How to Check Your Tires Like You Mean It
Tire safety made simple: the coin test for tread, why pressure matters, reading uneven wear, how age sneaks up on you, and when a tire needs a professional.
Theo Marsh
Maintenance & Tech Writer
Theo Marsh
Theo trained and worked as a mechanic before the industry went electric, and he's been chasing the tech ever since. He writes about maintenance, EVs, and the gadgets in modern cars the way he'd explain them to a friend in the garage — clearly, with the safety steps never skipped. He still does his own brakes.
Articles
14 articles by Theo
Theo Marsh
How Often Should You Really Change Your Oil?
Why engine oil matters, how oil change intervals are actually determined by your manual and how you drive, the signs it's overdue, and which myths to ignore.
Theo Marsh
EV Basics for Beginners: How Electric Cars Actually Work
A former mechanic breaks down how EVs work in plain terms — battery, motor, regen braking — plus the difference between BEV, PHEV, and hybrid, and what's genuinely different to live with.
Theo Marsh
How EV Charging Works: A Plain-English Guide
Charging levels, home versus public, AC versus DC fast charging, and why charging slows down near full — explained simply, with practical tips for planning charging around real life.
Theo Marsh
EV Range Anxiety Explained: What Really Affects How Far You Go
What actually affects real EV range — speed, weather, terrain, and load — why the number on the dash is only an estimate, and simple habits that quietly ease range worry.
Theo Marsh
EV vs Hybrid vs Gas: The Honest Trade-Offs for Your Lifestyle
A straight-talking look at full EV, hybrid and PHEV, and gas — weighing commute, charging access, road trips, and budget so you can match the right setup to how you actually live.
Theo Marsh
Is an EV Right for You? An Honest Self-Assessment
Skip the hype and the doom. Walk through five honest questions about charging, daily miles, road trips, climate, and budget to decide if an electric car actually fits your life.
Theo Marsh
Understanding Car Tech Features: Useful vs. Gimmick
Modern cars are packed with screens, apps, and assists. Here's a plain-English guide to what's genuinely useful, what's just flashy, and how to actually learn your car's systems.
Theo Marsh
Dashboard Warning Lights, Explained Without the Panic
What common dashboard warning lights mean in plain English, why red means stop now and amber means check soon, and why you should never just ignore them.
Theo Marsh
Seasonal Car Care: Getting Ready for Brutal Summers and Bitter Winters
A former mechanic's plain-talk guide to prepping your car for heat and cold — tires, battery, coolant and fluids, wipers, and the simple checks that stop seasonal stress from becoming a breakdown.
Theo Marsh
Car Safety Tech Explained: What It Does and What It Can't
AEB, lane keeping, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise — a plain-English guide to common driver-assistance systems, what they actually do, and why they assist you rather than replace you.
Theo Marsh
EV Maintenance: What Changes and What Stays the Same
No oil changes, brakes that last longer thanks to regen, and software that updates itself — here's how owning an EV changes your maintenance routine, plus what still needs a professional.
Theo Marsh
Car Battery Basics: Know It Before It Leaves You Stranded
How a car battery works, the warning signs it's dying, what quietly drains it, safe jump-starting basics with cautions, and how to know when to replace it.
Theo Marsh
A Basic Car Maintenance Checklist You'll Actually Use
A simple, friendly rhythm for routine car care: what to check weekly, monthly, and each season, plus what to hand off to a shop. Always follow your manual.
Theo Marsh