Hyundai LX2 Owner's Manual page 577

Maintenance
Corrosion protection
Protecting your vehicle from corro-
sion
By using the most advanced design
and construction practices to combat
corrosion, we produces 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 underneath
the vehicle.
• Removal of paint or protective coat-
ings; by stones, gravel, abrasion or
minor scrapes and dents which
leave unprotected metal exposed to
corrosion.
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7-98
High-corrosion areas
If you live in an area where your vehi-
cle is regularly exposed to corrosive
materials, corrosion protection is
particularly important. Some of the
common causes of accelerated cor-
rosion 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
temperatures are just above freezing.
In such conditions, the corrosive
material is kept in contact with the
vehicle 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 appears to be dry, it can still retain
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 reasons, 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
getting started by observing the fol-
lowing:
Keep your vehicle clean
The best way to prevent corrosion is
to keep your vehicle clean and free
of corrosive materials. Attention to
the underside of the vehicle is partic-
ularly important.
• 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.