dash illumination/headlight switch
 

well as you all know 2nd gens are famous for the headlight switch recall, my 96 2500 had the switch mess up and it wouldnt turn the headlights on , replaced it and now it wont turn any of my interior lights on ex:dash and instruments. i know i need to replace the switch and i have heard summit sells a kit to make the headlights go on a relay and it will help you but im not sure it will help my situation with tha dash lights any input guys?

How does the harness pigtail look? My switch destroyed the harness one of the times it went bad, and I've heard several Dodge techs suggest that sometimes it's that wiring that goes bad before the switch and causes it to fail in the first place. Granted, either way there's something else wrong in the system, but I'm just suggesting you look the harness over too.

the conecter piece that plugs into the switch looks a little burnt

Sounds about right.

put a new pigtail connector on and now everything but the headlights work

Did you do the switch? Chances are if the harness is bad, the switch is too.
Whatever you do, don't get a parts store switch and expect it to last any longer.

yea I ran the headlights on a relay to a switch but I smoked the power wire I think I got my wires wrong on the relay, should the relay click when I turn the lights on?

I believe so. I've yet to go the relay route myself, still waiting to come across someone who can tell me what goes where.