The Best Cetane Booster

Performance in a bottle. Cetane boosters can take your regular supermarket diesel to the next level or get that biodiesel up to a safe and usable state. Like an octane booster does for a petrol car, a cetane boosting additive will raise the temperature at which the fuel ignites, allowing you engine to alter the timing and as a result make more power.

Many of you UK drivers will remember the days of premium diesel at nearly every pump, this fuel was essentially regular pump diesel with a higher cetane rating (along with other additives to improve quality). Nowadays you don’t see many if any fuel pumps offering this superior diesel. This shifts the onus back onto the owner of diesel cars to ensure the fuel being burned by the engine is of top quality. Poor quality diesel or insufficiently treated biodiesel, with a low cetane level can lead to issues with rough running, erratic idle and difficult starting in cold conditions.

How a Cetane Booster Can Benefit your Vehicle

The additives below are mixed with the fuel in your fuel tank to raise the cetane level, which, after the engine and computers make automatic adjustments, will allow your motor to run more efficiently. This will result in more performance, reduced fuel consumption and an overall smoother running from your diesel engine.

The cleaner and safer burn of higher quality fuel can also improve the conditions within your engine, helping remove stubborn carbon deposits and giving you a better driving experience in the long term. The only issue customers currently have with cetane boosters is that they are something of an unknown. Unlike octane boosters, the big additive manufacturers haven’t been eager to bring a product to market. To give you a better understanding of the product that’s right for your application, we’ve found three of best cetane boosters on the market.

The Best Cetane Boosters on the Market

Millers Oils Diesel Power Eco Max

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The first offering is the only one in this list from a well-known UK brand, in this case Millers Oils. Known for high-performance, motorsport derived engine oils, Millers has built a reputation for long-lasting and well proven products including their Eco Max cetane boosting additive.

Once applied, Eco Max will not only raise the cetane level of the diesel in the tank but also goes about cleaning fuel system and injector components, all the while lubricating these parts for better functionality long after the additive has been used up. The more efficient combustion will give improvements in performance as well as fuel savings and noise reduction. While the cleaner burn can lead to reduced emissions of harmful greenhouse gasses.

Miller’s specifically designed formula works with all diesel vehicles with or without a DPF, while being particularly useful for more modern vehicles that must adhere to Euro V and VI emissions regulations. The product is used sparingly at a ratio of 1ml/L, meaning this 500ml bottle will treat up to 500 litres of diesel (over 110 gallons), enough for a whole lot of driving.

Pros:

• Well trusted, industry-tested brand
• Improves engine performance
• Cleans and lubricates the fuel system
• Reduces harmful emissions
• Suitable for all diesel vehicles

Cons:

• Most expensive product listed
• Not promised to be safe for use with biodiesel

Hydra Cetane Booster

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Next up is an offering from the UK based brand, Hydra International. The company is actually better known for its cleaning and decontaminating formulas, but do not let this detract from the reputation of their cetane booster. The company has an entire team dedicated to fuel additives, with proven results and a huge range of diesel enhancement products.

Their cetane booster is designed primarily to bring up the cetane rating of biodiesel (often used for farm equipment and commercial diesel engines) to modern standards, but is just as useful at improving the quality of supermarket diesel fuel. This will give improved running from your engine, resulting in better performance, increased fuel economy and reduced exhaust emissions.

Safe for use with all diesel and biodiesel-powered vehicles, while also meeting modern legislations for emissions and additive product safety around the world. 1 litre can be used with up to 1000 litres of diesel fuel, making it a very economical proposition.

Pros:

• Suitable for use with biodiesel vehicles
• UK manufacturer
• Raises diesel cetane rating
• Improves performance and fuel economy
• Meets modern emissions and safety standards

Cons:

• Lesser known brand in the UK additive market

NBS Laki Cetane Booster

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Last up is a product that looks oddly familiar to that above, this time from Natures Bio Solutions. NBS (for short) aims to provide products for cleaning, sanitising and fuel additives that are naturally environmentally friendly and meet all modern legislations. Their products are even used by prestigious companies such as NASA, Rolls Royce and British Aerospace.

This product so similarly mirrors that of the Hydra offering above, that it is almost impossible to tell between the two. NBS’s product promises all the same benefits to engine running including improved performance, reduced emissions etc… While also being safe for use in all diesel and biodiesel powered vehicles for markets worldwide.

The product is also identically priced and will dilute at the 1ml per 1 litre ratio, so choosing between the last two products is purely a decision on brand preference or availability. Though either will undoubtedly raise that cetane rating to give your diesel that much needed boost.

Pros:

• Safe to use with biodiesel
• Raises diesel cetane rating
• Improves performance and lowers emissions
• Meets global safety and emissions standards
• UK manufacturer

Cons:

• Lesser known brand in the UK additive market

In Conclusion

A simple additive solution to give your diesel vehicle a new lease of life or a solution for using biodiesel in modern vehicles. Improved performance, better fuel economy and a smoother running engine are the possible benefits found, simply by pouring one of these additive solutions into your fuel tank.

You no longer need to worry about getting that premium diesel at the pumps, or the uncertainty that comes with running biodiesel, not regulated in the same manner as your usual fuel. In just a few seconds you can bring that second-rate diesel right up to scratch, improving your driving experience and cutting running costs on the way. What are you waiting for?

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