Does Changing Lifetime Fluid Kill Transmissions?

[Cambridge]

I am thinking about changing the lifetime fluid in my 5hp30. It has never been changed before. Unfortunately, my 540i has 114,000 miles on it.

Everyone says that I should have started changing the fluid every 50-75,000 miles back when the car only had 50 - 75,000 miles on it (unfortunately I didn't own the car back then).

Some say it's too late to start now. (I've heard several reasons, e.g. detergent will disolve the adhesive holding the clutch friction pads or the act of draining the fluid will force junk into the valve body causing problems there, etc, etc.)

Others say, start changing it now and hope for the best - life's a risk.

Hence, my poll. I'd like to know how many who started changing their fluid after 100,000 miles had cars that survived the change for 1000 miles, 5000 miles, 10000 miles.

BTW: when I say "change" it means by whatever procedure you use to get fluid in and out of the tranny. e.g. some just replace the fluid in the pan, others let the car sit overnight or have other methods of extracting as much fluid as possible with each change. This poll is not to study the method of fluid change, rather it is to determine the fatality rate on lifetime fluid transmissions when fluid service starts late in life - by whatever form that service takes.