I have been using regular unleaded in my 2009 Yamaha since I bought it in 2011. I added Marine Sta-Bil each time I filled up. I have had no engine problems.
When the Marathon in Pinellas opened, I decide to give ethanol-free a try. I used it for a total of three fill-ups. Here is what I found:
-- It seemed to have a little more "pep" - seemed to accelerate quicker.
-- My top end increased by 1 MPH on my speedometer. I didn't expect this since we know this is controlled by the governor on the engine. By the way, I won't discuss what my top end speed is.
-- My miles per gallon did not change at all. I had been getting 40-42 MPG with regular unleaded. I got the same with the ethanol-free. This surprised me because I expected to see a small increase.
Bottom line: I see no need to spend the extra for ethanol-free and I have switched back to regular unleaded with Marine Sta-Bil.
I know you asked about golf carts, but I have to add this about small engines. I have a mower with a 4-stroke engine and an edger with a 2-stroke engine.
Since moving here in 2011 and using regular unleaded with Marine Sta-Bil, I have been forced to replace the carburetor and fuel lines in both. I used regular unleaded in Illinois with no engine problems.
So, I switched to using ethanol-free with a little Sta-Bil in these two engines. I hope it helps. The cost difference for these two engines is tolerable since they don't use much gas.
Last edited by champion6; 11-13-2014 at 01:54 PM.
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