It happened again to my car. The 15A fuse lasted about 14 mos. Decided to get an assorted pack for $4, but it only has 2 15A and a puller. My thinking is say down the line I use the other 15A and need another, go down to 10A temporarily. I know this is not the correct way of doing things, one is supposed to correct the problem not simply replace the fuse...

Now I know why Lexus put those things along the side of the seats. The fuse dropped past it, and even with a screwdriver I could not extract it, and there's little clearance for one's hands etc. Finally popped it out into the back area. I never realized the seats were so tight like that.

edit: Would it be conceivable that loose change is dropped in the socket while ignition is on, and retrieved, without thinking twice? I found 22 cents in my ashtray, I don't even use cash. So I asked my wife if she could have dropped change into the socket, and she said no way lol

15A fuses don't simply blow on their own, but it seems to be common with our cars, so there has to be an explanation...when my wife uses the LS, I take the USB adapter and use it in whatever car I am using. From now on, I'll either leave it but unplugged, or put the cigarette lighter back. OH SNAP!! I'll just take the plastic one out of the Nissan and use it as a dummy plug.

 

I'm guessing because it's a lighter...and not designed for constant use like re-charging?

Beats me.

I did note that when I switched to a high quality Anker USB re-charger, I no longer blew fuses.

YMMV.

 

interesting. I've never even used mine yet. I would think if it has a 15A fuse it was designed to hold a certain amount of amperage regardless of how much you used it. The wiring and fuse should reflect the max amount of amperage that would be needed by the circuit regardless if it was momentary or not. That being said the actual lighter probably draws a lot more than a phone charger. Even high amperage chargers or fast chargers pull way less than 15 amps. Maybe they are prone to getting corroded because of their location. Corroded and dirty contacts will increase resistance as well. Enough to blow a 15 amp fuse with regularity? maybe not.

 

Tried mine the other day and found that it didn't work. Will have to check the fuse...

 

Higher resistance won't cause a fuse to blow (it actually limits the current to a lower value than would normally flow through the circuit) but can cause your device to not charge properly.
My lighter socket has charged my phones for years without blowing the fuse, including my Nexus 6P which uses a rapid charging Type C connection. Is this a common problem among 430 owners?

 

still the only thing that does not work in my car. dealer told me the lighter receptical is defective and needs to be replaced. cost was more than a hundred bic lighters and I do not use it for charging a phone. the lighter for the back seat is not defective so maybe you could just use that one instead.

 

Mine blew after my wife's earring fell into the receptacle. She routinely takes them off and drops them into the ash try area. One fell into the socket for the lighter and - wham - blown fuse...

 

A fuse is a sacrificial device placed in an electrical circuit to provide over-current protection. The key component of a fuse is the strip of metal, across the 2 contacts, that is designed to melt at or above a certain "rated" current flow thereby interrupting the current.

A fuse is arranged in "series" to pass current to all electrical loads downstream of it. In other words, the fuse is rated such that it will "blow" and interrupt power before any of the equipment and wiring (which are rated for higher current flow than that of the fuse) is damaged. Imagine without a fuse, a short circuit will continue to heat up the effected wiring and potentially start a fire with all the flammable plastic parts inside the car. So aftermarket additions that draw significant current should have its own fuse (as oppose to "tapping" into existing circuit).

In theory, the fuse will carry its rated current indefinitely, but corrosion, vibration, and oxidation can all contribute to its early demise.