[Healeys] Wiring fuel pumps' warning lights

[Simon Lachlan]

I have installed my double ended SU fuel pump. At the moment it is wired via
the old loom so both pumps are "on" all the time. It works fine.

 

My plan is to have both ends wired and fused separately. (I have one of
those 7-way fuse blocks). When the new wiring is in, I should be able to
have both pumps on, either pump on or both pumps off.  Wiring that seems
simple enough...a couple of switches, some wire and off you go. Hey ho..

 

In my box of old bits and pieces I've got two old panel lights. One red, one
green. LHS & RHS. Port and starboard, so appropriately coloured. These
lights have 2 spade terminals each and are in plastic cases, so are not
earthed through their cases.

 

I thought that I'd connect each light like so:-

One terminal to earth and the other one to the "out" side of the appropriate
switch. By this I mean the wire that goes from switch to pump and powers the
pump when the switch is "on". ie there will be two cables at the switch's
"out" terminal, one to the light and one to the pump. So, flick the switch
down and power goes to the pump and to the light.

 

However, that doesn't work. Wire it like that and the fuse blows..at once,
out loud, bloody rude. I suppose that I'm making some cardinal error, but it
eludes me so far. 

 

Any ideas?

 

Thanks,

Simon