Kia K5 2021 Owner's Manual page 500

Maintenance
winter road salt and related chemi-
cals. While serious corrosion condi-
tions typically only manifest
themselves as safety issues after 7
years of vehicle use, the corrosion
process starts immediately and
thus underbody cleaning mainte-
nance must commence from your
vehicle's first exposure to road salts
and chemicals. NHTSA urges vehicle
owners to take the following steps
to prevent corrosion:
1. Wash the undercarriage of your
vehicle regularly throughout the
winter and do a thorough washing
in the spring to remove road salt
and other de-icing chemicals.
2. Monitor the brake system for
signs of corrosion by having regu-
lar professional inspections and
watching for signs of problems,
including loss of brake fluid,
unusual leaks and soft or spongy
feel in the brake pedal.
3. Replace the entire brake pipe
assembly if you find severe corro-
sion that causes scaling or flaking
of brake components.
Brake fluid
Check the brake fluid level in the
brake fluid reservoir. The level
should be between "MIN" and "MAX"
marks on the side of the reservoir.
Use only hydraulic brake fluid con-
forming to DOT 3 or DOT 4 specifi-
cation.
7 16
Explanation of scheduled maintenance items
Parking brake
Inspect the parking brake system
including the parking brake lever (or
pedal) and cables.
Exhaust pipe and muffler
Visually inspect the exhaust pipes,
muffler and hangers for cracks,
deterioration, or damage. Start the
engine and listen carefully for any
exhaust gas leakage. Tighten con-
nections or replace parts as neces-
sary.
Brake discs, pads, calipers and
rotors
Check the pads for excessive wear,
discs for run out and wear, and cali-
pers for fluid leakage.
Suspension mounting bolts
Check the suspension connections
for looseness or damage. Retighten
to the specified torque.
Steering gear box, linkage & boots/
lower arm ball joint
With the vehicle stopped and off,
check for excessive free-play in the
steering wheel.
Check the linkage for bends or dam-
age. Check the dust boots and ball
joints for deterioration, cracks, or
damage. Replace any damaged
parts.