Is it easy to adjust the brake switch?

I recently got 2 pending codes (no regular codes) while I was trying to troubleshoot a rough cold start issue. Thankfully, regarding that issue, I'm pretty sure (but not positive) that it was only bad gas. I will update the stumbling cold start thread when I have more normal cold starts and I'm positive that I fixed it.
In the mean time the 2 pending codes that I retrieved were a P1569, and a P0571. I believe they both point to a brake switch issue. I have not had any classic F1 symptoms from it, such as the transmission not going into gear etc. But I did get a few random transmission error lights without any distinct pattern so far (unfortunately 2 in the past week). I'm thinking that my transmission light issue may be a weak F1 pump (it also takes 9 1/2 seconds to prime when I open door), but I haven't had any drivability issues at all so far, so it's a little confusing.
Since the brake light is so cheap, I'm thinking of just replacing it for good measure, but my question is, how do I adjust it? Can I just remove the old one, not move the bracket and install the new one?
Do I need to have a dealer adjust it with the SD2 or can I adjust it by myself? I don't want to replace the switch just to find out that I have F1 shifting issues afterward.

 

Thanks Dan,
I PM'd you already
The first thing I checked was the Fluid level and it's ok. I have to get a little more creative now....unfortunately.
Of course I DON'T want to get stranded!! I'm trying to figure it out before then.
For some reason, the pump time seems longer than it used to be. I wish I timed it when I got the car, just to have a baseline.

 

I'm not really sure what adjustment would be necessary? I looked at the switch it appeared to work normally and the brake lights worked normally as well. The switch looked normal and it was tight in the bracket. The way the switch sits in there, it appears that when you press the brake pedal, the plunger comes out and causes the lights to come on. It seems ridiculously simple and functional so it confuses me that the car actually spit out pending codes. I figure that I can just change the switch so I can eliminate a variable for $40 bucks. However, I don't want to buy it, then not be able to adjust it if I need something special to do it. If it was that simple then why did people in the past say that they had a bad brake switch that caused F1 issues, but the brake lights still work?

 

That probably has more to do with the way they adjusted it. Since the lights light up when the brake pedal is pushed and the plunger on the switch extends, I would imagine if you were to push the plunger in one notch on the ratcheting mechanism, it would extend sooner with a lighter push on the brake pedal. I haven't really played with the switch yet so I'm not positive, but looking at the design and the way that it works, that's what makes sense.
I may do the same and replace it just to be able to eliminate one of the many possibilities.

 

I just got a P1569 code on my car today triggering the check engine light and the transmission error light at the same exact time!
I'm hoping that the brake switch was my problem all along. The strange part is that even with all these codes, I still never had a drivability issue.
Based on the fact that I'm getting transmission lights more frequently, I'm guessing that my luck is close to running out, so I want to get this fixed ASAP.
I guess I'll change the brake light switch first and keep my fingers crossed.

 

Thanks! I will order the switch tomorrow and update the thread when I know more. It may take a while because I want to give it a fair amount of miles so I can be sure that it's fixed.

 

I changed the brake light switch today and cleared the C/E light. I then drove it for approx. 15-20 miles. No transmission, or C/E light yet!

I obviously didn't drive it enough to be 100% sure that it's fixed, but it looks good so far. Lately, I couldn't get a good drive in without the transmission light illuminating after a few miles, then staying on for a few minutes/miles afterwards.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for now. I will write back after I put a few hundred uneventful miles on it. I will also take it in to get checked on an SD2, just to make sure that there are no other faults.

By the way, The switch is very easy to adjust. It basically adjusts itself when it is installed.
The plunger on the switch is a mechanism that clicks in different positions. When it's installed, the brake pedal pushes the plunger in as far as it needs to go when the brake pedal is released. When it self adjusted, it was a little off because I needed to push a little too hard on the brake to make the brake lights illuminate, so I just clicked the plunger inwards one position or "click". After that, my brake lights came on at the perfect time.
I tested the old switch with an ohm meter, and it seemed a little flaky. With the plunger fully depressed, the meter showed an open circuit. With the plunger fully out/released, the meter showed continuity. However, when the plunger was in the "out" position, as soon as I touched the plunger, I was getting erratic readings from lightly touching and wiggling the plunger. I'm sure that's why the C/E light was triggered.

Since I figured out how to adjust the brake light switch, I'm going to stop posting here. The issue that alerted me that the brake light switch was a problem was the C/E light (brake switch) along with the transmission error light. For updates on whether the brake light switch actually fixed the transmission light problem, please see a thread that DJSTRAL69 started regarding the transmission light. Since I had a similar issue to his, I was active on his thread and told my story as well. I will update the thread again after a few hundred miles to make sure that the brake light switch completely fixed the issue, but for now it looks good!

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/360-430/276314-f1-light-blinking-dash.html