Kia Carnival Owners Manual

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 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.

High-pressure washing

When using high-pressure washers, make sure to maintain sufficient distance from the vehicle. Insufficient clearance or excessive pressure can lead to component damage or water penetration.
Do not spray the camera, sensors or its surrounding area directly with a high pressure washer. Shock applied from high pressure water may cause the device to not operate normally.
Do not bring the nozzle tip close to boots (rubber or plastic covers) or connectors as they may be damaged if they come into contact with high pressure water.

Kia Carnival: Exterior care.

CAUTION - Wet 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, acid detergents or strong detergents 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.

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 the 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 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 corrosion.
Avoid washing the wheels with highspeed vehicle wash brushes.
Do not use any alkaline or acid detergents It may damage and corrode 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 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’s surface by moisture that evaporates slowly.

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 beginning by observing the following: