According to Yamaha, up to 10% ethanol is fine. The problem with ethanol is that it absorbs water so a fuel stabilizer would be good if the cart sits for long periods of time. If you are using the cart regularly, it isn't clear that a fuel stabilizer will make any difference. I have 11,000 miles with regular gas with 10% ethanol and no issues.
Regarding oil changes, I change the oil every 50-75 hours of running time (roughly every 1000 miles). This is in line with the Yamaha owner's manual (1250 mile oil changes). Without a used oil analysis, it is impossible to know whether this is too frequent or not. It only takes a quart so erroring on the conservative side is really not an issue. Mobil 1 from Walmart ($24 for 5 quarts) is a cost effective synthetic. The air filter should be good for about 10K miles. The differential oil (1.8 quarts) should also be changed periodically. The Villages Golf Cart store has the OEM differential oil with the friction modifiers for a very good price. A shot of grease for the clutch if it has a zerk fitting is probably a good idea also.
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Originally Posted by tophcfa
Agree, changing the oil (I prefer to use a synthetic called Amsoil) is the most important. But also important is to make sure the air filter is clean, slow way down for all those dam speed bumps, and never use gas containing ethanol. The gas is very important if you are a part time resident. If you must use ethanol, always use a quality fuel stabilizer. Also a good idea to put the battery on a trickle charger periodically and check the PSI in the tires.
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