Additive for golf cart

[Gonavy]

I have a 2017 gas golf carts...I was told by Ocala golf carts that if I gas at shell gas station I have to add an additive to the gas. When I inquired at the village golf gas station...they said, an additive will only gum up the engine. So my questions...one, is the village golf gas station correct? If not, what additive should be used?
Thank you for your wisdom.

[birdiebill]

I was told that it is best to use ethanol free gasoline in the newer golf carts. That is only available at the Villages Golf Cart stores' gas stations or at the Marathon gas stations at Pinellas plaza and at Lake Deaton Plaza. That is what I have used in my 2016 and my wife's 2017 Yamaha carts.

If using regular gasoline with ethanol, I was told that one should mix marine grade Sta-bil with the ethanol containing gasoline. I did not want to mix anything, so I have always used ethanol free gas. It is more expensive, but if it helps the engine run cleaner, better, and longer, then it is money well spent.

The Shell stations do not have ethanol free gas.

[Challenger]

I have a 2017 gas golf carts...I was told by Ocala golf carts that if I gas at shell gas station I have to add an additive to the gas. When I inquired at the village golf gas station...they said, an additive will only gum up the engine. So my questions...one, is the village golf gas station correct? If not, what additive should be used?
Thank you for your wisdom.

Have had two carts Yamaha and EZGO for 5 yrs. Always regular gas (87) no additives. No problems at all with operations of the engines.

Many threads available here on the subject. MHO -additives are (almost always) a waste of time that only benefit those who manufacture and sell them. Read your user manual.

[ColdNoMore]

SUCK, SQUEEZE, BANG, BLOW.

Using a higher octane allows for more energy and complete burning, in the third word of that old saying...that applies to internal combustion engines. :shrug:

[Rapscallion St Croix]

I could give you proven facts regarding this subject, but instead I will give you a first hand anecdotal report. I have had my cart five years. I do not know what the previous owner did with respect to fuel, but I have only used Shell with no additional additives because that is what is available to me. My cart does not use a drop of oil. It starts easily every time. It runs strong and smooth always. Every time I check the spark plug it tells me that my engine is burning fuel efficiently. I conclude that both pieces of advice you received are wrong. You do not need additives but if used as directed, they will not harm your engine.

[John_W]

I have a 2011 Yamaha Gas Cart I bought new at The Villages LSL store. At that time they didn't have any pumps, they told me to add the product below when I fill-up. It's in stock at Walmart for about $9.00. When the Marathon station opened I believe it was 2015 I stopped using Sta-bil and started buying ethanol free gas. The very first time out, I played 18 holes at Belle Glade and as soon as I pulled out of the parking lot the cart died. It wouldn't go unless I drove no faster than 4 mph. I called Willie's Cart Service, who I had been using for my cart, and he came out and flushed the carburator and fuel lines. He said the good gas has loosen up all the built up ethanol crud and it broke free and blocked all the lines. I've been using the ethanol free gas ever since with no problems.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/STA-BIL-22239-360-Marine-Ethanol-Treatment-and-Fuel-Stabilizer-8-oz/16645041

https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/e0afa5c2-075a-4eb2-acbb-d8e0c43f928b_1.be0edcef9760275afd3dc56a818f0626.jp eg?odnHeight=450&odnWidth=450&odnBg=FFFFFF

[Challenger]

I could give you proven facts this subject, but instead I will give you a first hand anecdotal report. I have had my cart five years. I do not know what the previous owner did with respect to fuel, but I have only used Shell with no additional additives because that is what is available to me. My cart does not use a drop of oil. It starts easily every time. It runs strong and smooth always. Every time I check the spark plug it tells me that my engine is burning fuel efficiently. I conclude that both pieces of advice you received are wrong. You do not need additives but if used as directed, they will not harm your engine.

My experience exactly see #3:pepper2:

[ColdNoMore]

I have a 2011 Yamaha Gas Cart I bought new at The Villages LSL store. At that time they didn't have any pumps, they told me to add the product below when I fill-up. It's in stock at Walmart for about $9.00. When the Marathon station opened I believe it was 2015 I stopped using Sta-bil and started buying ethanol free gas. The very first time out, I played 18 holes at Belle Glade and as soon as I pulled out of the parking lot the cart died. It wouldn't go unless I drove no faster than 4 mph. I called Willie's Cart Service, who I had been using for my cart, and he came out and flushed the carburator and fuel lines. He said the good gas has loosen up all the built up ethanol crud and it broke free and blocked all the lines. I've been using the ethanol free gas ever since with no problems.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/STA-BIL-22239-360-Marine-Ethanol-Treatment-and-Fuel-Stabilizer-8-oz/16645041

https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/e0afa5c2-075a-4eb2-acbb-d8e0c43f928b_1.be0edcef9760275afd3dc56a818f0626.jp eg?odnHeight=450&odnWidth=450&odnBg=FFFFFF


'Varnish' buildup in fuel systems = problem(s) waiting to happen.

