Hyundai i10 Owner's Manual page 395

Maintenance
Corrosion protection
Protecting your vehicle from corrosion
By using the most advanced design and
construction practices to combat corro-
sion, we produces cars 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 car are:
• Road salt, dirt and moisture that is
allowed to accumulate underneath the
car.
• Removal of paint or protective coatings
by stones, gravel, abrasion or minor
scrapes and dents which leave unpro-
tected metal exposed to corrosion.
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High-corrosion areas
If you live in an area where your car is
regularly exposed to corrosive materials,
corrosion protection is particularly impor-
tant. 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 tempera-
tures are just above freezing. In such
conditions, the corrosive material is kept
in contact with the vehicle's surfaces with
moisture that slowly evaporate.
Mud is particularly corrosive because it
dries slowly and holds moisture in con-
tact with the vehicle. Although the mud
appears to be dry, it can still retain mois-
ture and promote corrosion.
High temperatures can also accelerate
corrosion of parts that are not properly
ventilated so the moisture can be dis-
persed. For all these reasons, it is par-
ticularly 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.