1996 Toyota Land Cruiser Owners Manual - Page 149

Part 5 CORROSION PREVENTION AND APPEARANCE CARE S Protecting your Toyota from corrosion S Washing and waxing your Toyota S Cleaning the interior Protecting your Toyota from corrosion Toyota, through its diligent research, design and use of the most advanced technology available, has done its part to help prevent corrosion and has provided you with the finest quality vehicle construction. Now, it is up to you. Proper care of your Toyota can help ensure longterm corrosion prevention. The most common causes of corrosion to your vehicle are: S The accumulation of road salt, dirt and moisture in hard-to-reach areas under the vehicle. S Chipping of paint, or undercoating caused by minor accidents or by stones and gravel. Care is especially important if you live in particular areas or operate your vehicle under certain environmental conditions: S Road salt or dust control chemicals will accelerate corrosion, as will the presence of salt in the air near the seacoast or in areas of industrial pollution. S High humidity accelerates corrosion especially when temperatures range just above the freezing point. S Wetness or dampness to certain parts of your vehicle for an extended period of time, may cause corrosion even though other parts of the vehicle may be dry. S High temperatures will cause corrosion to those components of the vehicle which are prevented from quickdrying due to lack of proper ventilation. The above signifies the necessity to keep your vehicle, particularly the underside, as clean as possible and to repair any damage to paint or protective coatings as soon as possible. To help prevent corrosion on your Toyota, follow these guidelines: Wash your vehicle frequently: It is, of course, necessary to keep your vehicle clean by regular washing, but to prevent corrosion, the following points should be observed: S If you drive on salted roads in the winter or if you live near the ocean, you should hose off the undercarriage at least once a month to minimize corrosion. S High pressure water or steam is effective for cleaning the vehicle's underside and wheel housings. Pay particular attention to these areas as it is difficult to see all the mud and dirt. It will do more harm than good to simply wet the mud and debris without removing them. The lower edge of doors, rocker panels and frame members have drain holes which should not be allowed to clog with dirt as trapped water in these areas can cause corrosion. 143