Kia Forte: Exterior care

Exterior general caution

It is very important to follow the label directions when using any chemical cleaner or polish. Read all warning and caution statements that appear on the label.

CAUTION - Headlight Lens

To prevent damage, do not clean headlight lens with chemical solvents or strong detergents.

Finish maintenance

Washing

To help protect your vehicle’s finish from rust and deterioration, wash it thoroughly and frequently at least once a month with lukewarm or cold water.

If you use your vehicle for off-road driving, you should wash it after each off-road trip. Pay special attention to the removal of any accumulation of salt, dirt, mud, and other foreign materials. Make sure the drain holes in the lower edges of the doors and rocker panels are kept clear and clean.

Insects, tar, tree sap, bird droppings, industrial pollution and similar deposits can damage your vehicle’s finish if not removed immediately.

Even prompt washing with plain water may not completely remove all these deposits. A mild soap, safe for use on painted surfaces, may be used.

After washing, rinse the vehicle thoroughly with lukewarm or cold water. Do not allow soap to dry on the finish.

After washing the vehicle, test the brakes while driving slowly to see if they have been affected by water. If braking performance is impaired, dry the brakes by applying them lightly while maintaining a slow forward speed.

CAUTION - Wetting engine

• Water washing in the engine compartment including high pressure water washing may cause the failure of electrical circuits located in the engine compartment.
• Never allow water or other liquids to come in contact with electrical/electronic components inside the vehicle as this may damage them.

Waxing

Wax the vehicle when water will no longer bead on the paint.

Always wash and dry the vehicle before waxing. Use a good quality liquid or paste wax, and follow the manufacturer’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

• Wiping dust or dirt off the body with a dry cloth will scratch the finish.
• Do not use steel wool, abrasive cleaners, or strong detergents containing highly 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.

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 brightmetal 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-corrosive petroleum jelly or other protective compound.

Underbody maintenance

Corrosive materials used for ice and snow removal and dust control may collect on the underbody. If these materials are not removed, accelerated rusting can occur on underbody parts such as the fuel lines, frame, floor pan and exhaust system, even though they have been treated with rust protection.

Thoroughly flush the vehicle underbody and wheel openings with lukewarm or cold water once a month, after off-road driving and at the end of each winter. Pay special attention to these areas because it is difficult to see all the mud and dirt. It will do more harm than good to wet down the road grime without removing it.

The lower edges of doors, rocker panels, and frame members have drain holes that should not be allowed to clog with dirt; trapped water in these areas can cause rusting.

Aluminum or chrome wheel maintenance

The aluminum or chrome wheels are coated with a clear protective finish.

• Do not use any abrasive cleaner, polishing compound, solvent, or wire brushes on aluminum or chrome wheels. They may scratch or damage 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 corrosion.
• Avoid washing the wheels with high-speed car wash brushes.
• Do not use any alkaline or acid detergent. It may damage and corrode the aluminum or chrome 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 corrosion 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, abrasion or minor scrapes and dents which leave unprotected metal exposed to corrosion.

High-corrosion areas

If you live in an area where your vehicle is regularly exposed to corrosive materials, corrosion protection is particularly important. Some of the common causes of accelerated corrosion 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 dries slowly and holds moisture in contact with the vehicle. Although the mud appears to be dry, it can still retain the moisture and promote corrosion.

High temperatures can also accelerate 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 following:

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 particularly 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 vehicle at least once a month and be sure to clean the underside thoroughly when winter is over.
• When cleaning underneath the vehicle, 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 prevent it. Water under high pressure and steam are particularly effective in removing accumulated mud and corrosive materials.
• When cleaning lower door panels, rocker panels and frame members, be sure that drain holes are kept open so that moisture can escape and not be trapped inside to accelerate corrosion.

Keep your garage dry

Don't park your vehicle in a damp, poorly ventilated garage. This creates a favorable environment for corrosion.

This is particularly true if you wash your vehicle in the garage or drive it into the garage when it is still wet or covered with snow, ice or mud. Even a heated garage can contribute to corrosion unless it is well ventilated so moisture is dispersed.

Keep paint and trim in good condition

Scratches or chips in the finish should be covered with "touch-up" paint as soon as possible to reduce the possibility of corrosion. If bare metal is showing through, the attention of a qualified body and paint shop is recommended.

Bird droppings : Bird droppings are highly corrosive and may damage painted surfaces in just a few hours. Always remove bird droppings as soon as possible.

Don't neglect the interior

Moisture can collect under the floor mats and carpeting and cause corrosion. Check under the mats periodically to be sure the carpeting is dry.

Use particular care if you carry fertilizers, cleaning materials or chemicals in the car.

These should be carried only in proper containers and any spills or leaks should be cleaned up, flushed with clean water and thoroughly dried.

Interior care

Interior general precautions

Prevent chemicals such as perfume, cosmetic oil, sun cream, hand cleaner, and air freshener from contacting the interior parts because they may cause damage or discoloration. If they do contact the interior parts, wipe them off immediately. See the instructions for the proper way to clean vinyl.

CAUTION - Electrical components

Never allow water or other liquids to come in contact with electrical/electronic components inside the vehicle as this may damage them.

CAUTION - Leather

When cleaning leather products (steering wheel, seats etc.), use neutral detergents or low alcohol content solutions. If you use high alcohol content solutions or acid/alkaline detergents, the color of the leather may fade or the surface may get stripped off.

Cleaning the upholstery and interior trim

Vinyl

Remove dust and loose dirt from vinyl with a whisk broom or vacuum cleaner. Clean vinyl surfaces with a vinyl cleaner.

