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Ethanol Free Gas
Can one safely use ethanol free gas in a car?
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OP, it's usually the other way around but the answer would be it depends on the octane of the gas and the octane required for your car. Your car manual will give you that answer.
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Yes.
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Firstly, I am not a corn farmer nor do I benefit in any way from government subsidies to the corn industry, so I will tell the truth and say that you can absolutely use ethanol free fuel in a gas powered anything. Your carbon footprint will be imperceptibly larger.
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I had a problem in my Yamaha golf cart the first time I used ethanol free gas. About a year and half ago right after the Marathon station opened I switched in my 2011 cart. So it had been on regular gas for about 4 years. Put the ethanol free in and went to play 18 holes at Belle Glade. Got to the course, played 18 holes everything went fine, then pulled out on Moyer to leave and the cart died. I had to hold the choke out all the way while driving and the cart wouldn't go over 5 mph. If I sped up or let go of the choke, it would die. I live off St. Charles, so it took over an hour to get home. Next day I called Willie Wilcoxsin, who does my regular servicing. He said that clean gas probably knocked off all that ethanol build up on the carburetor and fuel lines. He flushed everything out and the cart has run great ever since.
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Double check the octane rating of the ethanol free gas, if it is the same or higher then what your car requires, you are good to go, if it is lower, you may have 'pinging' problems until the computer changes your cars timing.
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Not sure why you are asking
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Your golf cart was designed to run on the 10% fuel. If, you have a few gallons of the ethanol free gas and are wondering if it would hurt your car if you wanted to get rid of it-it is fine. |
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IMO Gas is gas. Anything you buy at the pump your car will burn which includes AVGas. corn gas get the least gas mileage in anything. It has to burn more to produce the same amount of work due to less energy when it exploded in the combustion chamber. Why don't small aircraft piston engines use corn gas? They don't want that junk in engine the keeps in the air.
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Back to the OP --- do you use ethanol-free gas in your automobile and why?
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You absolutely can and your car will thank you! The real issue is why does the government force us to use gas with ethanol? Let's see, people all over the world are starving, so let's burn corn to run our cars, Hmmm?
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Ethanol Free Gas
Carbureted vehicles can have ethanol gas issues, electronic fuel injected won't. Carburetor jets need to be up sized to compensate for the decrease in energy value. Typically, intermittent stumbling will occur in older carbureted vehicles. Ethanol also has a nasty habit of absorbing moisture ( H2O) further complicating drivability issues. Rubber hoses used to deliver the fuel were an issue with older vehicles but the newer rubber compounds can now handle the ethanol. I know automobile engines, I don't know golf cart engines so what I've stated applies to the latter.
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E-90 is ok but e-85 has to have special seals. I have been using e90 gas with e85 booster. I buy at walmart for $8 dollars. Enough for80 gallons. 1 ounce per 5 gal. of gas. I get more power and economy. It is supposed to dispel the water. Been using it for years in my new iand older card.
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When comparing IMO Golf cart gas engines nothing more than over priced air cooled lawn tractor engine. It will burn any gas you can buy at gas station (excluding diesel) same as car or truck. Naturally when you run fuel with low BTU it will preform differently IMO. Also IMO owners should be more concerned oil levels and changes. That by IMO far will be 3k bigger concern that worrying about what pump gas they are using. |
I Prefer Ethanol-free
Ethanol is an adulterant that lowers the efficiency of gasoline.
It was introduced into gasoline to reduce costs, but it also reduces the energy output of the gasoline. The computer brain of my car recognizes different grades and mixtures of gasoline and adjusts the timing and power output of the engine accordingly. The car runs best, is most powerful, and gives the best gas mileage, on ethanol-free gasoline. The only problem these days is that ethanol-free gasoline costs more because it is the pure, unadulterated product. |
Iowa guy here....Villages also. Ethanol is a nice product. That's all we burn in our automobiles here...Think it is 15% blend...Works great. Helps the USA overall. I'm not a big fan
of any help from government in business but also understand it helps. Been done for a lot of industries. All that being said: Small engines like golf carts, boat motors,,,,I try NOT to use Ethanol. Supposedly small engines need the extra lubricant that ethanol doesn't provide...I'm not sure but don't want to take a chance. I have been using it for years..like 20 years in my autos...No problems. I think most southerns states are avoiding it...Haven't really seen it in Florida or The Villages. |
I have used ethanol blended gas in my golf carts for the last six years. Never had a problem. Go figure.
