Quote:
Originally Posted by perlsvilla
Hello ..I'm here visiting my parents. They recently bought a gas golf cart. That salesman told them it's best to get gas at the Villages Golf Cart store because it's pure ethanol and no additives. Is this true? Can they use regular gas from any station? Is premium gas better? Thanks, Perl
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I'm no expert but I did get an A in Organic Chemistry and had an understanding of some chemical reactions.....along with a lifetime of running and repairing my small engines. First let's agree that the golf cars engines are small engines like the ones that are on my lawn tractors or log splitter. It's essentially a fancy go cart. It's not an automobile engine.
Gasoline by itself does not have the affinity to attract water. Ethanol mixes nicely with water. Think bourbon rocks or scotch and water. Water contains oxygen which oxidizes and ruins a lot of stuff. Ethanol by it's self oxidizes and breaks down rubber over time. Think how your wine doesn't taste as good hours after its opened. Gasoline without ethanol can help with engine maintenance by not attracting H2O into the engine. Remember how humid it is here. If you let the small engine sit with ethanol Gasoline you'll end up with inconvenient but common issues with ethanol gas. I think the Villages Golf Cars recommended ethanol free gas because there are so many folks that are not full time in TV, so their cars will sit and have "bad gas" over time. It seems plausible that ethanol free could pay towards it's cost by increased mileage and less destructive properties over time. If you are running that engine every day then any gas will work but if pure gasoline is available.....then why not? It's a luxury that I've never had where I've lived forever, but having relaced multiple carburetors due to ethanol gas, I will definitely spend a few extra coins to make me and my new toy happy.