Kia Soul 2023 Manual page 455

Maintenance
trical circuits located in the engine
compartment.
僅 Never allow water or other liquids to
come in contact with electrical/elec-
tronic components inside the vehicle
as this may damage them.
僅 To prevent damage to the charging
door, make sure to close and lock the
vehicle doors when washing (high-
pressure washing, automatic car
washing, etc.) the vehicle.
Waxing
Wax the vehicle when water will no lon-
ger bead on the paint.
Always wash and dry the vehicle before
waxing. Use a good quality liquid or
paste wax, and follow the manufac-
turer's instructions. Wax all metal trim to
protect it and to maintain its luster.
Removing oil, tar, and similar materials
with a spot remover will usually strip the
wax from the finish. Be sure to re-wax
these areas even if the rest of the vehicle
does not yet need waxing.
CAUTION
Drying vehicle
僅 Wiping dust or dirt off the body with a
dry cloth will scratch the finish.
僅 Do not use steel wool, abrasive clean-
ers, acid detergents or strong deter-
gents containing high alkaline or
caustic agents on chrome-plated or
anodized aluminum parts. This may
result in damage to the protective
coating and cause discoloration or
paint deterioration.
Finish damage repair
Deep scratches or stone chips in the
painted surface must be repaired
promptly. Exposed metal will quickly rust
and may develop into a major repair
expense.
NOTICE
If your vehicle is damaged and requires
any metal repair or replacement, be sure
the body shop applies anti-corrosion
materials to the parts repaired or
replaced.
Bright-metal maintenance
To remove road tar and insects, use a tar
remover, not a scraper or other sharp
object.
To protect the surfaces of bright metal
parts from corrosion, apply a coating of
wax or chrome preservative and rub to a
high luster.
During winter weather or in coastal
areas, cover the bright metal parts with
a heavier coating of wax or preservative.
If necessary, coat the parts with non-cor-
rosive petroleum jelly or other protective
compound.
Underbody maintenance
Road salt and other corrosive chemicals
are used in cold weather states to melt
snow and prevent ice accumulation. If
these chemicals are not regularly
removed, they will corrode the vehicle
underbody and over time damage fuel
lines, the fuel tank retention system, the
vehicle suspension, the exhaust system,
and even the body frame.
僅 Wash the undercarriage of your vehi-
cle regularly during the winter and
Appearance care
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