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I put a new battery in my son's car and after a week it was flat so I assume the battery is being drained by a short circuit somewhere. However after jump starting and driving for 10 to 15mins I expected to be able to restart a fews minutes after stopping, but nothing. Absolutely dead and even dashboard lights died quickly.
Does this imply there is also some sort of alternator problem as well? Or would it take longer to get a charge into a completely flat battery?

Hi there, It does sound like the alternator may not be charging the battery, it is quick and easy to check the voltage output of the alternator.
Also it will take quite a while to use a vehicle to charge a battery, and would be quite a length of time before I would be happy switching the car off. With a bettery that flat, it would be needed to be put on a charger to charge it fully and make sure the battery is conditioned correctly.
If in doubt, call road service to check and transport to a repair center if needed.
0800 500 222

Thanks. I'll try recharging and check the alternator.