Skip to product information
1 of 3

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

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

From light misting to completely non-functional headlights - we repair any severity of water damage on all variants of headlights. New lenses, gaskets, and seals included as standard.

Please read this page in full to understand this service, its limitations, what is/isn't included, and how to book in.

2 Year Fully Comp Warranty
Turnaround From Hours
All Damage Repaired
Regular price £275.00
Regular price Sale price £275.00
Sale Sold out

Discount automatically applied at checkout to reduce to 25% non refundable deposit. Remainder due on collection or before shipping.

Is your F20 or F21 headlight suffering from...

These are the most common signs of water ingress in the BMW 1 Series headlight.

💧 Condensation inside the lens
🌊 Water pooling in the headlight
⚠️ iDrive error messages
💡 Flickering or dim lights
🔄 Adaptive light failure
🚫 Headlights completely non-functional
🔍 MOT failure due to headlights not functional or impacted beam pattern

Water ingress is a widespread problem on F20 and F21 xenon and adaptive xenon headlights. It's typically caused by factory headlight sealant failure, seal degradation, or blown gaskets - and once water gets in, it doesn't get better on its own.

What's included in the service

Every refurbishment follows our full 15 point process which has been refined over hundreds of 1 Series headlights, regardless of headlight variant. Have a look at an overview of our process.

01 Full Inspection

Thorough check of connectors, internal wiring harness, casing, lens, and internal cosmetic shrouds & surrounds for corrosion and damage.

02 Complete Strip-Down

Full disassembly of the headlight down to the barebones with all wiring, projectors, reflectors, and all other internal components removed for assessment.

03 Decontamination & Clean

Chemical cleaning and decontamination of all internal surfaces, projectors, reflectors, and components.

04 Component Testing

Every internal electrical component is checked and tested via bench testing for damage caused by water exposure - both short or long term.

05 New Lens & Reseal

Brand new lens fitted and headlight sealed with professional OEM grade adhesive, then fully bench, functional, and water tested.

06 Final QC & Reassembly

Full quality inspection, reassembly of external components, and functional verification sent to you before the headlight leaves us

From light misting to completely non-functional - we repair any severity of water damage, with new lenses, gaskets, and seals included as standard.

⚠️ Important - Please Read

Understand what this service covers and its limitations before ordering.

New lenses, upgraded gaskets, new seals, & internal chemical clean all included as standard
Rebuilt to meet and exceed factory spec - we use specialist sealants and in house gaskets
New internal and external wiring harnesses available for selected variants if required
Does not cover external electrical items such as LED drivers or control units (such as the TMS)
Will not resolve pre-existing module or electrical components issues within the headlight
⚠️ Water exposure may have caused component damage beyond this service's scope
‼️
Control units or electrical components that have been exposed to water (no matter the amount or duration) are at risk of becoming damaged and/or corroded. We MUST be made aware of this if it has happened. Control units may fail as the internal PCBs are not water resistant. We take no liability or responsibility for any control units or electrical components which cease functioning at any time pre, during or post service due to contact to water.

Pricing

All prices are per headlight, excluding VAT. The same pricing applies across all headlight variants (xenon, adaptive xenon). There is no additional cost to use our exchange service (core exchange program) when we're fitting at KYCS Oldbury.

Standard Refurbishment

£275 + VAT

For functional headlights with water ingress. Full 15-point refurb with new lens, seals, and gaskets.

Full Refurbishment & Repair

£375 + VAT

For non-functional headlights with corroded internal harnesses. Includes everything in standard plus an OEM rebuilt internal harness.

Delivery & fitting options

1 Headlight 2 Headlights
Drop off & collect

You bring & collect the headlights

Free Free
Shipping - 1 way

You send, we return via DHL

+ £35 (+ VAT) + £50 (+ VAT)
Shipping - 2 ways

We collect & return via DHL (printer required for collection labels)

+ £70 (+ VAT) + £100 (+ VAT)
Fitting @ KYCS Oldbury

We handle everything end to end including removing and refitting the headlights

+ £70 (+ VAT) + £140 (+ VAT)

Mainland UK only, excluding Highlands, Islands, and Remote areas. You can mix service levels per side - for example, standard on one headlight and full refurbishment on the other.

