Popped out last night for a quiet few moments at the local pub. All went well until I came to drive home - No headlights!! Fortunately I was able to get home safely. This morning I discovered that both the head lamp bulbs had blown. The bulbs that needed replacing have been in since new so I presume that is an acceptable life span.

Google search has shown that the situation is not unknown, that said, I have never had both bulbs blow at the same time; fuses are OK too.

After a good deal of blood letting I now have the new bulbs in place, so, I might tempt fate and pop out for a quiet few moments at the local...

Not much help to you, but I've had a similar situation with the rear running lights - one bulb was not working so i replaced it with an identical working one and then none of them worked. Turned out somehow all four bulbs blew together, a checkup confirmed all fuses ok, no wire chafing, alternator providing steady current..... a mystery.

Grafitti, thanks for your comment - I shall watch out for that one too. I had amore time yesterday evening so had another rummage on Google. There are a reassuring number of similar incidents across a variety of car/bulb manufacturers. Maybe, due to the time of year with the lights being used more frequently, also, the bulbs being the originals, circumstance conspired to cause my hands being shredded! Hopefully all will now be well...

When I changed my headlight bulbs I too lost a bit of skin to the car initially, I was able to complete the job without any further damage to fingers by unfastening the wheel well covers and doing a sort of reach-around... one hand in through the top of the engine bay and the other up through the wheel well. Was particularly handy for the parking lights. But I would definitely not relish having to change a bulb at the side of the road..

Me too! Must remember the wheel well cover thing for possible future adventures. My Dad's old car had to have the bumper removed to change the headlamp bulbs - just how stupid is that idea!! Maybe that is why there are so many 'one eyed' cars on the road these days. Thanks again for the tips.

It may be that you already had one headlight bulb blown.

The second one then popped as you turned them on?

I've had a headlight bulb blow before and not noticed straight away.