What does this mean please? - 1

In my Ford Focus owner's manual it says "Oil expands when it is hot. The level may therefore extend a few millimetres beyond the MAX mark." If I were to check the oil 10 or 15 minutes after turning the engine off, would the oil still be "hot" and hence have expanded a few millimetres above the max mark? Or does this only apply if I were to check the oil level immediately after turning the engine off? In other words after 10 or 15 minutes would the engine have cooled enough for the expansion to not apply?

Yes it will still be warm… But does it matter?

No, it will take a few hours for the engine and oil to fully cool to ambient air. Longer if it's hot outside.

It really doesn't matter. If it's a little bit above the mark, then leave it alone.

An engine does not take 10-15 minuets to cool down, or an hour or two, give it out 4-5 hours to cool and then check

I've checked the oil while the gas tank was filling at a gas station. That very very tiny amount that the oil may have expanded is irrelevant. Let it sit for a minute or two after driving so the oil drains back into the pan. You'll need to pull the dipstick two or three times, wiping it off each time to get a good reading.

Is it better to check before you start it up for the first time? Absolutely. Is it necessary? No

Oil will expand in volume according to temperature ( fuel does too but a much lower amount) for correct oil level check it ought to be at an ambient temperature on level ground after a few hours rest. If we check on cold morning it will be slightly different tot when we have used car an oil is hot or on a hot day.
overfilling by a small amount isn't an issue and excess oil will be burnt off as we drive. Excess overfilling can cause issues but this would need to be very excessive.
the dipstick is a guide and not an exact measure ( as it ignores temperatures) under filling can be more of an issue or long overdue oil changes ( oil degrades with use and protection breaks down) if we allow too low an oil level we risk seizure of moving parts. In short don;t worry about a small over fill.

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