Gear up for winter and keep your fleet moving
Ensure smooth shifts, longer gearbox life, and reliable driveline protection this winter with TotalEnergies Traxium and Fluidmatic ranges.
As Ireland heads into the colder months, hauliers, fleet operators, and service centres face fresh challenges in maintaining performance, reliability, and uptime. Low temperatures, condensation, and stop-start driving all place additional strain on transmissions and driveline components.
Two critical elements in winter fleet maintenance are gear oil and automatic transmission fluid (ATF)—and choosing the right products for these systems can make a major difference in operational efficiency and equipment longevity.
Why Gear and Transmission Oils Matter Even More This Winter
Cold weather increases oil viscosity, which can lead to sluggish gear changes, higher friction, and delayed lubrication during start-up. For heavy-duty trucks and commercial fleets, this can mean more wear on gears, bearings, and synchronisers. High-quality oils help maintain consistent flow and protection even in sub-zero conditions, ensuring smooth shifts, reduced wear, and consistent reliable performance during long hauls or urban delivery routes.
Types of Gear Oil – Choosing the Right One for Winter Conditions
1. Conventional Mineral Oils
These offer basic protection but thicken considerably in cold temperatures, which can make them unsuitable for modern gearboxes or intensive winter use. Shorter drain intervals and limited temperature stability also reduce their practicality for demanding fleet operations.
2. Semi-Synthetic Gear Oils
Providing a middle ground between performance and cost, semi-synthetic oils are suitable for lighter-duty applications but may not maintain adequate fluidity in very low temperatures.
3. Synthetic Gear Oils – Essential for Winter Readiness
Synthetic oils provide outstanding low-temperature flow, oxidation resistance, and gear protection. They enable:
- Consistent lubrication even in sub-zero starts
- Improved fuel economy and smoother shifts
- Reduced component wear and corrosion
- Extended service intervals, helping minimise downtime during peak delivery seasons
Why OEM-Approved Gear Oils Matter
Using high-quality, OEM-approved lubricants ensures that each vehicle’s transmission operates at the right viscosity across all temperatures. Oils from reputable suppliers such as TotalEnergies, distributed in Ireland by authorised and trusted resellers like Finol Oils, meet strict OEM performance standards for modern transmissions.
By choosing the right products, operators can expect:
- Fewer cold-weather breakdowns
- Longer gearbox life
- Reduced fuel consumption when paired with appropriate fuel economy engine oils
- Reliable performance despite heavy loads and/or long idling periods
Traxium Range – Heavy-Duty Gear Oils for Every Fleet
After identifying the right oil technology, the next step is choosing a trusted product line that guarantees long-term protection and OEM compliance. Traxium Gear and Axle oils are engineered to perform under the toughest conditions—from long-haul motorway operations to local distribution in freezing temperatures. The range includes:
1. Traxium Dual 9 FE 75W-90 – High-performance, synthetic oil for synchronised and non-synchronised manual gearboxes, axles, and reduction gears. It carries approvals from several OEMs including MAN, DAF, Iveco, Scania, Mercedes, Mack, and Volvo— ideal for mixed fleet operators.
2. Traxium Dual 8 FE 80W-90 – Oil of synthetic-based technology with a high viscosity index recommended for use in manual gearboxes, rear axles, or any gear assembly requiring API GL-4, API GL-5, API MT-1 or SAE J2360 levels of performance.
3. Traxium Gear 9 FE 75W-90 – A high-performance fully synthetic oil for truck gearboxes, especially Mercedes-Benz (carries Daimler Trucks: DTFR 13B110 approval), delivering measurable fuel savings.
4. Traxium Gear 9 FE 75W-80 – Synthetic based lubricant tailored for ZF gearboxes with or without Intarder allowing drain interval up to 540,000 km.
5. Traxium Gear 7 80W-90 – Gear Oil especially designed for synchronised and non-synchronised gearboxes, mild loaded axles, transfer boxes and all gears requiring MIL-L-2105 or API GL-4 level. It is approved by ZF for lubrication of their gearboxes (without intarder) with standard drain intervals.
6. Traxium Axle 8 FE 80W-140 – High performance multigrade oil designed for the lubrication of severely loaded hypoid axles and final reduction, requiring API GL-5 or API MT-1 levels of performance and particularly suitable for lubrication axles from Scania and ZF.
7. Traxium Gear 7 80W-85 – Designed for gearboxes, mild loaded axles, transfer boxes and all gears requiring MIL-L-2105 or API GL-4 level and especially recommended for Mercedes Benz and ZF hypoid gears with standard drain intervals.
Fluidmatic Range – Winter Protection for Truck Transmissions
For automatic transmissions, Fluidmatic range offers dependable performance in all weather conditions while protecting against oxidation, varnish, and deposit formation. These fluids ensure smooth gear shifts and efficient operation across varying driving and road conditions.
Key products for heavy-duty applications:
1. Fluidmatic HD XLD – Next gen ATF especially developed for the latest ZF Ecomat, Ecolife and powerline gearboxes, ensuring exceptional performance and extended drain intervals in ZF-manufactured automatic transmissions in buses and utility vehicles, where maximal drain intervals are required.
2. Fluidmatic D3 – Developed especially for automatic transmissions and hydraulic systems where manufacturer requires GM Dexron III ATF.
3. Fluidmatic SYN T668 – High Performance transmission fluid with extended oil drain intervals up to 150,000 miles under severe conditions or 300,000 miles under normal conditions. Carries Allison TES-668 approval.
4. Fluidmatic XLD FE – New gen ATF with advanced synthetic technology allowing extra-long drain intervals and very high performance of modern heavy-duty automatic gearboxes, especially engineered for use in heavy duty automatic transmissions (found on buses, refuse trucks, utility vehicles etc.) manufactured by Voith and ZF requiring maximum drain intervals.
When used together with Traxium gear and axle oils, the Fluidmatic range provides complete driveline protection—from manual gearboxes to automatic transmissions—ensuring your fleet operates efficiently and reliably through the coldest months.
Finol Oils – Your Nationwide Partner for Winter Fleet Readiness
All Traxium and Fluidmatic products are available from Finol Oils, the authorised Irish distributor for TotalEnergies. Finol provides technical guidance through its dedicated technical support team and ensures prompt deliveries across Ireland. With seven pump-off delivery trucks and extensive packaged and bulk stock, Finol can help you maintain smooth operations even during the busiest winter periods.
Get Expert Advice and/or a Free Quote
For a free technical consultation, a quote, or to become a Finol customer, contact the team at +353 (0)1 223 8842 or visit www.finol.ie to view the full range of lubricants, coolants, and greases designed for Irish fleets.