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JAC Home JCMT UKIRT ____________________ Welcome General Information Jac in Hilo Driving between Hilo and Hale Pohaku Driving 4WD on Mauna Kea High altitude safety Safety at UKIRT Safety at JCMT Cultural and Sightseeing information for Mauna Kea	Our 4WD cars can be used in three modes: 2WD, 4WD high, and 4WD low. 2WD must be used on the paved sections of the road 4WD LOW must be used on the unpaved section of the road, and on the paved section in case of ice or snow conditions. Do not use 4WD (high or low) on dry pavement: it can cause increase tire wear, damage to the drive train, and poor vehicle handling.  Instruction for switching (Nissan XTerra ONLY. For other vehicles, ask your support astronomer, or TSS). To switch from 2WD to 4WD: Stop the car, put the gear in neutral with the clutch depressed (engine running), switch from 2WD to 4WD high, wait for the 4WD indicator to go on on the dashboard, pressing down the button switch to 4WD low. Do not use the 1st gear when in 4WD low. To switch from 4WD low to 2WD: Stop the car, put the gear in neutral with the clutch depressed (engine running), pressing down the button switch from 4WD low to 4WD high, with the same button switch from 4WD high to 2WD. Check that the 4WD indicator goes off. Sometimes 4WD does not disengage properly and the indicator stays on. In this case, put the car in reverse and move it, then back in 1st gear. Dust Control: Set the air conditioning to "max ac", "recirculation", set the blower speed to medium, and keep the windows closed to prevent dust from entering the vehicle. Drive within the speed limit and slow down when the terrain gets rough. Do not tailgate. Vehicles should be locked at HP, but unlocked at the summit. The speed limit on the summit road is 25 mph. This is not the "recommended" speed. A much lower speed is necessary on blind turns, on "washboard" surface, with bad visibility, and in winter conditions. Do not start off to the summit without 1/3 of a tank at least while level. See TSS for instructions on refueling the car at HP. Polarized sunglasses are recommended to reduce the effect of sun glare. Always yield to up-hill traffic. There must always be at least as many seats available in vehicles at the telescope as there are persons at the telescope. Nobody under the age of 16 can be transported to the summit on a JAC vehicle. At night, use regular headlights. Do not drive at night without lights, or with parking or fog lights only. At UKIRT, park on the concrete platform in the front in summer. Park at the end of the dome extension in winter. At JCMT, park on paved area only or in the carport if there space. In any case, do not block other cars parked in the carport. < Previous Next >

Contact: Luca Rizzi. Updated: Tue Aug 25 12:47:25 HST 2009 Return to top ^