Kia Soul 2020 Owner's Manual page 493

Maintenance
• Avoid washing the wheels with
high speed vehicle wash brushes.
• Do not use any alkaline or acid
detergents It may damage and
corrode the aluminum wheels
coated with a clear protective fin -
ish.
Corrosion protection
Protecting your vehicle from corro -
sion
By using the most advanced design
and construction practices to com -
bat 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 corro -
sion on your vehicle are:
• Road salt, dirt and moisture that
is allowed to accumulate under -
neath the vehicle.
• Removal of paint or protective
coatings by stones, gravel, abra -
sion 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 cor -
rosive materials, corrosion protec -
tion is particularly important. Some
7 78
of the common causes of acceler -
ated 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, par -
ticularly when temperatures are
just above freezing. In such condi -
tions, the corrosive material is kept
in contact with the vehicle's surface
by moisture that evaporates slowly.
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 the moisture
and promote corrosion.
High temperatures can also acceler -
ate corrosion of parts that are not
properly ventilated so the moisture
can be dispersed. For all these rea -
sons, 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
beginning by observing the follow -
ing:
Keep your vehicle clean
The best way to prevent corrosion is
to keep your vehicle clean and free
Appearance care