Thanks, Pedro. (edited)

In a few thousand mlles my 2013 Boxster S will need a transaxle oil change. There're many discussions online, but just about everything is vague concerning oils specific to Porsches with LSDs. Product "fitment" information may mention Porsche, but omit explicitly stating appropriateness for LSDs. Then there's a lurking issue concerning compatibility with "yellow metal" internals. The only official Porsche labeled product doesn't seem to mention suitability for LSDs. Mobil 1 Synthetic Gear Lubricant LS 75W-90 may be right, as M1 is their engines' factory fill, but I've not found any info regarding Porsche compatibility.

Can anyone offer a definitive answer (not based on conjecture, thank you.)

Porsche specifies a 75W‑90 gear oil for all 981 manual transaxles, including LSD cars; the dealer product is typically branded Mobil gear oil under a Porsche part number.

Using the Porsche‑branded fluid (000 043 207 30 or whatever your local dealer now supersedes it to) guarantees compatibility with synchros and the clutch‑type LSD, and avoids any warranty or drivability issues.

If you track the car regularly or want an aftermarket option, owners and specialists commonly use:

Motul Gear 300 LS 75W‑90 – fully synthetic, formulated for high‑performance gearboxes with LSDs, widely used in 981 GT4 and other 981 LSD applications for improved shift feel and high‑temp stability.
​
Happy Porsche'ing
Pedro

Pedro Bonilla
1998 Boxster 986 - 315,000+ miles: [garage.pca.org]
[www.PedrosGarage.com]
PCA National Club Racing Scrutineer - PCA National HPDE Instructor - PCA Technical Committee (Boxster/Cayman)

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Racecar spelled backwards is Racecar

"Racing is life. Anything before or after is just waiting" ... Steve McQueen as Michael Delaney in "LeMans"

"If you wait, all that happens is that you get older"... Mario Andretti

"Being second is to be the first of the ones who lose" ... Ayrton Senna

Although I didn't mention it in my original post, to be clear, if superfluous, my car is a 6-speed manual. I did some checking on several sites, and it looks like 000 043 207 30 has been superceded by 000-043-305-14, but only offered in large, multi-hundred-dollar quantities. I'd most likely go with the Motul if I choose to change it myself.
It's interesting that the official stuff works in LSD and non-LSD transaxles, apparently with no difference in friction modifiers.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/13/2026 05:59PM by Laz. (view changes)

The dealer goes by the VIN number, and in my case, the proper transaxle oil is part # 000-043-305-49.

Ich weiss jetzt,
was kein Engel weiss.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/06/2026 08:18AM by Laz. (view changes)

Hey Laz, how many miles on your 981 now?

My maintenance book says it's to be changed at 120,000 miles, but I forgot it also says 12 years (Gregorian calendar. )

Yours is up there, too, n'est pas?

Ich weiss jetzt,
was kein Engel weiss.

When I put mine into hibernation November 24 last year, it was at 157786 km ~ 98044 mi. Two days later we had a huge snow dump and it just seemed to keep coming. We've had over two meters ~ 6.5 feet of snow since then. We've just hit a few days with warm weather (40 - 55 F) and actually saw some grass for the first time yesterday. It'll be back to reality later this week - in the low 30's F. Hoping to get the car out early in April.