Went to drive my 85 this morning and the headlights don't work. Tried switching to hi-beam, thinking it might just be a fuse, and I get the transitional 'on for a moment between settings' hi-beam, but they don't work in either position. I assume that since they work between positions on the stalk that it has to be the relay but without a schematic (I'm visiting my GF and don't have my books here) I don't know where to start.

Any suggestions? I have a multimeter and quite a bit of electrical experience, but I usually work with a reference. I also have to have them fixed by tomorrow, as my leave is over on the tenth and I have to make a 300 mile trip across the frozen washington wastelands.

someone should make a FAQ on head light relay set-ups. this comes up a lot. i iknow i could use a refresher!

It appears to be a factory-stock relay. At least, it's a bosch part on a bracket that's installed right in front of the battery and looks like it belongs there.
It's supposed to isolate the current from the headlights from going through the fuse box, since so many of the fuse boxes before 85 had fried the pins for hi and low beams. Dunno if it works for both hi and low, but the hi-beams most definitely go through there. My suspicion, at this point, is the switch in the dash has gone bad/worked loose.

Sorry about that. Half of what I write is just to get it straight in my own head. Wasn't trying to be condescending. It's an OEM setup that was introduced in 85, same time they switched to spade fuses.

Went straight for the switch and jumpered it out, lights came on. Took the switch apart and the copper bar, that's supposed to be pushed against the contacts by a spring, wasn't. Freed up the contact and cleaned up the melted plastic and everything works as advertised again.

I would be willing to bet you money that "cleaning up the melted plastic" is a sign of a deeper problem.

my switch in the 87 shorted out in a much different manner and fried several of the wires to the point of having hot insulation dripping on my leg and filling the passenger compartment with smoke.

if you had melted plastic on that plug, it should be replaced, along with any of the connecters that look like they are getting hot.. the last thing you want is wonky resistance behind the dash of a scirocco.

I cant find the pic right now, but I bought the plug and all the terminals to fix it from VW.. granted its a bit easier for me working at a dealer, but its the right way to fix it.. and I wouldnt trust that switch again either.