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The owner's manual for my Yamaha golf cart indicates that up to 10% ethanol is OK. I have been using 10% ethanol for over 3 years with no issues.
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The energy of a gallon of gasoline with 10% ethanol is only reduced by 3% when compared to ethanol-free gasoline.
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Ethanol Free Gas
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On a carbureted engine the AF ratio needs to be 14:1, anything more screws up the drivability big time on a high performance engine. I have a 1963 327 350 HP. Runs like $hit on the ethanol crap. If I could run 101 leaded I would. GOD I love the smell of leaded gasoline. Unleaded smells as bad as burnt $hit on a shingle. |
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I am not saying it will ruin your engine but that the engine runs better without it. |
If your car calls for regular and you're putting premium in it--you can actually be damaging your engine for the following reasons:
1) you don't have enough compression and ignition timing to completely burn the gas 2) with incomplete combustion there will be deposits of carbon in your valve train 3) this will be very evident , especially if you do not drive at highway speeds 4) with incomplete combustion you're all jeopardizing the catalytic convertor and O2 sensor Use the gas that your car is designed to run on |
"Good" and "better" are non-quantitative terms. It isn't clear to me how my golf cart engine can run any "better" with ethanol-free fuel. It starts immediately and gets 50+ miles to the gallon. I actually did try a tankful of ethanol-free fuel and there was no perceptible difference in performance. Will it get better gas mileage with ethanol-free fuel? Yes, perhaps up to 3% better. However, the cost difference is about $1/gallon more thus it is less cost effective. The manufacturer states that up to 10% ethanol is fine. I tend to listen to the people who make the products. If you have some specific quantitative data to share then I would like to see it. Qualitative observations such as "better" are nearly always impacted by the placebo effect.
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A bit misleading
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Part of the problem is that alcohol in the fuel will also absorb water from the air if it sits around as in people who do not use a golf cart, an airplane regularly. AVIATION FUEL IS LEADED FUEL AND IS HIGHER OCTANE THAT THE 89 SOLD AS REGULAR GAS. The lead lubricates the valves and as in older outboard engines, the gaskets may not be alcohol proof. Unlike the way many people maintain their cars, golf carts etc, a plane has a service record. You must do repairs before they fail. You must have a record of service or it will not be flight worthy. |
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Ed |
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Excellent synopsis [emoji1303] Thread closed |
Your car is far different
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Assuming you do not drive it much, fuel cost is not very important. You might visit one of the air fields and see if they will sell you aviation fuel-not sure if it is legal. RE: 14 to 1 You likely have a single four barrel carb on that. In 1963 no one cared about pollution. You fuel air mix was and is not constant and it gets leaner in the cylinders located further away from the carburetor |
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I'm in love [emoji8] ! |
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In the long run, non-ethanol fuel will bring you less problems with cars? I doubt this. I have never had an issue with fuel systems in any car I have owned in the last 35 years. One of the cars is 19 years old and has been fed nothing but ethanol-based regular fuel. There may be an advantage in using non-ethanol fuel in carburetor-based lawn equipment but extrapolating this to fuel injected cars is suspect. You will get better gas milage with non-ethanol based fuel, up to 3%, but it is not cost effective as it runs about $1/gallon more. I do use non-ethanol based fuel in my carburetor based lawn mower and pressure washer. My fuel injected cars and golf cart get 10% ethanol regular fuel.
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You sound like a corn farmer 😂 |
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My experience: Had two golf carts 2010Yamaha and 2011 EZGO ran both on 87 Octane from Shell with ethanol for 5/6 years . Approx 10,000 mi on each. Not a single problem. Now have a 2016 Yamaha 4 seater(carbureted), 15 months-4250 mi. Same gas- same experience. Not a single problem |
No, that cannot be true. The difference in the energy content between ethanol-free fuel and 10% ethanol fuel is 3%. Therefore, you may see 3% better mileage. Without ethanol, gas would be more expensive. I am not a corn farmer - I am a scientist.
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In 1963 the 327 engines were 250/300 HP in the Impala- in the corvettes 327 engines were rated up to 340/360 hp--the 340 was carburated with 11.5 compression the intake valves were 2.02" and the exhausts were 1.60 "--- the 360 hp engine was fuel injected
I had one with the big Daytona tank & knockoff wheels--my vet was a 62--same power as the 63' |
Ethanol Free Gas
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This Carter AFB doesn't like 10% https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...a2afbd701e.jpg Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
My old carburetor is bigger than your old carburetor.
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