How it works

Everything is booked in advance so we can guarantee turnaround times and availability. Get in touch first - don't just send headlights without a booking.

01 Get in Touch

Contact us to confirm your headlight variant and discuss your requirements. If your headlights have been previously repaired or tampered with by anyone else, let us know as this will affect pricing and turnaround time.

02 We Book You In

We check our calendar and schedule you in for exchange, fitting, or postal refurbishment - whichever suits your situation. A non-refundable 25% deposit secures your booking.

03 Assessment & Confirmation

We assess your headlights, confirm the refurbishment type (standard or full), and flag any additional costs such as control units. We'll get your authorisation before proceeding.

04 We Refurbish

Your headlights go through our full refurbishment process. Once complete, we contact you with photos showing everything is fully functional.

05 Balance Due & Collection

Remaining balance is due once the work is complete. Collect your headlights or car from us, or we ship via DHL Express to mainland UK (including Northern Ireland).

⚠️ Previous Repairs

If anyone else has previously attempted a repair on your headlights, you must let us know in advance. This will affect the scope and pricing of the service.

Turnaround times

~2 hrs

per headlight
Exchange at KYCS Oldbury

~2 hrs

per headlight
Fitting (exchange) at KYCS Oldbury

3 days

per headlight
Sending/dropping off to KYCS Oldbury

Turnaround times are based on pre-booked appointments that have been booked in advance where the headlight condition matches what was discussed, the headlight is completely dry inside and the headlight is complete. If additional work is required upon assessment, turnaround times may be extended. Exchange is subject to stock availability - please check with us before booking. For headlights not available on exchange, these follow the 3-day turnaround as we refurbish your own headlights, and we prefer to have the car on-site due to the complexity of the headlights involved. Headlights must be completely dry internally for this turnaround time, if the headlight needs drying out then this time will be added to the refurbishment turnaround time.

Shipping with DHL Express

📦 We provide DHL shipping labels - these must be printed, DHL do not accept digital labels
📐 We'll need your box dimensions before we can book the collection if your parcel is above 50cm x 45cm x 40cm
🧱 DHL do not supply packing materials - you'll need to pack the headlights securely yourself. Ensure that the headlight will be safe in transport as DHL don't cover transit damage due to insufficient packaging
🇬🇧 Mainland UK including Northern Ireland. Highlands, Islands, Remote areas, and international deliveries require a separate quote from DHL
🛡️ Transit insurance is available at additional cost - get in touch or add the required insured amount in your order notes
📬 Sending with your own courier? Our address can be found here

Anything larger than 50x45x40cm will need a custom quote from DHL. We'll confirm all shipping details with you after booking.

⚡ Same-Day Available

Core Exchange Programme

Same-day turnaround when fitting at our Oldbury location. We use our in-stock headlights to build yours to spec, then take your current pair in on exchange - minimum downtime for you.

Inventory headlights

F20 F21 Pre LCI Xenon - Limited Availability (check with us before booking)
F20 F21 Pre LCI Adaptive Xenon - Limited Availability (check with us before booking)

Exchange criteria

Headlight(s) you provide in exchange must meet all of the following:

OEM headlights only
Never been opened or modified
Casing fully intact with no damage - all mounting points original, intact, and functional
Internals intact - no physical damage, water damage, damaged connectors, or broken/missing components
Lenses intact with no cracks or physical damage
⚠️

If your headlights don't meet the exchange criteria

Don't worry - we'll always do our best to help and find a solution. If your headlights don't qualify for exchange, we can look at purchasing from our stock inventory at list price (subject to availability), or in worst case scenarios we can source headlights on your behalf and bill accordingly. If neither option is available, you'll need to either leave the vehicle with us for the quoted turnaround time, or we'll refit your original headlights. Fitting rates and non-refundable deposits are retained in all cases.

