Why does the battery on our car keep going flat?

The battery on my daughter's 2010 Toyota Aygo keeps going flat if she doesn’t use the car for two or three days. She took it to a auto electrical shop and they said they couldn’t find a fault and that the battery was no good and charged her. But if she disconnected the battery it’s fine, holds charge and easily starts the car, which indicates the battery is good. Are there any issues with Aygo sensors or similar going faulty intermittently and draining the battery?

Asked on 23 October 2025 by Stephen phillips

Answered by David Ross
If you are sure that the existing battery is in good health then it seems likely that there is a fault elsewhere in the electrical system with a drain from a component which is not switching off as it should. It is difficult to diagnose faults such as this yourself, but one thing you can try is to sit in the driver's seat, lock the vehicle, wait two or three minutes and check if any lights are illuminated or components such as the radio or air conditioning are still operational. However it may be that you need the expertise of an automotive electrician, who will test the battery and alternator and will be able to check for parasitic drains.
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