oil light on 1996 850 turbo

[mercuric]

Exactly.

The 10-15k intervals were born out of fleet service operations for large-sump diesel engines seeing mainly highway operation -- Mainly transport companies. It makes financial sense, but remember these operations do filter changes at half the oil service life and most perform oil analysis at that point to ensure safe operation for the remainder of the period. For a daily driver seeing mostly city driving and lots of short trips, the typical severe service schedule makes more sense to me -- oil+filter at 3000 miles.

Mann filters can be obtained for a reasonable cost, especially in 12 packs, from most the good online volvo parts places. Last time I checked, they cost less in a 12 pack from eeuro or FCP than buying generics locally. You might also find that your local independent shop carries them without excessive markup -- The smarter shops realize that's an easy way to get customers to come in to buy something on a regular basis, knowing that every customer contact is the opportunity to sell something else.