NOMECLATURE WHITEBLOCK ENGINES

Volvo Whiteblock engines were produced from 1990 to 2016, with some variants continuing slightly beyond in limited use.

🔧 Key Details:

"Whiteblock" refers to a family of modular Volvo engines with an aluminum (hence the term "white") engine block and head.
Used across inline-5, inline-6, and inline-4 configurations.
Known for their modularity, durability, and turbocharged performance.

🗓️ Production Years by Engine Type:

Engine Type	Years Produced	Notes
Inline-5	1991–2016	Found in 850, S70, V70, C70, S60, XC90, etc.
Inline-6	1990–1998 (RWD)	960/S90/V90 (B6304, B6294)
	2006–2016 (FWD/AWD)	Used in S80, XC60, XC90 (3.0T, 3.2)
Inline-4	1996–2004	Less common; seen in S40/V40 and some Euro markets

The engine codes consist of a series of letters and digits. The actual, broadly used engine code is 7 or 8 characters long. Hybrid models can have a second engine code that is 7 characters long, mild hybrids engine codes are 6 characters long. Different, more general engine codes are used for some certification and approval documents and are 6 to 8 characters long. An additional 2 characters are used to identify each specific engine variant with an MP or HP suffix to differentiate performance.

The engine codes consist of a series of letters and digits:

1st: Fuel type (B/D/GB) B = Bensin (Petrol), D = Diesel, GB= Gas & Bensin
2nd: Number of cylinders (4/5/6)
3rd & 4th: Approximate displacement in deciliters, may be rounded up or down. (23 ~= 2.3 L)
5th: Valves per cylinder (2/4)
6th: Induction method (S/T/F/G/GS/FS/FT/SG)
7th: Engine generation or engine variant (2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10/11)

S = standard (naturally aspirated),

T = turbocharged,

F = fuel injection with catalytic converter,

G= leaded fuel compatible,

GS= leaded fuel compatible, naturally aspirated,

FS = fuel injected standard (naturally aspirated) with catalytic converter

FT = fuel injected, turbocharged with catalytic converter,

SG= standard (naturally aspirated) compatible with alternative fuels (LPG / CNG)

Engine codes are not necessarily unique to a specific engine as power levels can vary depending on market, manufacturer and model.