Corrosion Protection - Hyundai 2009 Santa Fe Owner's Manual

4
CORROSION PREVENTION AND APPEARANCE CARE

CORROSION PROTECTION

2
E010A01A-AAT
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.
E010B01A-AAT
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.
E010C01A-AAT
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 accel-
erated corrosion are road salts, dust con-
trol chemicals, ocean air and industrial
pollution.
E010D01A-AAT
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
corrosion of parts that are not properly
ventilated so the moisture can be dis-
persed. For all these reasons, it is particu-
larly important to keep your car clean and
free of mud or accumulations of other
materials. This applies not only to the vis-
ible surfaces but particularly to the under-
side of the car.