[Bunkei]

I have seen this debate in a few other threads, and it seems to me that both sides are really the one and the same..

Really, what it boils down to is peace of mind. Some of that is due to marketing efforts advising everyone to change their oil once ever 3 months/3K miles. Now, we're told quite differently; BMW says that only change the oil when prompted by CBS, and some owners are fine with that. However, to some, this may not be sufficient even coming directly from the manufacturer's engineers.

They may have seen how BMW has responded with the whole HPFP fiasco, or Toyota with the engine sludge debacle and find that the manufacturer's word doesn't mean a whole lot. They may believe that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

To me, there's no real right or wrong answer here. Honestly, I don't think it makes very much difference at all. If a BMW owner decides to change oil more frequently than what's recommended, then we should APPLAUD not denigrate. They're serious about taking care of their cars, and that's what we all would like to see, yes?

On the other hand, we should be careful that when giving advice to others who inquire, that we tell them the recommendation by the manufacturer, so as not to confuse. Let the owner make the judgment call to do more than what's required. I think this is where it gets contentious, but my 2 cents.