BMW 1 Series F20 F21 Headlight Refurbishment & Repair From Water Damage

Straight after the service

You can use your car as normal as soon as your headlight is back with you. Your headlight is fully sealed and has been put through our in-house function, water and pressure testing before it leaves us.

Misting in the first few weeks

For the first 2 to 4 weeks, the air inside the headlight settles to match the outside temperature and humidity.

Washing

• Hand washing with a car shampoo is fine from day one.
• If you use a jet wash, keep the nozzle at least 30cm from the headlight.
• Avoid automatic car washes with brushes for the first week.

Cleaning the lens

Your new lens has a UV protective coating that helps stop yellowing and hazing. To keep it:

• Clean it with a soft microfibre cloth, water and a mild car shampoo.
• Don't use solvents (petrol, thinners, acetone, alcohol), glass cleaner, or harsh wheel or bug cleaners on the lens.
• Don't use abrasive polishes, cutting compounds or headlight restoration kits. They remove the UV coating and the lens will yellow faster.

Don't remove caps, stickers or seals

Leave every cap, sticker and seal on the headlight in place, and don't open or modify the headlight. Doing so voids your warranty.

Fitting

• If we fitted your headlight, raise any fitting issue within 7 days. After that, normal fitting charges apply.
• If you or your garage are refitting it, make sure every cap and connector is refitted correctly.
• We recommend having the beam aim checked after refitting.

2 year warranty

Your refurbishment and repair is covered for 2 years on all services and workmanship. Raise any cosmetic concern within 72 hours of receiving your headlight. The warranty doesn't cover tampering, mishandling, accident damage, or installation error if not fitted by us. Read the full warranty.

What's covered

• 2 years on all refurbishment and repair work: everything we carry out on your headlight, including any lens, sealant and seals we replace, and the parts we repair or rebuild.
• Water getting into the headlight in that time, once the settling period has passed (see misting and condensation below).
• New OEM control units supplied by us: covered by the manufacturer's own 2 year warranty.

What's not covered

• Damage to the headlight after it leaves us, such as stone chips or impact.
• Any claim once the vehicle has been involved in an accident.
• Parts we didn't work on or supply: bulbs, control units, LED modules and drivers, ballasts, wiring, levelling motors and caps.
• Damage to other parts, labour charged by third parties, or any cost beyond repairing or replacing what we worked on or supplied.
• Faults that were already there before the service, including water damage to electrical parts.
• Signs of tampering, mishandling, mis-powering, reverse engineering or disassembly, or caps, stickers or seals removed.
• Installation error, if not fitted by us.
• A vehicle not fitted with the correct parts to factory specification, for example missing or damaged wheel arch liners.
• The warranty is for the purchaser only and isn't transferable.

Time limits

• Cosmetic concerns: raise them within 72 hours of receiving your headlight.
• Fitting, if we fitted your headlight: raise any issue within 7 days. After that, normal fitting charges apply.

Fitting

• If we fit your headlight, the bumper goes back at least as it arrived, as long as all bolts, screws, clips and clamps are present and undamaged. Raise any bumper fit or alignment issue at handover: we can't guarantee it once the vehicle has left us.
• Extra fitting or parts charges may apply to a vehicle that has been in an accident, had a poor bumper fit before, or has the wrong fixings or poorly fitted aftermarket parts. We can supply new OEM fixings if they're in stock or asked for in advance.
• Vehicles and work left with us are at the owner's risk.
• If the wheels are removed, they must be rechecked and retorqued after 50 miles. Bring your locking wheel nut on the day. Wheel bolts that snap because they were over-tightened before are the owner's responsibility.
• If we're not fitting it, we recommend professional removal and fitting. We're not liable for damage from fitting it yourself.
• Coding may be needed for all features to work. Coding and its fees are the buyer's responsibility.
• If a third party fitted your headlight, we don't refund or contribute towards their costs for any warranty work we do.

