[TR] does sparking indicate a short?

[Paul Dorsey]

List,
I have just now begun to check some of the electricals.  Please bare with my
'basics understanding.'  Although I might convert the car's positive-ground
wiring in the future, I am ok with it for now.
     With the positive pole of the battery hooked up to the correct cable, I
have begun to test isolated components with a wire from the battery's negative
post.  Touching one of the brake-pressure unit's wires does light up the brake
lights.  So far, so good.  Touching the other wire (without disconnecting it's
original wiring should, I think, light up the brake lights only if the brake
pedal is activated.  If it does not, the brake pressure unit must be bad,
...correct?

I bought a colored wiring diagram at ebay, although I've been told there's
proably a half dozen versions.  It resemble's the one in the manual.

If I take the previously mentioned 'hot wire' from the battery's neg. post and
touch it to the fuse terminal known as 'A4', and when I touch this terminal it
then sparks (with no corresponding brakelight's coming on) then I know
something is wrong.  I guess, it wouldn't be sparking unless something is
shorted... right?

Thanks, Paul Dorsey  60 TR3  76314 i think