I don't consider this to be a "heated" issue. Annoying - perhaps. Discouraging - definitely. My intent was to alert the OP to the fact that there IS a POSSIBILITY of damaging a component in the braking system by forcing back a volume of fluid far in excess of what would occur during normal use. And, based on my 30+ years of auto repair experience, I was willing to share a quick, easy method to insure that that possibility could be averted. I have never had a damaged component using this method, which can't be said about the results some of my fellow technicians have experienced over the years.
This doesn't surprise me at all. Over the years, the factory supplied journals I have consulted rarely get down to the level of telling you have to do the mundane procedures required in all jobs. Are they going to tell you which socket/wrench/extension/ratchet to use to change a spark plug, for example? I think Dave gives too little credit to the ingenuity of today's professional auto technicians. We don't need Saab's, or any other manufacturer's approval to validate what we have learned in the field. I really can't understand the Luddite mentality that is on display here.
Please re-read my post - at no point did I say that Saab requires/advises/recommends my suggestion. Is it in any Saab manual or TSB? Who cares? More importantly, why should they care? Is it so important that a benign procedure such as this should have the Saab "seal of approval? Well, to some in this group, it apparently seems to mean a lot.
As I said, this is often referred to as "best practice". It eliminates a potential problem, even if the odds of it occurrng are minute. Also, if you've ever employed this method, you know it is MUCH easier to push the piston in, thereby eliminating the need to use the Saab's tool-of-choice, Channel Locks. lt also gives you a close look at the condition of the brake fluid in the caliper. All-in-all, a lot of benefit for a small extra step.
Somehow, I doubt that he will agree with that. Thanks for your comments,
doug