Fabric

Remove dust and loose dirt from fabric with a whisk broom or vacuum cleaner. Clean with a mild soap solution recommended for upholstery or carpets. Remove fresh spots immediately with a fabric spot cleaner. If fresh spots do not receive immediate attention, the fabric can be stained and its color can be affected. Also, its fire-resistant properties can be reduced if the material is not properly maintained.

Using anything but recommended cleaners and procedures may affect the fabric’s appearance and fireresistant properties.

Cleaning the lap/shoulder belt webbing

Clean the belt webbing with any mild soap solution recommended for cleaning upholstery or carpet. Follow the instructions provided with the soap. Do not bleach or re-dye the webbing because this may weaken it.

Cleaning the interior window glass

If the interior glass surfaces of the vehicle become fogged (that is, covered with an oily, greasy or waxy film), they should be cleaned with glass cleaner. Follow the directions on the glass cleaner container.

CAUTION - Rear windows

Do not scrape or scratch the inside of the rear window. This may result in damage to the rear window defroster grid.

Emission control system

The emission control system of your vehicle is covered by a written limited warranty. Please see the warranty information contained in the Warranty & Consumer Information manual in your vehicle.

Your vehicle is equipped with an emission control system to meet all applicable emission regulations. There are three emission control systems, as follows.

(1) Crankcase emission control system

(2) Evaporative emission control system

(3) Exhaust emission control system

In order to assure the proper function of the emission control systems, it is recommended that you have your vehicle inspected and maintained by an authorized Kia dealer in accordance with the maintenance schedule in this manual.

Caution for the Inspection and Maintenance Test (With Electronic Stability Control (ESC) system)

• To prevent the vehicle from misfiring during dynamometer testing, turn the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) system off by pressing the ESC switch.
• After dynamometer testing is completed, turn the ESC system back on by pressing the ESC switch again.

1. Crankcase emission control system

The positive crankcase ventilation system is employed to prevent air pollution caused by blow-by gases being emitted from the crankcase.

This system supplies fresh filtered air to the crankcase through the air intake hose. Inside the crankcase, the fresh air mixes with blow-by gases, which then pass through the PCV valve into the induction system.

2. Evaporative emission control (including ORVR: Onboard Refueling Vapor Recovery) system

The Evaporative Emission Control System is designed to prevent fuel vapors from escaping into the atmosphere.

(The ORVR system is designed to allow the vapors from the fuel tank to be loaded into a canister while refueling at the gas station, preventing the escape of fuel vapors into the atmosphere.)

Canister

Fuel vapors generated inside the fuel tank are absorbed and stored in the onboard canister. When the engine is running, the fuel vapors absorbed in the canister are drawn into the surge tank through the purge control solenoid valve.

Purge Control Solenoid Valve (PCSV)

The purge control solenoid valve is controlled by the Engine Control Module (ECM); when the engine coolant temperature is low during idling, the PCSV closes so that evaporated fuel is not taken into the engine. After the engine warms up during ordinary driving, the PCSV opens to introduce evaporated fuel to the engine.

3. Exhaust emission control system

The Exhaust Emission Control System is a highly effective system which controls exhaust emissions while maintaining good vehicle performance.

Vehicle modifications

This vehicle should not be modified. Modification of your vehicle could affect its performance, safety or durability and may even violate governmental safety and emissions regulations.

In addition, damage or performance problems resulting from any modification may not be covered under warranty.

If you use unauthorized electronic devices, it may cause the vehicle to operate abnormally, wire damage, battery discharge and fire. For your safety, do not use unauthorized electronic devices.

Engine exhaust gas precautions (carbon monoxide)

Carbon monoxide can be present with other exhaust fumes.

Therefore, if you smell exhaust fumes of any kind inside your vehicle, have it inspected and repaired immediately. If you ever suspect exhaust fumes are coming into your vehicle, drive it only with all the windows fully open. Have your vehicle checked and repaired immediately.

WARNING - Exhaust

Engine exhaust gases contain carbon monoxide (CO). Though colorless and odorless, it is dangerous and could be lethal if inhaled. Follow the instructions on this page to avoid CO poisoning.

• Do not operate the engine in confined or closed areas (such as garages) any more than what is necessary to move the vehicle in or out of the area.
• When the vehicle is stopped in an open area for more than a short time with the engine running, adjust the ventilation system (as needed) to draw outside air into the vehicle.
• Never sit in a parked or stopped vehicle for any extended time with the engine running.
• When the engine stalls or fails to start, excessive attempts to restart the engine may cause damage to the emission control system.

WARNING - Catalytic converter

Keep away from the catalytic converter and exhaust system while the vehicle is running or immediately thereafter. The exhaust and catalytic systems are very hot and may burn you.

Operating precautions for catalytic converters (if equipped)

WARNING - Fire

• Do not park, idle or drive the vehicle over or near flammable objects, such as grass, vegetation, paper, leaves, etc. A hot exhaust system can ignite flammable items under your vehicle.
• Also, do not remove the heat sink around the exhaust system, do not seal the bottom of the vehicle or do not coat the vehicle for corrosion control. It may present a fire risk under certain conditions.

Your vehicle is equipped with a catalytic converter emission control device.

Therefore, the following precautions must be observed:

• Use only UNLEADED FUEL for gasoline engines.
• Do not operate the vehicle when there are signs of engine malfunction, such as misfire or a noticeable loss of performance.
• Do not misuse or abuse the engine. Examples of misuse are coasting with the ignition off and descending steep grades in gear with the ignition off.
• Do not operate the engine at high idle speed for extended periods (5 minutes or more).
• Do not modify or tamper with any part of the engine or emission control system. All inspections and adjustments must be made by an authorized Kia dealer.
• Avoid driving with a extremely low fuel level. Running out of fuel could cause the engine to misfire, damaging the catalytic converter.

Failure to observe these precautions could result in damage to the catalytic converter and to your vehicle. Additionally, such actions could void your warranties.