Your car might actually be a '97 (built in the later part of '96...hmm, plat. Ed.) although you think it's a '96. The only way around it is no way around it...have to use a Volvo Scan tool ($thousands to buy), so take it to the dealer, tell them that the remote you had with your car stopped working and you replaced the battery but it still doesn't work...have them program it for about $25 like I did for my remote I got off of eBay. Don't dare tell them you bought it off of eBay...they'are bound to sqeeze all the $$ out of you that they can if you do. They'll have to have your car's PIN number, but they can get that from your VIN (just make sure you find out what your PIN is from them in case you have the opportunity/have to program one of these yourself some day and have access to a VST). You'll have to take all your FOB's in because it's not the FOB being programmed to the vehicle with our cars, but the car being programmed to the VOB's and changing one will delete the others....the car has to be programmed to each VOB at the same time(up to 3), if that makes any sense.
--
1998 S70 T5 Emarald Green Metallic, 2004 V70 2.5T Ruby Red, Previous Owner of Black '94 850 Turbo Wagon