Corrosion Protection; To Help Prevent Corrosion - Hyundai 2009 Tucson Owner's Manual

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CORROSION PREVENTION AND APPEARANCE CARE

CORROSION PROTECTION

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Protecting Your Hyundai from Cor-
rosion
By using the most advanced design and
construction practices to combat corro-
sion, Hyundai produces cars of the highest
quality. However, this is only part of the job.
To achieve the long-term corrosion resis-
tance your Hyundai can deliver, the owner's
cooperation and assistance is also re-
quired.
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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 al-
lowed to accumulate underneath the
car.
o 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.
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Moisture Breeds Corrosion
Moisture creates the conditions in which
corrosion is most likely to occur. For ex-
ample, 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 car surfaces by moisture that is slow to
evaporate.
Mud is particularly corrosive because it is
slow to dry and holds moisture in contact
with the vehicle. Although the mud ap-
pears to be dry, it can still retain the mois-
ture and promote corrosion.
High temperatures can also accelerate cor-
rosion of parts that are not properly venti-
lated 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 ap-
plies not only to the visible surfaces but
particularly to the underside of the car.
TO HELP PREVENT CORRO-
SION
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You can help prevent corrosion from get-
ting 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 particularly 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
particular 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 pre-
vent it. Water under high pressure and
steam are particularly effective in re-
moving accumulated mud and corro-
sive materials.