There are a lot of opinions and suggestions regarding gasoline with ethanol...so go figure. :shrug:

Understanding Ethanol-Related Fuel Problems | Road Guardians (https://roadguardians.org/september-2012-newsletter-biker-chads-corner/)

Busting Ethanol Fuel Myths | West Marine (https://www.westmarine.com/WestAdvisor/Busting-Ethanol-Fuel-Myths)

Ethanol causes problems for small-engine tools - Chicago Tribune (http://www.chicagotribune.com/sns-201505181900--tms--askbildrctnab-a20150529-20150529-story.html)

[tophcfa]

Needing an fuel stabilizing additive with ethanol gas depends on how often you use your gas cart. If you are a full time resident and use your cart daily then you really don't need an additive. If you are a seasonable resident and your cart sits unused for extended periods of time then you need an additive, or would be best off using ethanol free gas. Ethanol gas that sits for long periods of time collects moisture and gums up the fuel delivery system. We use ethanol free gas only and when I drive back north to our other home, I bring lots of ethanol free gas with me for my chain saws, weed wacker, and leaf blower because it is not available in Massachusetts.

[billethkid]

What is usually missing are the details.
Most reports are at what I call the "scientific" level. They tend to measure in numbers carried out to the 10th decimal place when whole numbers are the most likely/practical.

Regular gas with 10% or less ethanol.....no problems after 15 years of use. I do use the marine grade Stabil as it can only help for engines not used as frequently as our cars.

Since most of us are not at the scientific level we do what has worked for years with no ill effects.

By the way what type of gas does everybody use in their car.....10-15% ethanol......no problems....

[thetruth]

Gasoline sold at stations for cars will have a sign on the pump contains 10% alcohol. Your opinion does not really matter, our government has forced this-like it or not. You can find 15%
alcohol fuel if you try. The fuel is more expensive and has less energy so I wonder why anyone would purchase it.
Even if you want to buy it, perhaps anti oil or? BEWARE not all cars can use this fuel. The seals, hoses etc need to be able to take the alcohol.
Here, marathon sells alcohol free gasoline. It is marked for small engine use. The reason it says small engine use is because THE LAW is your automobile must be fueled with a gasoline alcohol mix.
All gasoline is the same. In fact it flows out of the same pipe. The difference is the ADDITIVE PACKAGE added by each seller. With a BRANDED gasoline, you know what you are getting. OFF BRAND, and you don't know. Low cost is your motivation and has to be the motivation of the retailer.
According to my reading, the two BRANDS commonly sold around here, with the highest detergent packages are SHELL and CHEVRON.
We use SHELL because PUBLIX runs a spend $50 and get a $50 gas card for $40-that is 20% off. They run that about once a month. We also have a free loyalty card that saves us another couple of cents off the pump price. DISCOVER card also offers a point redemption plan with Shell.
I add STABIL BLUE-the one for fuel with alcohol in it to my golf cart. ALL GASOLINE oxidizes overtime. The stabil is supposed to slow down the oxidation allowing you to store gasoline for a claimed year. It is inexpensive so why not.

IN SUMMARY-we use Shell, we add Stabil, we have a yamaha fuel injected and it is five years old-NO TROUBLES AT ALL considerably less expensive than the nonalcoholic fuel that you csn buy.

[golf2140]

I sold my 2001 Yamaha with 70,000 plus miles, used shell gas only. Never a problem. My 2003 with 30000 + miles shell only never a problem, my 2016 with 11000 miles shell / walmart gas, never a problem. So the answer is NO

[Shimpy]

I sold my 2001 Yamaha with 70,000 plus miles, used shell gas only. Never a problem. My 2003 with 30000 + miles shell only never a problem, my 2016 with 11000 miles shell / walmart gas, never a problem. So the answer is NO

Shell is a "top tier" gas which requires them to use a higher level of detergents. No additives are needed.

[wisbad1]

Have had two carts Yamaha and EZGO for 5 yrs. Always regular gas (87) no additives. No problems at all with operations of the engines.

Many threads available here on the subject. MHO -additives are (almost always) a waste of time that only benefit those who manufacture and sell them. Read your user manual.

I agree, it's a scam

[TechGC]

Ask yourself this question.

