Hyundai i20 Owner's Manual page 432

Corrosion protection
Protecting your vehicle from corro-
sion
By using the most advanced design
and construction practices to combat
corrosion, we produce vehicles of the
highest quality. However, this is only
part of the job. To achieve the long-term
corrosion resistance your vehicle can
deliver, the owner's cooperation and
assistance is also required.
Common causes of corrosion
The most common causes of corrosion
on your vehicle are:
• Road salt, dirt and moisture that is
allowed to accumulate underneath the
vehicle.
• Removal of paint or protective
coatings by stones, gravel, abrasion
or minor scrapes and dents which
leave unprotected metal exposed to
corrosion.
High-corrosion areas
If you live in an area where your vehicle
is regularly exposed to corrosive
materials, corrosion protection is
particularly important. Some of the
common causes of accelerated
corrosion are road salts, dust control
chemicals, ocean air and industrial
pollution.
Moisture breeds corrosion
Moisture creates the conditions in
which corrosion is most likely to occur.
For example, corrosion is accelerated
by high humidity, particularly when
temperatures are just above freezing. In
such conditions, the corrosive material is
kept in contact with the vehicle's surface
by moisture that slowly evaporates.
Mud is particularly corrosive because
it dries slowly and holds moisture in
contact with the vehicle. Although the
mud appears to be dry, it can still retain
moisture and promote corrosion.
High temperatures can also accelerate
corrosion of parts that are not properly
ventilated so the moisture can be
dispersed. For all these reasons, it is
particularly important to keep your
vehicle clean and free of mud or
accumulations of other materials. This
applies not only to the visible surfaces
but particularly to the underside of the
vehicle.
To help prevent corrosion
You can help prevent corrosion from
getting started by observing the
following:
10
10-93