Payment & how to order

All bookings are secured with a 25% non-refundable deposit, automatically applied at checkout. The remaining balance is invoiced once the work is complete.

01 Add just one standard refurbishment to your cart to keep the deposit amount to a minimum
02 Add your car registration, headlight side(s), and any other relevant details into the order notes at checkout
03 We'll pick up your order and be in touch to confirm the full scope, pricing, and booking date
04 Remaining balance is adjusted and invoiced once the work is complete
2
Year Guarantee

Industry-leading coverage on F20 F21 refurbishment & repair

We stand behind our work. Every refurbishment comes with a 2-year guarantee on all services and workmanship as standard.

🛡️ Services & Workmanship

2-year guarantee on all refurbishment and repair work carried out by us

📦 Products & Parts

BMW OEM TMS control units carry a 2-year guarantee with BMW

🔧 Fitting

If we fitted your headlights, fitting issues must be raised within 7 days. After this, normal fitting charges apply

Cosmetic

Cosmetic concerns must be raised within 72 hours

Warranty is not valid if products or services show signs of tampering, mishandling, mis-powering, reverse engineering, disassembly, installation error (if not installed by us), or if the vehicle is involved in an accident. Warranty will be voided if the vehicle is not fitted with the correct parts to match factory specification when not fitted by us. The warranty is for the purchaser only and is not transferable.

Full Symptom List


Depending on what your headlight variant is, you may have some or all of the failed functions and/or errors on the iDrive and instrument cluster.

Functional failures & symptoms

  • Water ingress
  • Heavy condensation & excessive misting on the inside of the headlight
  • Angel eyes not working
  • Eyebrow not working
  • Adaptive not working
  • Vertical aim not working

iDrive & instrument cluster errors/warnings

  • Side/daytime lights fault on the iDrive and instrument cluster
  • Daytime/parking lamp malfunction on the iDrive and instrument cluster
  • Adaptive headlights failure on the iDrive and instrument cluster
  • Headlight vertical aim control failure on the iDrive and instrument cluster

The Solution


As part of our refurbishment and repair service, we'll carry out the following:

  • Inspect the headlight to ensure that there's no corrosion on the headlight plugs/sockets
  • Pressure test the headlight to identify the source of the water ingress
  • Remove the headlight lens non-destructively and remove all of the old sealant
  • Dry the headlight out to remove all traces of water
  • Apply specific fluids and greases to remove light corrosion internally
  • Supply and fit a new aftermarket headlight lens
  • Replace all factory liquid gaskets with KYCS uprated gaskets that exceed OEM specification
  • Apply specific fluids and greases to the factory cap seals to replenish and revitalise them
  • Pressure test & water test the headlight to ensure that there isn't any water ingress in the future

If you have intermittent error codes on your iDrive for lighting system failure/adaptive system failure or the following exterior lights aren't constantly working (angel eyes, eyebrow, adaptive), this typically points to a faulty water-damaged TMS module. We can additionally fit a new TMS that's supplied to us at the same time for no additional cost. We only supply brand-new genuine TMS modules from the main dealer and don't recommend using aftermarket suppliers or products. This service does not include any exterior components such as the TMS or angel eye drivers. Our repair process is to the bare headlight as outlined above. If your headlight is water damaged, multiple components are likely water damaged/corroded and might need replacing - our repair service does not include replacement electric components. However, we do hold them in stock.

If your TMS socket is corroded or water-damaged, we will rebuild your OEM harness covering the external headlight plug and TMS socket for the following headlights:

  • F20 F21 pre LCI xenon
  • F20 F21 pre LCI adaptive xenon

If a rebuilt harness is required due to the constant water ingress for an extended period of time without any resolution steps being taken, we will notify you when the TMS socket is inspected.

Replacement/rebuilt components used in the refurbishment service are aftermarket unless specified.

