Should I run ethanol free gas in my golf cart?
William Rodriguez
Published Jan 23, 2026
Gas-powered golf carts mostly use 87 octane for their engines and will not benefit from higher octane as they are not high compression engines such as a car engine. The best fuel to find is ethanol free and make sure to add fuel stabilizer as golf carts tend to sit around a lot.
Is ethanol free gas better for your engine?
While not as popular as the ethanol blends, pure gas may be preferable for older car engines, as well as boats, lawn mowers or other tools. Ethanol-free gas also gets better fuel economy. However, most drivers use the E10 or E15 blends, with 10-15% ethanol. That ethanol content only reduces gas mileage by around 5%.
What are the benefits of running ethanol free gas?
This makes ethanol-free gas ideal for storage compared to E10.
- Better Fuel for Lawn Mowers and Outdoor Power Equipment. ...
- More Harmful Emissions are Given Off. ...
- We Become More Dependent on Other Countries for Oil. ...
- Difficult to Find in Certain Areas. ...
- Costs More than Regular Gasoline.
Should I run ethanol free gas?
The short answer is, no, ethanol-free gasoline is not bad for your car. Most cars today can run on ethanol gas blends up to E15 (15% ethanol) and on non-ethanol gasoline. And flex fuel vehicles can handle up to E85 (85% ethanol) without a problem.
How long does ethanol free gas last stabilizer?
Adding a stabilizer to the fuel can extend its shelf life to up to 2 years. Ethanol-free fuel doesn't suffer from the moisture issues that pump gas does so it is unlikely that you'll benefit from adding stabilizer unless you are storing it for more than six months.
36 related questions foundIs non ethanol gas better for older cars?
If moist air gets into the tank, the ethanol will absorb the water and can lead to running problems and rust. Ethanol can also corrode fiberglass and rubber, often found in classic cars. To keep your classic car in great shape, we recommend filling it with non-ethanol gas.
Does premium gas contain ethanol?
Is Premium or Mid-Grade Fuel Worth the Extra Money? Premium gas doesn't provide any more power or contain better additives than regular gas, and it contains the same amount of ethanol as other grades. It just resists detonation (knock) better than lower-octane gas—nothing more, nothing less.
What are the disadvantages of using ethanol as a fuel?
Disadvantages of Ethanol Fuel
- Requires a Large Piece of Land. We've learned that ethanol is produced from corn, sugarcane, and grains. ...
- The Distillation Process is Not Good For the Environment. ...
- Spike in Food Prices. ...
- Affinity For Water. ...
- Difficult to Vaporize.
Can ethanol damage your engine?
Since the ethanol is hygroscopic, it absorbs water from the air, causing the fuel blend to separate. Ethanol can be extremely damaging to small engines and high-powered sports equipment, leading to corrosion of the engine and fuel system.
Is gasohol better than gasoline?
While admitting that ethanol only has about 63 percent as many Btu (British thermal units) as gasoline, the advocates of gasohol stoutly maintain that they get up to 5 percent better mileage.
How do you remove ethanol from gas?
Once it is blended into gasoline, there's no feasible way to separate ethanol from the gasoline. Once it's in, it's in to stay. Unless.....it absorbs so much water that it undergoes phase separation. In that case, both the ethanol and the water will separate out together.
How long does it take for ethanol to separate from gas?
“In a small engine fuel tank in a constantly high-temperature, high-humidity environment, it takes three months or longer for E10 and other ethanol blends to take up enough water for phase separation,” says NREL.
Does ethanol increase horsepower?
High-octane fuels, like ethanol, help deliver more horsepower and speed.
Is it bad to have ethanol in gas?
In automobiles, ethanol fuel won't do much harm to your car's engine. However, when you're using gas with ethanol mixture in your outdoor power equipment, like lawn mowers, chainsaws, trimmers and leaf blowers, you run the risk of engine damage and incurring costly repairs.
Why should we not use ethanol?
Higher-ethanol blends still produce significant levels of air pollution, reduce fuel efficiency, jack up corn and other food prices, and have been treated with skepticism by some car manufacturers for the damage they do to engines. Growing corn to run our cars was a bad idea 10 years ago.
What is the problem with ethanol?
In a 2018 report, EPA itself linked corn ethanol production to damaging land use change, air pollution, water pollution, soil erosion, and habitat loss.
How good is ethanol as a fuel?
Fuel energy
Ethanol contains about 30 percent less energy per unit volume than gasoline. As a result, a 10 percent ethanol-gasoline blend will have 97 percent as much energy as gasoline.
How do you know if gas has ethanol in it?
To determine if ethanol is in the gas:
The ethanol and water will mix and separate out together. If the water level appears to have increased, the fuel contains ethanol and should not be used.
Is ethanol free gas the same as non oxygenated?
Non-oxygenated gasoline is a form of gasoline that has no additives, which increase the oxygen content of the fuel. This fuel has no ethanol or any other oxygenate. Therefore, it reduces the corrosion problems of the engine. This makes it a good choice for vehicles that we store for a long time in off-seasons.
Does Shell 91 have ethanol?
According to Dan McTeague, a noted petroleum analyst, Shell and Esso 91 are both ethanol free. All other grades from the companies have some ethanol content, but the mid-grade blend is pure gas, which means it not only corrodes less than ethanol blends, but is less likely to deteriorate when stored.
How do I protect my carburetor from ethanol?
Use ethanol-resistant hoses or nylon tubing to replace any plastic or rubber fuel lines. Replace fiberglass fuel tanks with a stainless steel tank. Use a water separator filter in the fuel line leading to the carburetor.
Does ethanol make your engine run hotter?
Myth: Ethanol makes your engine run hotter. Fact: There's a reason many high-powered racing engines run on pure alcohol. It combusts at a lower temperature, keeping the engine cooler. Ethanol, a form of alcohol, in your fuel does the same for your engine.
Does ethanol reduce horsepower?
How Does Ethanol Increase Horsepower? A large portion of the fuel's energy is transferred to ethanol thanks to its oxygen content. Due to their reduced fuel requirement and octane boost provided by ethanol, smaller engines can reduce size without sacrificing performance thanks to their reduced fuel requirement.
Does ethanol reduce performance?
Fuel Economy and Performance
The impact to fuel economy varies depending on the energy difference in the blend used. For example, E85 that contains 83% ethanol content has about 27% less energy per gallon than gasoline (the impact to fuel economy lessens as ethanol content decreases).