Dodgy starter motor?

[TeaMonsta]

Went to start the Surf this morning but failed. The engine turned over quite slowly once or twice then I got a tick-tick-tick noise with a load of the dashboard lights flickering (same rythm as the ticking sound, I seem to remember). I tried to jump start it from my Golf but got the same result. The car hasn't been driven for 4 days and it was very cold last night. Is it a starter motor issue? Or something else? I'm assuming it's not the battery as the Golf was supplying power via the jump leads. But I'm not a mechanic.

[Growler]

That to me sounds like a dead battery.

Put meter across the terminals and check the voltage, should be around 12.5v

Could that the golf output wasn't enough to overcome the drain of the flat battery

[budweiser]

you need to recharge the batt.

the golf doesn't have enough power to start the surf

or get another surf( or similar)

[TeaMonsta]

Thanks guys. Next door have got a substantial 4x4 so I'll see if I can get a jump from that then take the Surf for a good run (if it starts). Fingers crossed that's all it is. I'll keep it in the garage too to help keep it a bit warmer and if the battery fails again, time for a new battery.

[TeaMonsta]

UPDATE:

Turns out the battery was drained as Growler and Budweiser suggested. Once re-charged it was fine but it didn't have a high enough output for the demands asked of it to start a 3 litre that's been stood in the cold for 4 days which is why all its juice was drained when I tried to start the engine. The battery was suited to a smaller engined car and fitted by the previous owner or, more likely, the dealer who sold the car to me when the weather was milder (when the battery's lack of capability was alot less likely to show). It's now been replaced with a decent and much beefier battery which should be up to the job.