2005 VW Golf 1.4 5-door hatchback manual.
I keep having to get my car jump started everyday after only a few hours of being parked.
When I turn the key, it just does a "click, click, click" noise continuously. When I unlock the car, the front lights come on as normal and the inside lights come on. When I turn the key, the dash lights up as normal.
But, the car won't start without a jump start. I replaced the battery, it's brand new.
Any ideas what it could be?
You either have an open circuit draining the battery when the car is parked or you have a corroded battery terminal meaning that the starter isn't able to draw sufficient current when starting the car.
To prove which it is, next time you park the car, disconnect one of the battery terminals (probably after you've locked it, otherwise you might not be able to secure the car). When you return, reconnect the terminal and see if the car starts. If it does, you have an open circuit. Check things like the light in the boot and glovebox, that the radio is switching to standby and that there isn't an aftermarket alarm.
If it is still difficult to start, remove each of the cables where they attach to the battery and clean then with some emery paper or a needle file. Make sure that they are clamping onto the battery terminals nice and tight and apply some grease to them.
Good luck.
Try starting the car right after shutting it down. If it will crank then, your battery connections and starter circuit are likely to be good (or at least not awful).
That would lead to thinking that there is a drain of some sort pulling your battery down.
