Volvo has developed a series of in-house lubricant specifications to ensure reliable performance and long service life of its transmissions and drive axles across trucks, buses, construction equipment, and passenger cars. These specifications, numbered in the 97305–97322 range, go beyond generic API GL classifications by defining viscosity, additive chemistry, fuel-efficiency targets, and extended drain capabilities tailored to Volvo’s engineering requirements.

Over time, these standards have evolved from conventional mineral oils with short service intervals to fully synthetic lubricants capable of up to 800,000 km drains in heavy-duty on-road operations. Older specifications are often superseded by new ones, but backward compatibility is usually maintained, ensuring that the latest products can also be used in legacy equipment.

Volvo’s numbering doesn’t cleanly separate “transmission” vs “axle” oils – all are in the 97xxx series. However, generally 97305/07/08/09/15/18/19 are transmission fluids (GL-4 synchromesh oils), whereas 97310/12/16/17/21/22 are axle/final-drive oils (GL-5 hypoid oils). One exception, 97311, is a niche axle oil for car LSDs.

This document splits the Volvo specifications into two categories:

• Transmission Oils (GL-4 type, synchronized gearboxes & automated manual transmissions / I-Shift)
• Axle & Final Drive Oils (GL-5 type, hypoid gears, limited slip differentials)

For each spec, we cover its application type, drain intervals, status (current/obsolete), and interchangeability, followed by a mapping of current Q8Oils products that meet or exceed the requirements.

Volvo 97305 : An early synthetic manual transmission fluid spec, roughly equivalent to an API GL-4 75W-80. This was used in heavy-duty manual and automated-manual gearboxes (e.g. early I-Shift). It offered only standard drain intervals (~120,000 km) and has been superseded by later specs. It can be used in place of 97307 with reduced drain interval, indicating its lower performance reserve.
Status: Obsolete.

Volvo 97307 : A long-drain GL-4 75W-80 synthetic gearbox oil spec introduced for heavy trucks and buses (manual and semi-automated transmissions). It enabled extended oil drains (≈400,000 km), improving on 97305. It was the factory-fill for earlier Volvo I-Shift transmissions and other VT-series gearboxes, providing improved fuel economy and cold-shift performance.
Status: Obsolete (As of Sept 2024, Volvo announces 97307 is replaced by spec 97318.)

Volvo 97308 : A manual transmission oil for passenger cars/light trucks, spec’d as API GL-4, SAE 75W-80. It offers excellent low-temperature gear shifting performance and was used in older Volvo car manuals (e.g. 1990s FWD/AWD models). It has been superseded by 97309 in later models.
Status: Obsolete.

Volvo 97309 : A modern GL-4 75W-80 manual transmission fluid, fully synthetic and with Ford M2C200-C3 compatibility (developed during Ford-Volvo partnership). It is used in Volvo passenger car gearboxes (e.g. M56, M66 manuals) and some Land Rover manuals (shared units).
Status: Current (for Volvo cars; sometimes called “MTF 97309”).

Volvo 97315 :  A heavy-duty transmission oil spec, SAE 75W-90, for manual and automated manual gearboxes that require a higher viscosity. Often associated with later I-Shift generations or severe service, it supported extended drains (commonly ~400k km) and better high-temp film strength than 97307. It is essentially a higher-viscosity counterpart to 97307 for gearboxes where 75W-90 is mandated (e.g. certain overdrive or very high-load transmissions).
Status: Obsolete (Volvo notes 97315 is replaced by 97319 as of 2024).

Volvo 97318 : The latest ultra-long-drain spec for Volvo heavy-duty manual and AMT gearboxes (75W-80). It is an “Ultra Long Drain” synthetic MTF formulated for next-gen I-Shift and manual transmissions, allowing up to 800,000 km oil drain intervals in on-highway service. Introduced mid-2010s, it supersedes 97307. It provides exceptional oxidation stability and fuel efficiency. Factory-fill for current I-Shifts.
Status: Current. (Effective Sept 2024, 97318 formally replaces 97307).

Volvo 97319 : A higher-viscosity ultra-long-drain spec (75W-90) introduced alongside 97318 for the heaviest applications. It has similar 800,000 km drain capability, but in a 15–25 mm²/s @100°C range fluid to handle higher loads or hotter climates. Essentially, 97319 is the 75W-90 version of 97318, used where 97318’s lighter viscosity might not be suitable (Volvo describes it as for “heavy duty” use).
Status: Current (replaced 97315 effective Sept 2024).

