Mobile oil changes and engine air filters at your home in Kansas City, Kansas

An oil change is a small job that eats a big piece of a day. Drive there, wait in line, sit in the lobby, drive back. With Josh, the car stays parked at your house and so do you. He does the oil and filter in the driveway and you keep doing whatever you were doing.

It works well if you work from home, have little kids napping, or have two cars due around the same time.

Engine oil keeps metal parts from rubbing on each other, carries heat away from the hottest parts of the engine, and holds dirt and soot so it can be drained out. As it ages it breaks down and gets loaded with what it has picked up. The oil filter catches the bigger stuff until it is full.

Old oil still looks like oil, which is why it is easy to put off. But tired oil protects less, and low oil is worse. If the oil pressure light ever comes on while you are driving, pull over and shut the engine off right away.

Check your owner's manual. That is the honest answer. The right interval depends on the engine, the oil it was built for and how you drive, and it has changed a lot as engines and oils have improved. The sticker from the last oil change place is their number, not the carmaker's.

Many newer cars also have an oil life reminder on the dash that works it out from how the car gets driven. And many manuals list a severe service schedule for short trips, stop-and-go traffic and very hot or very cold weather. A lot of around-town driving in Kansas City falls on that side.

The manual also says which oil your engine wants: the weight, printed as two numbers with a W between them, and whether it needs synthetic. Many newer engines are built for synthetic, and some are picky about it. The oil cap often has the weight printed on it too. The safe choice is what the manual says.

If you have been running a certain oil or have a preference, tell Josh when you book.

The engine air filter sits in a box on top of or beside the engine and cleans the air before it goes in to burn with the fuel. Over time it fills with dust, leaves and bugs. A clogged one makes the engine work harder to breathe.

Gravel roads, construction dust and cottonwood fluff in early summer all load a filter up faster. Josh can pull it, show you what it looks like, and swap it if it is dirty or due. Your owner's manual lists when to change it. This is the engine air filter only, the one under the hood, not the one that cleans the air inside the car.

An oil change is one of the few times anybody looks at the underside of your car. That makes it a good chance to spot an oil leak from a gasket, a wet radiator hose, a belt starting to crack, or a drip of transmission fluid.

If Josh sees something like that, he tells you what it is and whether it can wait. Gaskets, belts, radiator hoses and fluid service are all work he does, so you can get a clear quote right there. It is still your call.

Text or call Josh at (913) 256-5056 with the year, make and model and the engine size if you know it. Mention any reminder on the dash or a leak you have noticed. You get a clear quote and you pick a time that works.

Ask him about the old oil and filter when you book too, so you know how that gets handled.