Misting and condensation

For the first 2 to 4 weeks, light misting at the edges and corners is normal while the air inside the headlight settles. This takes longer in cold, wet or humid weather. After that, misting keeps reducing until the headlight behaves as it did from the factory. Headlights are vented units, so some misting in cold or wet weather is normal for good. We follow OEM workshop guidance:

OEM workshop reference images, used for reference only. We don't own any images or text unless we state that we do. See our care information for more.

Making a claim

WhatsApp us with photos first, and we'll assess it and advise on the next step.

• If you're sending it yourself, pack it securely: one box of about 55 x 45 x 40 cm per headlight, with bubble wrap at every corner and packing peanuts. We're not liable for damage on the way to us.
• Where shipping is at your cost, the return shipping is paid in full before we book it and send tracking.
• We return it by DHL, insured. Check it for damage before accepting the delivery. Any damage on the way back to you is claimed through DHL's insured claim procedure.
• A claim follows the same route as the service: if your headlight was dropped off, or we removed and refitted it, the same applies for the claim, with the same charges where they apply.
• We may cover extra charges at our discretion. This isn't guaranteed and shouldn't be assumed.

Dispute resolution and limitation of liability

For any service failures or warranty concerns, our internal resolution process must be followed in full before any external action is taken. This means contacting us directly, allowing us to inspect the product or work in question, and cooperating with our assessment process. We will not engage with any external dispute resolution body, ombudsman, or legal correspondence where our internal process has not first been completed. Any attempt to bypass this process - including imposing preconditions on an inspection, refusing to return the product for assessment, or escalating to third parties before our process has concluded - will be treated as a failure to follow our procedure, and we will not be obligated to offer any further remedy until the process is resumed and completed.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, we shall not be liable for any indirect, consequential, incidental, or special losses arising from or in connection with any product or service we provide. This includes but is not limited to: loss of use of the vehicle, hire car costs, travel expenses, loss of earnings, costs of alternative repairs carried out by third parties without our prior written agreement, or any other costs beyond the direct value of the work or product originally supplied. Our maximum liability in respect of any valid warranty claim shall not exceed the original price paid for the specific product or service in question. Nothing in these terms affects your statutory rights or limits any liability that cannot be excluded or limited by law.

Booking and payment

• A non-refundable 25% deposit per headlight is paid when you book. The balance is paid once the work is done, before your headlight is collected or sent back.
• Your booking date (and fitting date, if selected) may be moved due to (but not limited to) the following reason(s): Act of God, weather, staff resource issues, or illness. If we are unable to fulfil your booking date, you will be given as much notice as possible and rebooked for our first opportunity. We are not liable or responsible for any fees, charges or losses you may experience due to your booking being moved.

Getting your headlight to us

• Your headlight must be with us by 10am on your booking day.
• The 3 day turnaround applies when your headlight is booked in advance, matches what was booked, is complete and is completely dry inside. If it needs drying out, or more work is found, that time is added.
• Boxes larger than 55 x 45 x 40 cm need a custom quote for DHL collection, so tell us the size when you book.
• Transit insurance up to £800 can be added for £15 + VAT per leg.
• If you're sending it yourself, packing it securely is your responsibility. We're not liable for damage on the way to us.

Extra damage

• We check your headlight before starting. If we find extra damage, we tell you and get your OK before doing anything more.
• Any extra damage must be repaired at the same time as the refurbishment and repair. We don't do partial repairs.

Media and free services

• We own all media taken by team members of the headlight and vehicle in for the service(s) completed.
• No refunds/partial refunds/contributions will be made for any free services that have not been carried out, or partially carried out (for example coding).

