when changing brake pads should the bleeder be cracked open to allow the fluid to bleed off when pushing the piston in for the new pads? avoiding damage to ABS?
Yes. Use a dry plastic bottle, poke hole in the neck, use mechanic wire to hold bottle up with rubber hose in bottle and you are the mechanic. It’s easier than writing it down.
Mechanics do it this way when the piston is difficult to pushed in due to a seized caliper. A piston should be easy to pushed in with a large screwdriver inserted in the right spot without opening the bleeder.
Yes.
You don’t want any debris pushed back into the ABS system that may cause a problem.
Tester