James, I'll bet that the headlight relay upgrade has never been installed in your van <www.frankcondelli.com/hdltrela.htm>  Therefore your best course of action is to install this headlight relay upgrade and install a new switch.  A used switch may be all right if you can find one that has not been abused due the headlight really kit not being installed.  The connector for the switch is going to be hard to locate.  Hopefully someone on this list has one from a dash harness they are hoarding !

On 2012-10-05, at 10:05 PM, Automatic digest processor <LISTSERV@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> wrote:

> Folks last night as I was coming home smoke started to come out of the =
> left side of the dash. This morning I looked and the back of the switch =
> was melted where the 2 large prongs are and the corresponding sockets on =
> the connector were melted also.  I have looked and there seems to be no =
> new replacement for the switch.  Does anyone know where I might find a =
> used switch and a connector? My Vanagon is a 1991 model.=20

Cheers,    

Frank Condelli
Almonte, Ontario, Canada
'87 VW Westy, '00 Kawasaki 250 Sherpa, "98 Ducati 750 Monster & Lionel Trains (Collection for sale)
Frank Condelli & Associates - Vanagon/Vanagon Westfalia Service in the Ottawa Valley
Vanagon Stainless Steel Exhaust Systems
BusFusion a VW Camper camping event, Almonte, ON, June 07 ~ 10, 2012