2015 KIA Forte Owner's Manual

771
Maintenance
APPEARANCE CARE
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.
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 thor-
oughly with lukewarm or cold water.
Do not allow soap to dry on the fin-
ish.
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 - Headlight
Lens
To prevent damage, do not
clean headlight lens with chem-ical solvents or strong deter-gents.

Maintenance
72
7
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 main-
tain its luster.
Removing oil, tar, and similar materi-
als 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 wax-
ing.
CAUTION - Wetting engine
Water washing in the engine
compartment including highpressure water washing maycause the failure of electricalcircuits located in the enginecompartment.
Never allow water or other liq- uids to come in contact withelectrical/electronic compo-nents inside the vehicle asthis may damage them.
OJB037800
CAUTION - Drying vehicle
Wiping dust or dirt off the body with a dry cloth willscratch the finish.
Do not use steel wool, abra- sive cleaners, or strong deter-gents containing highly alka-line or caustic agents onchrome-plated or anodizedaluminum parts. This mayresult in damage to the protec-tive coating and cause discol-oration or paint deterioration.

773
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
Corrosive materials used for ice and
snow removal and dust control may
collect on the underbody. If these
materials are not removed, acceler-
ated 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 under-
body and wheel openings with luke-
warm 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 rust-
ing.
Aluminum or chrome wheel main-
tenance
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 corro-
sion.
Avoid washing the wheels with high-speed car wash brushes.
Do not use any alkaline or acid detergent. It may damage and cor-
rode the aluminum or chrome
wheels coated with a clear protec-
tive finish.

Maintenance
74
7
Corrosion protection
Protecting your vehicle from corro-
sion
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.
coatings by stones, gravel, abra-
sion or minor scrapes and dents
which leave unprotected metal
exposed to corrosion. 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, partic-
ularly when temperatures are just
above freezing. In such conditions,
the corrosive material is kept in con-
tact 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 acceler-
ate corrosion of parts that are not
properly ventilated so the moisture
can be dispersed. For all these rea-
sons, it is particularly important to
keep your vehicle clean and free of
mud or accumulations of other mate-
rials. This applies not only to the vis-
ible 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:

775
Maintenance
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 vehicle at least
once a month and be sure to clean
the underside thoroughly when
winter is over.
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 pres-
sure and steam are particularly
effective in removing accumulated
mud and corrosive materials. When cleaning lower door panels,
rocker panels and frame mem-
bers, 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 cre-
ates a favorable environment for cor-
rosion. 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 con-
tribute to corrosion unless it is well
ventilated so moisture is dispersed. Keep paint and trim in good condi-
tion
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 atten-
tion 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 corro-
sion. Check under the mats periodi-
cally to be sure the carpeting is dry.
Use particular care if you carry fertil-
izers, cleaning materials or chemi-
cals 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.

Maintenance
76
7
Interior care
Interior general precautions
Prevent chemicals such as perfume,
cosmetic oil, sun cream, hand clean-
er, 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.
Cleaning the upholstery and inte-
rior 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 fab-
ric with a whisk broom or vacuum
cleaner. Clean with a mild soap solu-
tion recommended for upholstery or
carpets. Remove fresh spots imme-
diately 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 proper-
ly maintained.
Using anything but recommended
cleaners and procedures may affect
the fabric’s appearance and fire-
resistant properties.
CAUTION- Electrical components
Never allow water or other liq-uids to come in contact withelectrical/electronic compo-nents inside the vehicle as thismay damage them.
CAUTION - Leather
When cleaning leather products(steering wheel, seats etc.), useneutral detergents or low alco-hol content solutions. If you usehigh alcohol content solutionsor acid/alkaline detergents, thecolor of the leather may fade orthe surface may get stripped off.

777
Maintenance
Cleaning the lap/shoulder beltwebbing
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 windowglass
If the interior glass surfaces of the
vehicle become fogged (that is, cov-
ered 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 theinside of the rear window. Thismay result in damage to the rearwindow defroster grid.

Maintenance
78
7
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 sys-
tem
(2) Evaporative emission control sys- tem
(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 accor-
dance with the maintenance sched-
ule in this manual. Caution for the Inspection and
Maintenance Test (With Electronic
Stability Control (ESC) system)
To prevent the vehicle from mis-
firing during dynamometer test-
ing, 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 con-trol (including ORVR:
Onboard Refueling Vapor
Recovery)
system
The Evaporative Emission Control
System is designed to prevent fuel
vapors from escaping into the atmos-
phere.
(The ORVR system is designed to
allow the vapors from the fuel tank to
be loaded into a canister while refu-
eling at the gas station, preventing
the escape of fuel vapors into the
atmosphere.)