Yamaha newer Four Strokes and Ethanol...

[Panama]

Run non ethanol gas at home...pure gas. Cannot get in Florida within many many miles of where we will be.

So.....what to do?? Are the newer (last year or two) Yamaha four strokes OK with the ethanol and what recommended treatment or additives??? I have been a two stroke guy. And know them ... But will be using Yamaha Four stroke in Florida a lot this year and interested in what we should do..??? thanks for any help.

this will be a 115 four stroke by the way..

[Brianmoore25]

It's ok as long as 10% or less. I like the Yamaha fuel stabilizer and conditioner plus. I have sho and can't get non ethanol in 89 and I've used the treatment with ethanol for 4 years with no problems yet .

[TOXIC]

I can't believe there are not marina's close to everywhere in Florida They usually have straight gas. This is a website that shows where all of the non-ethanol statrions are Ethanol-free gas stations in the U.S. and Canada If there are none around you, treat it and run it.

[jejb]

Check your owners manual, but I'm SURE Yamaha has approved the motor to run on 10% ethanol or below. Folks seem to like both the Marine Stabil and Startron for treatments, if the boat sits for long periods. But if you're using the boat regularly, it's probably overkill.

[BOATS]

I have a 2012 115 four stroke yammie. I run non ethanol but the dealer gave me startron to run if I use ethanol.

[mcyama]

Running is not the issue. The cost of damages due to the effect's of ethanol should be everyone's concern. I cannot promote any use of ethanol in any internal combustion that has a possibility of (setup), The cost of repair is never cheap. The long term effect's of ethanol will certainly cause powerhead failure. Try to run a premimum grade of fuel, it will have less too no ethanol. Thank's Martin

[TOXIC]

While corn gas is not the best, some of us don't have the option of getting it on a regular basis. Good thread on this page addressing the issue. I ran e-10 in my old merc for 14 years with no problems. Make sure your fuel lines are all ethanol resistant, do your maintenance and make sure you change all filters and have the 10 micron canister with a water separator and you will be fine. No need to fear monger the E-10 debate, it's here to stay and the only fuel some of us can get. It's also bad ju-ju to mix E-10 and non-ethanol so try to avoid that or at least run your tank(s) as near to empty before switching over. I just have resigned myself to running corn fuel and taking the proper precautions.

[jejb]

Running is not the issue. The cost of damages due to the effect's of ethanol should be everyone's concern. I cannot promote any use of ethanol in any internal combustion that has a possibility of (setup), The cost of repair is never cheap. The long term effect's of ethanol will certainly cause powerhead failure. Try to run a premimum grade of fuel, it will have less too no ethanol. Thank's Martin

Nobody is "promoting" its use. But as Toxic says, many (probably most) folks have no choice but to run E10 these days. I know when I lived in MN, which was one of the first states (if not the first) to mandate ethanol use, it was very hard to find E-free fuel. I ran it in my boat up there for years with no issues. And that was an '85 Evinrude 150XP. Never caused me any issues at all.

[TOXIC]

I was fishing a tournament in Wisconsin and wasn't paying attention to the pump and put E-85 in (about 1/2 tank worth) Engine ran terrible and had no power but I as able to get through without any damage. Never did that again!!

[falcooon]

From the Yamaha site:

Ethanol Topics | Yamaha Outboards

[JOHN202]

While corn gas is not the best, some of us don't have the option of getting it on a regular basis. Good thread on this page addressing the issue. I ran e-10 in my old merc for 14 years with no problems. Make sure your fuel lines are all ethanol resistant, do your maintenance and make sure you change all filters and have the 10 micron canister with a water separator and you will be fine. No need to fear monger the E-10 debate, it's here to stay and the only fuel some of us can get. It's also bad ju-ju to mix E-10 and non-ethanol so try to avoid that or at least run your tank(s) as near to empty before switching over. I just have resigned myself to running corn fuel and taking the proper precautions.

Well said Toxic, I treat every engine i have including my lawn equip for my lawn biz. The most important thing is to NOT let E-gas sit too long in any tank. As for my boat, i run the fuel almost out and fill with pure gas for the couple months in the winter i don't fish much and treat it as well.

[hooken203]

I was fishing a tournament a couple weeks ago in Wisconsin. I saw pumps that we non ethanol for off road use only and 91 octane. Good idea and worked well for me with a 250 SHO.

[jejb]

Yeah, I spend my summers in Wisc fishing, so it's really nice that almost all (if not all) premium fuel is E-free there.

[Bamaman]

We really cannot do much about 90/10 gasoline. It's with us to stay. And it runs okay in boats with engines that are designed to use the stuff.

The problem is when the 90/10 gasoline ages. Rubber parts in the fuel system are affected by what I assume are acids that are produced as the fuel deteriorates/ages.

I've had no issues with my F150 running pump gas. There again, we use our boat a couple of times per week, and gas is tuned over promptly. But for the winter, I did take time fillup with 100% gasoline. And I'm running RingFree Plus and Stabil in the tank. That's about all I can do.

[GM250]

We really cannot do much about 90/10 gasoline. It's with us to stay. And it runs okay in boats with engines that are designed to use the stuff.

The problem is when the 90/10 gasoline ages. Rubber parts in the fuel system are affected by what I assume are acids that are produced as the fuel deteriorates/ages.

I've had no issues with my F150 running pump gas. There again, we use our boat a couple of times per week, and gas is tuned over promptly. But for the winter, I did take time fillup with 100% gasoline. And I'm running RingFree Plus and Stabil in the tank. That's about all I can do.

if there is any question pump the tank out for winter over time the octane in the fuel will drop .

[Panama]

I started this post and have picked up some good information. I much prefer and always try to buy ethanol free gas but I think I will not travel all the way to do that this winter. I have always had older 2 strokes and treated them accordingly. I thought with as long as 10% has been around and as close to a car engine as a 4 stroke is that maybe Yamaha had overcome any ethanol problems....surely they have overcome the problems associated with the rubber fuel lines. I can't believe there are any problems there hopefully. I read in the owners manual about using ring free in the 4 stroke Yamahas. I have a bunch left over from using it with the Merc EFI so I will use it but it really does not make sense to me as it is pretty much a car engine except for the RPMs - right??

[TOXIC]

Carbon still builds up in 4-strokes as well. Ring free and startron/seafoam/stabil...your choice.

[jejb]

The rubber lines deteroriating is not an issue in any newer Yamaha 4 stroke designed for E10 (which should be all of them, I'd guess). Nor probably on any Yamaha motor from the last 10 years (and probably more like 20). Rubber lines still can go bad, but they did before ethanol ever showed up too.