“A 3 year old engine and the manufacturer hadn’t engineered it for ethanol? Ethanol has been part of our fuel years longer than that.”
Corn juice works OK in fuel-injected engines because they are high-pressure systems. Carburetors have float bowls where some of the gas is “stored”. Most small engines and plenty of outboards still use carburetors. Corn juice will kill a carburetor within weeks even if the engine is used regularly.
The solution? Unadulterated real gasoline. Don’t use additives. They are expensive and in my experience all they do is delay the inevitable damage for a short time.
An even better solution? Get rid of ethanol and abolish the EPA.
My tin-foil say it is all a big conspiracy for us to have to buy new things and pay for unnecessary maintenance.
I have always contended there is a room full of actuaries that sit around and constantly calculate how much I make and how much they can raise prices and costs to where I have nothing after each pay day...!