Do you think golf courses do additive or use more expensive fuel?
The manufacturers know what type of fuel is being used and they make there cars able to run on that with no issues, otherwise the warranty work would kill them.

Just my .2 cents

[Topspinmo]

Imo gas is gas in the average cars for sale, my lawnmower engine in my golf cart runs just fine on any gas I buy reguardless of brands Or octane. Back in the old days when I had triple Duce GTX I looked for the highest octane gas I could find which was good old Ethel. When I wanted to really to fast I filled up with airplane gas. If you feel Shell or any other gas station gas don't have enough additives already? there are plenty for sale, kind like insurance, just in case?

[Barefoot]

I have a 2017 Yamaha QuieTech Golf Cart. I'm a seasonal resident.
When leaving for an extended period of time, I buy ethanol-free gas at Gordon's Garage at LSL.
I understand that the Shell stations do not have ethanol-free gas. I'm told if you buy Shell gas, you need a stabilizer.

[Flatlander]

The manual for my 2017 Yamaha indicates that the use of gas with up to 10% ethanol is OK. It does not recommend the ethanol free gasoline. Older carts might be different. If you begin to use gas with ethanol after using non ethanol gas for a while, the ethanol will dissolve the varnish buildup in the fuel system and clog your fuel filter. Ethanol can cause problems in fuel systems that were not designed to tolerate it. I only use the fuel additive if we are going to be gone for an extended period when the cart will not be used.

[tophcfa]

If you are a year round resident and use your cart almost daily then you do not need an additive with ethanol gas. Ethanol only causes problems if your vehicle sits for extended periods of time without use. Our cars are a perfect example. We use ethanol in our cars without an additive and it is not an issue since we usually use them frequently. If you are a seasonal resident, or your cart sits without being used for long periods of time, it is best to use the ethanol free gas from the Villages Golf Cart pumps. If you are seasonal and you choose to use gas with ethanol then an additive is a must. The best options for additives are the marine grade Sta-Bil already mentioned in this thread, but the absolute best additive is called Star*Tron. It really is not necessary to use an octane higher than 87 for a golf cart engine, but if you drive a BMW, Mercedes, or other car with a high performance engine then a higher octane is required. Personally, we are part time residents and use nothing but the ethanol free gas in our golf carts. We also own a BMW that we leave at our Villages home and we use high quality 93 octane gas in the car and add Star*Tron to the fuel when we plan to not use the car for a couple of months. Hope this helps.

[JerryP]

I have a 2014 Yamaha EFI PTV. I follow Yamaha’s recommendation on what type of gas/grade to use.
“Recommended fuel: Unleaded gasoline
Gasoline-based fuels containing more than 10% ethanol are not recommended.”
No problems.

https://www.viewmastercms.com/assets/VMAPP_Yamaha_Golf_Car/pdf/2014YDRAPTVOM.pdf

[graciegirl]

Have had two carts Yamaha and EZGO for 5 yrs. Always regular gas (87) no additives. No problems at all with operations of the engines.

Many threads available here on the subject. MHO -additives are (almost always) a waste of time that only benefit those who manufacture and sell them. Read your user manual.

I always listen to you.

[l2ridehd]

Sta-bil is for any engine that uses 10% ethanol gas and has to sit for any extended period of time. 0% ethanol gas is great for those things like lawn mowers, chain saws, edgers, generators, and yes, golf carts. It does not attack gaskets, it does not turn thick and gummy when the engine is not run for several months and it burns clean. I try to use the ethanol free in any small engine that is not used on a regular basis. Golf cart doesn't matter much as it's used a lot. But for those snowbirds who let their cart sit for 6 months then use ethanol free or add Sta-bil to a tank or two before leaving. Doesn't do any good to add Sta-bil to the tank the morning you are taking off to head North as it will just sit in the tank. You need it throughout the fuel system to work properly.

[Daddymac]

Marvel mistery oil

[ColdNoMore]

Marvel mistery oil

:D

Marvel Mystery Oil - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvel_Mystery_Oil)

[Rango]

Check your owners manual

[Henryk]

I have a 2017 gas golf carts...I was told by Ocala golf carts that if I gas at shell gas station I have to add an additive to the gas. When I inquired at the village golf gas station...they said, an additive will only gum up the engine. So my questions...one, is the village golf gas station correct? If not, what additive should be used?
Thank you for your wisdom.

Funny you should ask. I was leafing through my owner manual (Yamaha). It said “unleaded gas.”

[Shimpy]

Funny you should ask. I was leafing through my owner manual (Yamaha). It said “unleaded gas.”

Leaded gas has been illegal to sell since 1996. Many get unleaded mixed up with non ethanol, two very different things.