I fitted a Nextbase dashcam to my Octavia last year and have noticed that the piggyback fuse keeps blowing. I connected the dashcam to the cigarette light socket fuse and am using the standard fuses for both. (I can't remember what these values are!) After a period of time, I've noticed that the socket no longer works, and neither does the dashcam. I don't know how long this period is as I don't use the socket much and the dashcam is just on in the background. It is the cigarette lighter fuse that blows and replacing this also fixes the dashcam.

My first questions is - aren't the fuses connected in parallel, ie one fuse blowing shouldn't affect the other one?

My next question is - should I just put a bigger fuse in for the lighter socket?

The fuses should be in parallel, if the fuse tap has been fitted the right way round. It sounds like yours is the wrong way round.

There is another thread about this running at the moment. Have a look further down the list.

Are you using the lighter socket?

Thanks @daveo138 and sorry for the late reply.
I'll have a look at the other thread now and also check how the fuse in connected. I thought there was only one way to fit them, so that might be the problem in itself.

I'll update when I have more info.

Having it fitted the wrong way round would explain why the dashcam loses power when the other fuse blows, but not why the fuse is blowing.

If you look at the fuse tap, there will be a 'tail' - the wire coming off of it. This should be pointing down, so that the curent for the original thing goes through the original fuse, and the current for the dash cam goes through the piggyback fuse. If the tail is going up, then both the original thing and dash cam are going through the same fuse.

That said, the 12V lighter is a 20A fuse - that shouldn't be tripping with a measly dash cam draw.

So, first of all, apologies for this thread, when such a similar one was already on progress. I hadn't imagined anyone else was having the same problem as me!

My issue wasn't as clearcut as it would have seemed. Looking at the other thread, I did have the piggy back the wrong way round (I pulled out the original fuse to check). But... neither of the fuses had blown and my issue was that the piggyback had become loose. I do remember now that the connection wasn't very tight.

I have now reversed the connection and it seems to fit in a bit better. If I get anymore problems then I'll find a way of strengthening the connection.