Hi
@philbarry, welcome to Oz Volvo! There are many good sources for information, including asking questions on this site.
One good thing to check is the FCPEuro YouTube channel to see if they have any how to videos for V50s.
Another good source of information is the Haynes manual for your car:
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/like/221183720438
Haynes manuals are of varying quality but mostly good and definitely useful for explaining basic maintenance procedures.