Does opening the headlight cover voids warranty?

[Jon.]

I'm installing my LUX angel eyes soon and I was just wondering if the 1 series has a seal on the headlight covers so dealers know the headlight cover was opened?

I also heard it's a little difficult putting the headlight cover back on. I hope I don't put it back on wrong but there should only be one way of it 'fitting' though right?

Read a few stories about condensation in the headlight so I was just beginning to worry.

Also, I just need to make sure the car is not running right? No need to disconnect battery when installing headlights?

[Satalite]

Originally Posted by Jon.

I'm installing my LUX angel eyes soon and I was just wondering if the 1 series has a seal on the headlight covers so dealers know the headlight cover was opened?

I also heard it's a little difficult putting the headlight cover back on. I hope I don't put it back on wrong but there should only be one way of it 'fitting' though right?

Read a few stories about condensation in the headlight so I was just beginning to worry.

I don't think so... How else could you change your dead bulbs? the back cover is held on by two metal clips. Just make sure when you pull them off to align the bottom back up then the top before pitting clips back on.

FYI they can be a PITA shouldn't void anything other than the installation of your mod. Opening it up doesn't.

[1speedbike]

Actually, it technically does. I have changed out my H8's for completely acceptable H8 halogen replacements, got condensation, then the dealership would NOT clear out the condensation for free because I swapped out my bulbs for non-oem bulbs. Not even LEDs or HID's.. just simple H8 replacements..

This is the biggest load of BS ever. It is outlined in the MANUAL how to open the headlight covers and change H8 bulbs. Dealerships are just looking for every way possible to con you out of some money when a warranty problem arises. I argued and argued and they would not fix my condensation for free. So I just waited for a hot day, got a hair dryer and some silica gel, and dried out the lights myself. Problem solved, and lesson learned.

If you are swapping our your lights, always return them to stock before going in for service. OR let the dealership install the lights for you. If you have a "cool" dealership, like one I found after this unfortunate incident, they will install the lights for you so you're covered as far as the warranty goes in terms of proper light bulb changing procedure (so if you get condensation its THEIR fault) but obviously not covered if your aftermarket bulb shorts something out. I had a BMW-owned body shop reinstall my HID bulbs after an accident, and those require a battery terminal hookup and running wires through the engine bay, and they had no problem doing it and they even warrantied everything they did for a few years. I know it's easier to do yourself, but if you go that route, be careful not to break the "bitch clips" as they are known, and to return to stock for dealership visits.

[Jon.]

Hmmmm, if there isn't a seal, maybe I will risk it and if anything does happen touch wood, I'll just switch it back to OEM and return it to the dealer.

I'll have to be extra careful with the clips if they snap easily haha. Do they require much force to click back in?

Thanks for the replies, read a lot of stories like yours 1speedbike but if there isn't a seal, I'll just go for it !

[1speedbike]

Originally Posted by Jon.

Hmmmm, if there isn't a seal, maybe I will risk it and if anything does happen touch wood, I'll just switch it back to OEM and return it to the dealer.

I'll have to be extra careful with the clips if they snap easily haha. Do they require much force to click back in?

Thanks for the replies, read a lot of stories like yours 1speedbike but if there isn't a seal, I'll just go for it !

There is padding along the headlight cap to form a seal so moisture can't get in. But there's no "seal" in the sense like when you pop open a snapple you can't get it back to its vacuumed state. There is no vacuum inside the headlight and according to a friend who is a BMW tech there is actually a membrane or something which allows a bit of air exchange with the atmosphere without letting moisture in. I have successfully swapped out my bulbs at least 20 times in my quest for the ultimate H8's and have easily returned to stock each time.

The Bitch Clips tend to not be a problem unless you're not inserting the headlight correctly. You should be able to easily snap the clips into place if you repositioned the light right. Just make sure to move them completely out of the way first.

The big problem... is the tabs..

As I'm sure is listed in every DIY on here, the caps have these two tabs on the bottom. The hardest part is getting the tabs back into their slots because the adaptive headlight motor tends to get in the way, especially on the passenger side where there are two annoying canisters right behind the light and you don't have much room to work.

In order to get the tabs to slide back into place and clear the adaptive headlight motor, you have to angle the caps and slide them down and towards you at 45 degrees. I'll draw a crappy MS paint picture to kind of help illustrate this. Once you get the tabs inserted, then it's a piece of cake. Just make sure no wires are getting caught outside the housing, push the cap gently against the rest of the housing, and snap the clips into place. People break the clips when they don't fully have the cap in place and try to force the clip into a position where it doesn't belong.

Also, do the drivers side first, because there is way more room to work on that side and you can easily get the hang of things before moving on the the cramped passenger side.

[aacabriolet]

Lol thanks for the illustration. Takes me like 10 mins sometimes to get that cover back on.. Other times instant :P

I'll be getting angel eyes soon, so will be looking for a stock H8 replacement. You don't recommend any better than stock?

