So until recently I had accepted that I'd either have to jumper some wires or buy a replacement switch, but just yesterday while fiddling around the dimmer had started functioning while using position lights, I of course left it completely off when I was done just in case leaving it on could make it break again (I have had a running issue with the right power window only working when it feels like it, so I'm used to it) after a short bit I turned on the headlights fully and decided to see if the dimmer still worked, and it did!

So feeling great relief in saving a few hundred dollars I turned the headlight switch back to position lights.. aaand the cluster lights are gone again, back to being non-functional.
I have done some searching but the results usually just refer back to replacement, I just feel like taking a shot to see if anyone else knows something else.

It feels as if there should be some way to clean the contacts (if they are the cause) and wanted to see if anyone had a different answer to a slightly functional switch compared to a dead one.

(ps. writing this the day after it happened I will say I'm 95% certain it was headlights -> position, but there is 5% of me saying it was position -> headlights simply because suddenly increasing the power draw seems more likely to break something than reducing the draw)