Headlight bulb issue - suggestions?

[amiek]

Twice now in two weeks both my headlight bulbs have blown at the same time. This time, unfortunately, I wasn't outside my house I was in IKEA car park stranded. Luckily Ruan is coming to save the day rather than waiting 3 hours for the RAC.

Fuse seems okay and hasn't been changed.

Help.

[Niall]

By any chance, does this happen after a drive or is it when you turn the car back on and they just don't work? Dash lights don't get brighter do they?

[amiek]

Its when you turn the car back on, and I haven't noticed anything about the dash lights

[Mattcheese31]

What bulbs are they?

[DeeTurbo]

Are the headlight lights loose?

I had an issue years ago when one light had broken brackets, the headlight would be loose and vibrate while idling. The hot filament is very fragile and doesn't like any shocks.

[amiek]

They've been various ones. The last ones to go where night breakers

The headlights are all secure with all brackets

French.

[Niall]

well my two thoughts are either voltage regulator is shot (although that would cause other problems as well at high rpm and shouldn't blow the bulbs on start up)
Or, as Dee says, they are suffering from some serious vibration!

[amiek]

well my two thoughts are either voltage regulator is shot (although that would cause other problems as well at high rpm and shouldn't blow the bulbs on start up)
Or, as Dee says, they are suffering from some serious vibration!

I haven't noticed any other problems, and I can't see why they would be vibrating that much, when they are all secured in, and surely if it was that other bulbs would go too! :/

Unless it's just a complete coincidence but that would be ridiculous. Now I'm just worried to drive it anywhere in the dark.

The second time they went I had been having problems with my battery terminal staying on but don't know if that would be relevant? Also read things about it maybe being an alternator issue?

[Niall]

Voltage regulator is part of the alternator so that is probably what you are reading but normally if the voltage reg goes, you will notice dash lights getting brighter as you rev the car and sometimes it can bring on all sorts of weird and wonderful fault lights.
Easiest way to tell is to get a multimeter on the battery terminals and rev the car and see what you get.

And yes, loose battery terminals can do all sorts of weird and wonderful things so that could well be your issue.

[DeeTurbo]

Yep, loose battery clamps can cause power surges.

[daddyfixit]

if get out of the car and you leave your headlights on (going into shop ?) , when you get back in to start the car the alternator will indeed see the bulbs off to meet their maker in the glass skies.......
alternator sees voltage drop of the bulbs, you crank the engine over which takes a bit more from the battery, as soon as engine starts the alternator kicks in immediately to replenish battery=voltage spike to what ever is switched on (headlamp bulbs) and they pop.

or get alternator off, sent to be tested for max voltage/current output; I renewed an alternator on a td astra that had its engine management light on-----------at high revs it would suddenly push out about 18v @ 70amps....seen off a battery (boiled it dry) and kept management light on as ecu was about to sh*t itself !!!!!