People rave about lux but $250.... Wtf

[Dackelone]

I have seen A LOT of threads where someone replaces their AE bulbs and two weeks latter they get a adaptive headlight failure icon. They go to the dealer and get the news it will cost them $3K to replace the headlight housings - all COD bc the owner changed his AE bulbs. I would be VERY carefull messing around with the AE. I know it is a common mod... but I have seen way too many of these AE installs gone bad threads.

[Jon.]

Oh wow, thanks for the illustration 1speed xD I'll be sure to keep your advice and picture in mind when I do it!

So many warnings haha, I'm tempted to add a few packs of silica gel packs into the headlight!

[1speedbike]

Originally Posted by aacabriolet

Lol thanks for the illustration. Takes me like 10 mins sometimes to get that cover back on.. Other times instant :P

I'll be getting angel eyes soon, so will be looking for a stock H8 replacement. You don't recommend any better than stock?

People rave about lux but $250.... Wtf

I have Alpine's HID kit and I love it... except right now it's doing some really weird stuff. Error free, and worked perfectly for 8+ months.. now both bulbs crapped out. Alex@Alpine is great though and sent one replacement ballast so quick I got it almost the next day. There are lots of users who use the GP thunders or MTec H8 replacement bulbs, but those can't match the whiteness of LED's or HID's, and neither halogens nor LED's can match the brightness of HID's, barring full replacement rings. The kit was about 160 bucks plus an extra 20 or so for an extra set of headlight caps with the necessary hole pre-drilled.

Originally Posted by Jon.

Oh wow, thanks for the illustration 1speed xD I'll be sure to keep your advice and picture in mind when I do it!

So many warnings haha, I'm tempted to add a few packs of silica gel packs into the headlight!

haha no problem. the angel eyes are really easy to muck up if you're not informed. but as long as you take it slow, prepare for a bit of cursing, do this all on a warm, DRY day, and reseal the lights properly, there is nothing to be worried about at all. The silica isn't even necessary, I just add it because my headlight caps have holes in them (sealed with a rubber grommet, but I like to just be safe anyway). I just throw one in on each side through the crack between the cap and the housing right before I snap the clips back into place.

[135forthewin]

Don't break anything, put her back to stock before you take the car in, and you'll be fine. My, uh, friend had a problem, but his stock bulbs back in, and got a brand new headlight!

[aacabriolet]

Originally Posted by 1speedbike

I have Alpine's HID kit and I love it... except right now it's doing some really weird stuff. Error free, and worked perfectly for 8+ months.. now both bulbs crapped out. Alex@Alpine is great though and sent one replacement ballast so quick I got it almost the next day. There are lots of users who use the GP thunders or MTec H8 replacement bulbs, but those can't match the whiteness of LED's or HID's, and neither halogens nor LED's can match the brightness of HID's, barring full replacement rings. The kit was about 160 bucks plus an extra 20 or so for an extra set of headlight caps with the necessary hole pre-drilled.

Cool thanks for the info I've heard stories of bleeding from HID angels at night and at night it's especially visible? What K do you have? I'm thinking they might be better value than LUX though.. Hmm. I suppose you could just get a normal H8 HID kit and install yourself with error cancelers too?

[Jon.]

I was considering the Alpine kit too but decided against it after finding out I needed to drill holes but now you say I can get replacement covers with pre drilled holes, I might switch to the HIDs later on and sell my LUX kit! Although I'm sure I'm going to love my LUX kit for awhile. The yellow/amber tinge in the OEM angel eyes really bug me.

[Captain]

In my opinion there are still not enough Posts regarding the Brightness of the Alpines at night.

Some People say they are to bright / some ppl. say they arent


@1speedbike: Did you got a Response from Alpine?

http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=532486

[aacabriolet]

Originally Posted by Captain

In my opinion there are still not enough Posts regarding the Brightness of the Alpines at night.

Some People say they are to bright / some ppl. say they arent


@1speedbike: Did you got a Response from Alpine?

http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=532486

Maybe 1speedbike can tell us since he has the HID angel eyes

[DrGadget]

Originally Posted by Jon.

I'm installing my LUX angel eyes soon and I was just wondering if the 1 series has a seal on the headlight covers so dealers know the headlight cover was opened?

I also heard it's a little difficult putting the headlight cover back on. I hope I don't put it back on wrong but there should only be one way of it 'fitting' though right?

Read a few stories about condensation in the headlight so I was just beginning to worry.

Also, I just need to make sure the car is not running right? No need to disconnect battery when installing headlights?

Nope! And not on the tail lights if you have replaced bulbs with LEDs and then change bthem back to stock because you need to have the tail lights replaced under warranty because of water ingress, i.e., the original seals were defective. The Canbus system shows faults but does not seem to record changes. Others may have different ideas though.