Hi,
Haven't posted here for a while, but recently had a battery situation and just wanted to check my diagnosis (1997 Honda Accord).
Had about six bulbs go in the space of about two weeks, and hadn't changed any for a while before that so didn't think too much of it. Then got up one morning to find the battery completely dead - not turning over and so dead that the dash lights glimmered briefly and then died. Got a mate to jump start the engine, drove around for about forty minutes and parked up by the tyre/battery place I ususally use. Engine off, then tried it to see if it would start - still as dead as it had been before.
First thought at this point was the alternator having failed, possibly overcharging for a while before it went (to blow the bulbs). Nice people at the battery centre replaced the battery and said it had boiled dry. Battery was three years old, which didn't seem like a lot. Anyway, they put a new battery on, and said alternator seemed fine, but maybe I should get an electrical specialist to do a full diagnostic on it.
Got home and read about how an overcharging alternator can boil a battery dry so decided to do the diagnostics in the service manual myself. Everything was fine, including the alternator putting out 14.3v to 14.5v with and without full electrical load.
It was at this point I realised I had made one stupid assumption - that the previous battery had been a 'zero maintenance' one. Turns out it was 'low maintenance' and it looked like neither myself nor any of the previous service staff had topped up the distilled water at any point, which might explain why it had boiled dry after 3 years!
I think the last straw for the battery was the night before it died when we sat in a car park with the engine off but with the interior lights on for about 40 minutes. Assuming it had just boiled dry through my own poor maintenance, that only leaves the question of why the bulbs all went. It could have been coincidence, but I was wondering if a failing battery might have some side effects including short power surges strong enough to blow bulbs?
Anyone any idea if this seems possible?
Thanks, Al Reynolds