Gasoline Powered Golf Carts...
 

I have noticed that the exhaust from a gas-powered golf cart tends to smell a bit like an outboard boat motor or an old Saab from the 1960's. Do you have to mix oil with the gas on a gas-powered cart?

No, all current gas golf carts use 4 stroke engines

Thanks.

Carts exhaust can smell bad from couple things carb. problems, choke sticking or stuck not fully opening, Dirty or gummed up carb., carb. out of adjustment causing over riched condition. Oil not being routinely checked or changed causing the cart engine to burn oil from overheating and wear (IMO this what's your smelling oil being burn if it smells like outboard engine, usually see blue haze coming out the exhaust pipe when load put on the engine or when letting off the gas pedal).

IMO most exhaust cart smell comes from over riched fuel mixture caused by lack of servicing. Nice about fuel injected cart engines most fuel related problems are gone. But in time fuel injected require routine maintenance like ejector cleaning and cold start mode operating properly.

I add a little stabil to each tank. Keeps the engine clean and it changes the smell.

IMO Stabil only treats the gas, your carb. or ejector may still get gummed up over time. Additives such as Gumout, Star Tron, Sea Foam, are few that actually remove deposit build ups.. Lots of other brands STP, Prestone, Red Line, ect... I find the marine brand sea foam does the best in both worlds tank and carb. being Boats usually set around most of the time. Setting causes gumming deposits. I agree stabil helps in alcohol blends and if you run your cart every day won't see problem for few years. It's when the cart sets idle the gumming of carb starts. Fuel injection carts don't have the gumming effect cause no fuel setting in carb. bowl. So if you only have to treat the gas stabil works good.

Your powers of observation are truly astounding:icon_bored:

I wish they would ban these obnoxious machines un the Villages. That would end all the debate about which to buy.

I never thought that they smelled bad. But it occurred to me that their scent was like an engine where you had to mix oil with the gas.

Do you mean ban gas carts? Or all carts? :^)

If you use high octane gas vs 87, your low compression golf cart engine cannot burn all the fuel that blend introduces into the combustion chamber. The unburned fuel that you pay extra for goes out the exhaust, and you can smell it. I know a lot of folks have bought into the mythology that your car, mower, cart, etc will run better, cleaner, and produce more HP on premium fuel, but you should never use the high octane unless your engine was designed to use it. If your engine is not a Turbo or high horsepower, it does not need high test gas. Don't take my word for it, do some research..

Remember lawn mower air cooled engine don't have modern day vehicle equipped emissions or standards. just in 2007 the two stroke engine was outlawed by the EPA now about every thing now 4 stoke due to the emission standards so you won't get the rotten egg smell or the nice clean smell coming from new car after it warms up. (why do cars smell bad when first started (cat hasn't got hot enough to burn off the hydrocarbons yet.)

IMO Those cart engines are getting worn out if you smell oil in the exhaust. Some are from lack of oil changes or checking the oil and keeping it in the XXXXX area on the dipstick. Some maybe just worn out from thousands hours of use (cart engine are air cooled lawn mower engines in majority of GCs) They should change the oil every 50 hours maximum (what ever the owners manual recommends?). IMO that would be at least 3 times year for most gas cart drivers due to the amount of use in the villages beings they do double duty transportation and golf course duty. ask any of the Golf cart dealers see what they tell you about oil change schedules. I bet they will tell you most cart owner don't do oil changes enough. maybe new cart will come with service light like most cars now days.

Elect cart drivers have less to worry about, but still have to do routine maintenance like charging the batteries, checking and filling batteries to the proper level, checking battery cables for corrosion, tires for proper air pressure, inspecting wiring under the bonnet for corrosion that battery acid fumes produce.

Same as cars/SUV/Trucks vehicle's still have pre-ventive requirements that most don't do or don't read owners manual for servicing schedule maintenance IMO.

We'd like electric but have met several couples who have one gas and one electric.....and the gas one frequently tows home the electric one when out of charge.

We see electric owners serving the batteries and electrical wiring glitches more than the machine serves them.

Yamaha gas cart is fine with regular tune-ups and Sta-bil added (less exhaust fumes).

To Buy Or Not To Buy A GasCartThat Is TheQuestion
 

Based on RC Moser's posts #4, 6, 12 a gas cart requires attention to the motor. While other posters have stated electric carts require attention to the batteries

The debate continues concerning the range of an electric vehicle. This single issue creates the decision to buy a gas cart. The question would be more precise for electric if the number of and age of the batteries were considered? 8-6 volts v 6-8 v 4-12 1-2-3-4-5- years old.

A prime factor is use of a cart. for golf only, as a second vehicle, as a primary vehicle

Weather also affects the range of an electric cart.

Your correct. People make the same mistake with motorcycles. I have had this discussion for years.