Corrosion Protection; To Help Prevent Corrosion - Hyundai 2003 Accent Owner's Manual

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CORROSION PREVENTION AND APPEARANCE CARE
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CORROSION PROTECTION

Protecting Your Hyundai from Corro-
sion
By using the most advanced design and con-
struction practices to combat corrosion, Hyundai
produces cars of the highest quality. However,
this is only part of the job. To achieve the long
term corrosion resistance your Hyundai can
deliver, the owner's cooperation and assistance
is also required.
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Common Causes of Corrosion
The most common causes of corrosion on your
car are:
o Road salt, dirt and moisture that is allowed to
accumulate underneath the car.
o Removal of paint or protective coatings by
stones, gravel, abrasion or minor scrapes
and dents which leave unprotected 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 pro-
tection is particularly important. Some of the
common causes of accelerated corrosion are
road salts, dust control chemicals, ocean air
and industrial pollution.
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Moisture Breeds Corrosion
Moisture creates the conditions in which corro-
sion is most likely to occur. For example, corro-
sion is accelerated by high humidity, particularly
when temperatures are just above freezing. In
such conditions, the corrosive material is kept in
contact with the car surfaces by moisture that is
slow to evaporate.
Mud is a particular enemy of corrosion protec-
tion because it is slow to dry and holds moisture
in contact with the vehicle. Even though the mud
appears to be dry, it can still retain moisture and
promote corrosion.
High temperatures can also accelerate corro-
sion of parts that are not properly ventilated so
the moisture can be dispersed. For all these
reasons, it is particularly important to keep your
car clean and free of mud or accumulations of
other materials. This applies not only on the
visible surfaces but particularly to the underside
of the car.
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TO HELP PREVENT CORROSION

You can help prevent corrosion from getting
started by observing the following:
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Keep Your Car Clean
The best way to prevent corrosion is to keep
your car clean and free of corrosive materials.
Attention to the underside of the car is particu-
larly important.
o If you live in a high-corrosion area — where
road salts are used, near the ocean, areas
with industrial pollution, acid rain, etc.— you
should take extra care to prevent corrosion.
In winter, hose off the underside of your car
at least once a month and be sure to clean
the underside thoroughly when winter is over.
o When cleaning underneath the car, give par-
ticular attention to the components under the
fenders and other areas that are hidden from
view. Do a thorough job; just dampening the
accumulated mud rather than washing it away
will accelerate corrosion rather than prevent
it. Water under high pressure and steam are
particularly effective in removing accumulat-
ed mud and corrosive materials.
o When cleaning lower door panels, rocker
panels and frame members, be sure that
drain holes are kept open so that moisture
can escape and not be trapped inside to ac-
celerate corrosion.