suspension KIA STINGER 2021 User Guide

795
Maintenance
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.
If your vehicle is damaged and
requires any metal repair or replace-
ment, 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 preser-
vative 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-corrosive petroleum
jelly or other protective compound.
Underbody maintenance
Road salt and other corrosive chemi-
cals are used in cold weather states to
melt snow and prevent ice accumula-
tion. If these chemicals are not regu-
larly removed, they will corrode the
vehicle underbody and over time dam-
age fuel lines, the fuel tank retention
system, the vehicle suspension, the
exhaust system, and even the body
frame. The National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration has warned all
vehicle owners of all brands of the
need to take the following steps:
Wash the undercarriage of your
vehicle regularly during the winter
and whenever your vehicle has
been exposed to such salts or
chemicals.CAUTION - Drying vehicle
Wiping dust or dirt off the
body with a dry cloth will
scratch the finish.
Do not use steel wool, abra-
sive cleaners, acid detergents
or strong detergents contain-
ing 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.

Maintenance
96 7
Do a thorough washing of the
undercarriage at the end of the
winter.
Use professional service techni-
cians or governmental inspection
stations to annually inspect for cor-
rosion.
Immediately seek an inspection of
your vehicle if you become visually
aware of corrosion flaking or scal-
ing or if you become aware of a
change in vehicle performance,
such as soft or spongy brakes, flu-
ids leaking, impairment of direc-
tional control, suspension noises
or rattling metal straps.Aluminum wheel maintenance
The aluminum wheels are coated
with a clear protective finish.
Do not use any abrasive cleaner,
polishing compound, solvent, or
wire brushes on aluminum wheels.
They may scratch the finish.
Clean the wheel when it has
cooled.
Use only a mild soap or neutral
detergent, and rinse thoroughly
with water. Also, be sure to clean
the wheels after driving on salted
roads. This helps prevent corro-
sion.
Avoid washing the wheels with
highspeed vehicle wash brushes.
Do not use any alkaline or acid
detergents It may damage and cor-
rode the aluminum wheels coated
with a clear protective finish.
Corrosion protection
Protecting your vehicle from corrosion
By using the most advanced design
and construction practices to combat
corrosion, we produce 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
coatings by stones, gravel, abra-
sion or minor scrapes and dents
which leave unprotected metal
exposed to corrosion.