ADAS recalibration

Our services may involve the removal and refitting of headlight assemblies and associated components. Where a vehicle is equipped with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) - including but not limited to forward-facing cameras, adaptive cruise control sensors, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking, adaptive headlight levelling, or matrix/intelligent lighting systems - it is the vehicle owner's responsibility to ensure that any affected ADAS components are recalibrated to the vehicle manufacturer's specification following completion of the works. ADAS recalibration is not included within our standard services. Operating a vehicle with uncalibrated ADAS systems may result in incorrect operation of safety-critical features, failure to meet roadworthiness requirements, and potential invalidation of insurance or manufacturer warranty. By instructing to proceed with any work, the customer confirms they are aware of their vehicle's ADAS specification and accepts responsibility for any recalibration required as a result of the works carried out.

• When recalibration is needed: removing or refitting a headlight, bumper or any associated component, or making or breaking any ADAS loop, connector or wiring (for example unplugging a headlight, sensor or camera), can mean the vehicle's ADAS needs recalibrating afterwards. This applies whether the work is done by us, by you or by anyone else.
• Not something we do: we don't cover, carry out, perform or pay for ADAS recalibration, or any related coding, initialisation, headlight aim or levelling calibration, or diagnostics. These are carried out by a main dealer or a qualified ADAS specialist, at the vehicle owner's cost.
• No liability: we accept no liability for anything to do with ADAS, including any warning light, fault code, incorrect operation or failure of any ADAS system or feature after our work, any MOT failure, or any effect on your insurance or manufacturer warranty.
• No refunds or contributions: we don't refund, part refund or contribute towards ADAS recalibration, diagnostic fees, dealer or third-party charges, hire cars, travel or any other cost relating to ADAS, whether or not our work made recalibration necessary.
• Have any required recalibration carried out before relying on these systems.

Nothing in these terms affects your statutory rights or limits any liability that cannot be excluded or limited by law.

Acceptance

By ordering any of our products and/or services, you understand and accept everything outlined.

See also our guarantee/warranty and care information.

Returns and refunds

• Due to the bespoke nature and speciality of these products & services, we do not accept returns or issue refunds, but will repair any defective components as per our guarantee as this is a service carried out to your defective components.
• This is in line with Government guidance on custom products & services. Our products & services will be documented and demonstrated where possible to ensure that we can show they are not faulty.

Deposit, cancellations and booking changes

• A non-refundable 25% deposit per headlight is paid when you book. The balance is due once the work is complete.
• The cost of the product and service is a combination of our time spent along with our products/stock that have been purchased in for your specified service. Cancellations are subject to a 25% non refundable fee.
• Need to move your booking? Give us at least 24 hours' notice and your deposit carries over to the new date. With less notice, the deposit is lost.

If the work can't go ahead

• Down to us: if we find damage we can't repair when we inspect your headlight, or the lens you need can't be supplied, we refund your deposit.
• Down to the booking: if you decline a repair to extra damage we find (we don't do partial repairs), or your headlight isn't the model, version or side that was booked, or isn't complete, the deposit is kept.
• Either way, your headlight is returned unrepaired, and return shipping is at your cost unless it was already paid for.

Lenses

• Once a lens has been fitted as part of your refurbishment and repair, it can't be returned. Any fault is covered by our warranty.
• Special-order lenses can't be cancelled or refunded once ordered.

Control units and TMS

• A TMS module or other electronic control unit we supply is special order and coded to your car's VIN, so it can't be cancelled, returned or refunded once ordered.

Shipping

• DHL collection and return, and transit insurance, aren't refunded once the shipment has been booked.

Payment, storage and refunds

• Your headlight is held until the balance is paid.
• If your headlight isn't paid for and collected (or its return booked) within 14 days of the work being completed, storage is charged at £10 + VAT per headlight per week from day 15.
• If it's still unpaid and uncollected 90 days after the work was completed, we'll give you written notice. If it isn't collected after that notice, it may be sold or disposed of to cover what's owed.
• Any refund is made to the original payment method within 14 days.

Outside the UK

• A delivery refused because of unpaid customs charges is not refunded.