Dealer Labor Charges

[Brett Schiftner <bschift@xxxxxxxx>]

I recently had the Nikasil engine on my '95 540i replaced by the dealer with an Alusil short block.  Fortunately, the extended warranty picked up most of the charges but I feel like I was grossly overcharged anyway.  It's my understanding that the flat rate manual calls for about 24 hours for this job.  The warranty company picked up about 29 hours (2 hours for leakdown test, 3 for teardown.)  The dealer charged me for 38.5 hours total.  Guess who had to pick up the
difference!!!

My question is, can the dealer legally charge that much over flat rate hours?  It seems to me that since he posts an hourly rate he ought to have to charge either actual hours or "standard" (i.e. flat rage) hours.  Anything in addition to that should amount to fraud!  The dealer tells me that all the extra labor was due to the warranty company making them pull a head so they could do an inspection, then having to put the head back on to pull the engine, and that they
use flat rate, not actual hours.  I've been told by extremely reliable, knowledgable BMW people that the extra step of putting the head back on to pull the engine then removing it again is only about a half hour job.  They have basically charged me for a complete R&R head.  I've talked/written to the dealer ad naseum, and BMW/NA was no help.

Anyone out there have any ideas or comments?  Particularly, is this even legal??  Thanks.

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