Quick recap.  Wife's CE to dealer for alignment.  Swollen battery.  Replaced alternator.  Hissing sound from headlight switch.  Replaced switch..worked fine.  Rough idle and clicking sound.

Sounds like a bad dealer to me.  I don't think it is the switch if the light tried to come up.  Could be lots of different stuff, but until all the hissing stops, I'd go with a vacuum issue.  If they leak, the headlights will show it.

I can understand the leak....makes sense, but I cannot understand the dash lights/dimmer switch fuse.  The light switch has a fuse in it I am told, but I would have to have a short somewhere to blow the dash fuse.?

I agree with Dennis ,  sounds like the dealer created more problems then he fixed ! ....The hissing is a problem.  Sometimes I'll use 'Plastic food-wrap' (the clinging type) and wrap known problem areas (light relays. actuator rods, etc.) to determine the extent of the vacume problem.  works good enough to determine what I've got to replace or fix.  Also works in a pinch as a temporary  fix, in a "bubba" sorta way , that is !

Hey, the finances become less limited when it's the wife's car.  Although this car sits 6 out of 7 days a week, if it came down to me needin a new liver and the CE needing a new tranny.....let's just say IT would be driven the next day...but what do ya do!