Volvo 97306 :  An older Volvo spec for API GL-5 gear oil, a mineral 80W-90 for heavy-duty axles. It appears in manufacturer lists for EP axle oils and was used in earlier Volvo truck drive axles. It is largely superseded by later GL-5 specs (97310/97321).
Status: Obsolete.

Volvo 97310 : A long-standing GL-5 gear oil spec for standard Volvo drive axles and hub reductions. Typically associated with SAE 80W-90 or 85W-140 hypoid oils, it was the general Volvo requirement for many years. Provides high EP protection for heavy trucks. Now largely replaced by 97321 for new designs.
Status: Obsolete (though still seen on many oil labels as a backward compatibility marker).

Volvo 97311 : A special Limited-Slip differential oil spec (API GL-5 with LS additive) used in rear-wheel-drive Volvo cars. It corresponds to Volvo’s “Axle Oil LS 80W” for rear axles with limited-slip function. This oil was used in older RWD models (e.g. 200/700/900 series) with anti-spin differentials.
Status: Obsolete (for modern Volvo cars with LSD; many newer axles use electronic differentials or other specs).

Volvo 97312 : A spec for fully synthetic hypoid gear oil (75W-90) suitable for all Volvo axle applications. Oils meeting 97312 provide broad temperature performance and extended drain capability in Volvo drive axles. This spec dates to an earlier generation of synthetic long-drain axle lubricants.
Status: Obsolete (superseded by newer axle specs, but still a valid performance category; many GL-5 75W-90 products cite 97312).

Volvo 97316 : Internal code GO101. Introduced as a very long-drain, heavy-duty axle oil spec, originally for a Volvo “Super Gear Oil 75W-90”. It was designed for highly loaded hypoid axles with extended drains. Oils meeting 97316 are typically synthetic GL-5 (75W-90 or similar). It allowed significantly longer service than 97310.
Status: Obsolete – it has been phased out and replaced by newer standards (Volvo now uses 97317/97321 in its place).

Volvo 97317 : internal code GO102. A fuel-efficient synthetic axle oil spec (SAE 75W-80) introduced to improve drivetrain efficiency. It was developed as a factory-fill for Volvo truck axles to reduce friction and fuel consumption. Despite its lower viscosity, it meets full EP performance (API GL-5). This oil greatly aids cold-climate performance and can replace earlier 75W-90 oils: Volvo states GO102 (97317) is backward compatible with the previous GO101 75W-90 (97316) and even older 80W-90 oils. Designed for extended drains similar to 97316.
Status: Current (often used in new heavy-duty axles for efficiency).

Volvo 97321 : A current Volvo axle oil specification for heavy-duty trucks, covering multiple viscosity grades (80W-90, 85W-140, etc. under one umbrella). It requires high-performance GL-5 gear oils that pass stringent tests (it is aligned with SAE J2360, the mil-spec standard). Oils approved to 97321 include mineral and synthetic final drive lubricants; for example, Volvo’s genuine 85W-140 axle oil is labeled 97321. This spec emphasizes durability (for heavy loads and long life).
Status: Current (primary heavy-axle spec for Volvo trucks today). It generally supersedes older GL-5 specs (97310, 97316). Any oil meeting 97321 will usually cover those predecessors.

Volvo 97322 : Another recent Volvo axle oil spec, often mentioned alongside 97321. It appears to denote an “extra” long-drain or enhanced-performance gear oil. Industry references show 80W-90 gear oils labeled “LD” (long drain) meeting Volvo 97322. This suggests 97322 may be a Volvo spec for extended-drain axle oils (possibly a further evolution of 97321 with even stricter requirements for oxidation stability and longevity). It’s cited by lubricant makers for 80W-90 and 75W-90 products targeted at maximum drain intervals.
Status: Current (possibly intended to eventually replace 97321, though both are referenced in the market).

Many Volvo specs have supersessions. The table below summarizes historical vs current specs and their interchangeability:

In general, Volvo has progressively moved to longer-life synthetic lubricants. New specs are usually designed to be backward-compatible (e.g. 97318/97319 cover prior gearbox oils, and 97321/97322 cover older axle oils). Always confirm viscosity requirements, e.g. a newer 75W-80 axle oil (97317) can replace 75W-90 in many cases, but extremely heavy or hot applications might still need a 75W-90 under a newer spec number.

The following table provides a detailed overview of Q8 lubricants that meet or exceed the performance requirements of various Volvo Transmission or Axle Oil specifications.