Commonly Water Damaged (External) Components


On the pre-LCI xenon/adaptive xenon headlights, the following items are usually water damaged and may need replacing based on our previous experience:

  • TMS module (high likelihood)
  • Angel eye drivers (low likelihood)

This is a generalisation, and components may or may not apply in your situation - if you'd like to have a chat to have a better understanding of what would more than likely be applicable in your case, please get in touch and we'll schedule a call with you.

Affected Vehicles/Headlights


  • F20 pre LCI xenon
  • F20 pre LCI adaptive xenon
  • F21 pre LCI xenon
  • F21 pre LCI adaptive xenon

Fitting


If you want us to remove and refit the headlight during the repair service, please get in touch to get our availability. Our fitting days are Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday. We have AM and PM slots available.

Frequently Asked Questions

Important Information

All photos will show the advertised service that we offer, however some may have had additional options added onto the build not included within the base price or show existing modifications on clients cars (for example US side markers, or tinted/PPF'd headlight lenses.

Every set of our headlights are skillfully & expertly built by hand by our build & design technicians, and may include one or more of the following; plastic welding, channel repairs, lens repairs, custom mounting brackets, internal cosmetic repairs, custom headlight harnesses. These will be installed or carried out to as close as OEM mass produced fashion as possible, however may contain very slight differences from OEM and/or very minor imperfections (within our company defined tolerances) as our services are not carried by assembly line machines.

Please consider the above when purchasing. If you have any questions, or are unsure of anything, please contact us! We'd rather you ask questions prior to purchase to clarify instead of you receiving something different from what you expected.

What does & doesn't come with this refurbishment & repair service?

You're purchasing a refurb/repair service where we will build your supplied headlights to the specification shown in the description above. Any additional options selected will be added to your build.

This does not include the headlights, or fitting/shipping within the base price. These additional services can be added to your build.

Our service does not include any of the below and will be transferred over from your existing headlights; 

  • Headlights
  • Lenses
  • Ballasts/control units
  • Bulbs
  • Caps
  • LED drivers

How long does this take?

For sending your headlights into us, it's usually a 3 day turnaround depending on how busy we are.

It's always best to check in with us first if you have a tight deadline.

If we offer an exchange service on your headlight, and you're coming to us for fitting, we'll usually be able to get everything done within a couple of hours for one headlight, and 3-4 hours for the pair of headlights.

How much will this be in total?

If you're able to send us photos of the exterior and interior of the headlight so we're able to accurately see the extent of the damage of the headlight, we'll be able to give you a confirmed price.

In the event that you're not able to do this, we'll do our best to give an accurate quote, however this will be confirmed when we have the headlight in hand - we'll always confirm with you first before proceeding with any work.

Is there a deposit option?

Yes, our deposit option is 25% of your total order amount.

The remainder will be due once everything is completed and you're happy with the end result.

This deposit is non-refundable.

Can I get a refund?

Inline with goverment guidance, we do not offer refunds, and all sales are final. More information is available below.

Can I see or speak to someone about this?

We're available in person, or via phone call for you to have a chat with us.

Let us know what works for you and we'll set it up from our end.

If you're in a different timezone or have work schedules that conflict with our opening hours, we'll be able to arrange something out of hours.

Are customs & duties included for international orders?

For orders residing outside of the UK, the listed/shown price is the price paid excluding any additional tax - this will be requested by the receiver/destination country border force/customs equivalent.

All international import customs, duties & tax is the responsibility of the receiver. Check with your local authority for more information including rateable values and estimated amounts.

If an international delivery is refused due to unpaid custom charges, the shipment will be sent for destruction within the purchasers country and not eligible for any refunds.

View full details

Need Assistance?

If you're unsure of your vehicle and headlight variant contact us for a quote - please ensure that you have all vehicle details, photos of the vehicle & headlight ready to send to us.

We know that it can be daunting when looking into a new service for your vehicle - which is why we've created a short video (view below) to show what's included, what isn't included, and what's changed within our standard lens replacement service.

Got other questions? Feel free to reach out to us - we'll be more than happy to help!

View Another Of Our Refurbishment & Repair Services Explained