Mk2 ce2 headlight switch behavior

[oblique]

Ok so I've tried now 5 or 6 switches and still have the same issue - i do not have an 'off' position.

I know these fail a lot so i don't know if Its just bad switches or something.

Car is a 1990 so ce2, no fogs. Am i correct that dual position (excluding off position) are for foglight cars and single position (excuding off, so plain on/off) are for non foglight equipped cars? I get the same behavior with both types...my taillights and running markers are always on, headlights are off until i flip the switch.
..

[fatmobile]

Have you taken any of the switches apart?

 I had to pull mine apart recently because the lights wouldn't come on.

Better to open them up and clean the contacts before they melt, I had to add some plastic (zip tie) to mine.

[oblique]

At this point, after so many switches with same behaviour I am hoping its something else. There's no dedicated headlight relay but there are 'multipurpose' relays that may interact with the headlights?? Are diesels same as gassers in this regard?

[Dennis Froelich]

Have you tried replacing the hazard switch? When they go bad the lights act weird.

[fatmobile]

Maybe a bad ground then.
 That can make lights do funny things.
 
If there is no ground, current will sometimes flow backwards through the lights to get to a ground on the low beams or something.