Originally Posted by BigDawgInLakeDenham (Post 2296285)

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.

Originally Posted by perlsvilla (Post 2296237)

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

Originally Posted by Emkay56 (Post 2296524)

It is better to use non ethanol gas but it’s also available at other gas stations…..like the 7Eleven on Miller Blvd (466A) by Colony Plaza.

Originally Posted by Bruceg0028 (Post 2296529)

Ethanol free gas should have no performance issue with running the engine. Where the issue comes in is fuel with ethanol which is essentially alcohol degrades the rubber fuel lines in small engines or RV engines. Car manufacturers started using special fuel lines years ago when fuel injection came out for the higher pressures and the new types of fuel. Most non fuel injected motors do not use these types of rubber ethanol safe fuel lines. It takes time but over a period of time your fuel line can degrade and cause a fire. I had a Standby generator that sat in my garage for a few years and the fuel eventually ate through the line and all the gas ran out.
Most golf carts take 5 gallons of gas and go over 200 miles on a tank. To me it’s worth an extra 5-7 dollars for a tank to protect my investment. If you spent 12-15k for a new golf cart you should be able to afford the gas.

Originally Posted by MX rider (Post 2296305)

This is not correct. All modern power equipment is made to run on regular gas, including golf carts.
If ethanol free was required it would be in the owners manual, which it is not for a Yamaha. Besides they would never require something that is not readily available everywhere.

My brother is a longtime powersports dealer in Indiana. He sells Polaris and Kawasaki. None require non ethanol gas. They don't even sell it there.
And the engines and fuel injection on those are much more high tech than a single cylinder golf cart engine. It's a waste of money to buy NE gas.

I've had many different dirtbikes, SxS's and four wheelers over the years. Some carb and many fuel injected. Always ran pump gas and I've never had a fuel related issue.

Originally Posted by perlsvilla (Post 2296237)

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

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby (Post 2296552)

1. I never said required. I said recommended.
2. I never mentioned the owners manual, because I've never read it.

87 octane gas is recommended (notice once again - I'm not saying required) - because it contains less than 10% ethanol. That is WHY 89 octane gas is recommended. It is WHY higher octane gas is /not/ recommended: because the higher octane gas is more likely to contain more ethanol.

Ethanol is not good for these engines. It stands to reason that gas with NO ethanol would be optimum. But - it's not required, because any unleaded gas with less than 10% ethanol in it (such as 87 octane regular unleaded) will work fine for most gas golf carts. Carts that are left for months without using, might need that non-eth, to prevent separation and moisture accumulation.

Originally Posted by BigDawgInLakeDenham (Post 2296285)

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.

Originally Posted by Packer Fan (Post 2296613)

Great Post and a good lead in for me to explain a few things. Let me first say I spent 10 years as the Commodity Manager for Fuel system components at Briggs and Stratton. I was responsible for carburetion systems on all their small engines up to 2 cylinder Fuel injected models, but especially all their carbureted systems. I am also a Metallurgist. So here is what is going on.
In any engine with a metal (aluminum or zinc) carburetor, the Ethanol oxidizes and causes corrosion in the jets of the carburetor. You eventually have to replace them if you use ethanol fuel. This is NOT a problem in Fuel Injected engines like the Yamaha quiet tech engines, but if you have an old gas Yamaha or Robin engine that is not running smoothly, get a new carburetor.
Also - all the new engines use Nitrile or other Ethanol resistant Gaskets so that is not a problem either.

Bottom Line - If you have a carbureted Gas golf cart, use non-ethanol fuel (way cheaper at some of the other gas stations other than the TV one, but heck, they are convenient). If you have a Fuel Injected Golf cart - use any gas you want.

I suspect your salesman wants you to buy from TV because they make a lot of money on selling over priced ethanol free gas.

BTW- When I was there we went from Zinc to Aluminum to Plastic Carburetors on the smallest engine line to solve this. Now all small engines have Plastic Carbs that are WAY BETTER than the metal ones. I don't work there anymore, so I have no skin in the game.

Hope that helps explain it.


Ed

Originally Posted by Packer Fan (Post 2296613)

Great Post and a good lead in for me to explain a few things. Let me first say I spent 10 years as the Commodity Manager for Fuel system components at Briggs and Stratton. I was responsible for carburetion systems on all their small engines up to 2 cylinder Fuel injected models, but especially all their carbureted systems. I am also a Metallurgist. So here is what is going on.
In any engine with a metal (aluminum or zinc) carburetor, the Ethanol oxidizes and causes corrosion in the jets of the carburetor. You eventually have to replace them if you use ethanol fuel. This is NOT a problem in Fuel Injected engines like the Yamaha quiet tech engines, but if you have an old gas Yamaha or Robin engine that is not running smoothly, get a new carburetor.
Also - all the new engines use Nitrile or other Ethanol resistant Gaskets so that is not a problem either.

Bottom Line - If you have a carbureted Gas golf cart, use non-ethanol fuel (way cheaper at some of the other gas stations other than the TV one, but heck, they are convenient). If you have a Fuel Injected Golf cart - use any gas you want.

I suspect your salesman wants you to buy from TV because they make a lot of money on selling over priced ethanol free gas.

BTW- When I was there we went from Zinc to Aluminum to Plastic Carburetors on the smallest engine line to solve this. Now all small engines have Plastic Carbs that are WAY BETTER than the metal ones. I don't work there anymore, so I have no skin in the game.

Hope that helps explain it.
Ed