a Ain the screen and doesn't record incoming messages.

That indicates that your machine is set to "Announce" mode where it plays an outgoing message but will not record incoming messages. If you want it to record incoming messages then you'll need to switch to "Answer" mode.
Since you declined to specify the model of your VTech 5.8GHz system I'm afraid I can't tell you how to switch modes. You can enter the model of your system into the search box here to download a copy of the manual.

That depends. Some VTech phones include answering machines, others do not. Without knowing the model number of your machine, I can't tell you which.

If you need a manual, you can find it by entering the model of your phone into the search box at
http://www.vtechphones.com/vtechphones/index.cfm/support/general/manuals/

The CS6114 isn't an answering machine. If you have a separate answering machine connected to your phone line, consult its documentation. If you subscribe to a voicemail system offered by your phone company, contact them for information and help.

Your machine is set to "Announce" instead of "Answer" mode. The announce mode merely plays an outgoing message but does not record any incoming messages.

Since you neglected to specify the model of your VTech 5.8GHz cordless system I can only suggest you enter it into the search box here to download the manual to learn how to switch modes.

Your machine is set to "Announce" instead of "Answer" mode. The announce mode merely plays an outgoing message but does not record any incoming messages.

Since you neglected to specify the model of your VTech 5.8GHz cordless system I can only suggest you enter it into the search box here to download a copy of the manual to learn how to switch modes.

Your machine is set to "Announce" instead of "Answer" mode. The announce mode merely plays an outgoing message but does not record any incoming messages.

Since you neglected to specify the model of your VTech 5.8GHz cordless system I can only suggest you enter it into the search box here to download a copy of the manual to learn how to switch modes.

unplugging the unit from the power source and waiting 30seconds seems to be the answer. the answering machine is working and i can call out again.
thanks you to everyone who posted that answer in different parts of FixYa.

Your machine is set to the announce mode, where it plays an outgoing announcement but does not record incoming messages. You want to switch it to the record mode. Since you declined to specify the model of your VTech system I can't tell you exactly how to do that. I can direct you to enter the model number into the search box here to download a copy of the manual.

Somehow the answering machine was clicked off, but the announcement was on. Therefore I could not receive messages, but my recording was still on as if I was receiving incoming messages. I just played with the various on/off switches till it worked. For me, just plain luck.