Kia Rio 2021 Owner's Manual page 513

SC PE CAN (ENG) 7.qxp 10/23/2020
Maintenance
Underbody maintenance
Road salt and other corrosive chemi-
cals are used in cold weather states to
melt snow and prevent ice accumula-
tion. If these chemicals are not regu-
larly removed, they will corrode the
vehicle underbody and over time dam-
age fuel lines, the fuel tank retention
system, the vehicle suspension, the
exhaust system, and even the body
frame.
• Wash the undercarriage of your
vehicle regularly during the winter
and whenever your vehicle has
been exposed to such salts or
chemicals.
7 106
8:23 PM Page 106
• Do a thorough washing of the
undercarriage at the end of the
winter.
• Use professional service techni-
cians or governmental inspection
stations to annually inspect for cor-
rosion.
• Immediately seek an inspection of
your vehicle if you become visually
aware of corrosion flaking or scal-
ing or if you become aware of a
change in vehicle performance,
such as soft or spongey brakes,
fluids leaking, impairment of direc-
tional control, suspension noises
or rattling metal straps.
Aluminum wheel maintenance
The aluminum wheels are coated
with a clear protective finish.
• Do not use any abrasive cleaner,
polishing compound, solvent, or
wire brushes on aluminum wheels.
They may scratch the finish.
• Clean the wheel when it has
cooled.
• Use only a mild soap or neutral
detergent, and rinse thoroughly
with water. Also, be sure to clean
the wheels after driving on salted
roads. This helps prevent corro-
sion.
• Avoid washing the wheels with
highspeed vehicle wash brushes.
• Do not use any alkaline or acid
detergents as they may damage or
corrode aluminum wheels coated
with a clear protective finish.