One of YouTube's most popular automotive experts has warned motorists that using old fuels could cause serious damage to their vehicle.

Scotty Kilmer is a car mechanic from America who has been working on vehicles since the 1960s and regularly posts videos to help drivers save money and avoid mechanical issues.

In a recent video, Scotty states that motorists should not use petrol or diesel that is more than a few months old.

He advised: "Today I'm going to tell you why not to put old gasoline [petrol] in your car. Now, modern gasoline is a mixture of all kinds of additives and it typically has 10 percent ethanol.

"If you've got gasoline that has been sitting around for two to three months, you don't want to use it because it can clog up your fuel pump, your fuel filter and the fuel injectors. It's not worth it!"

With temperatures slowly rising, many motorists will be getting behind the wheel of classic and convertible cars for the first time this year.

However, running a vehicle on petrol or diesel that was bought more than two months ago could lead to components within the fuel system to get clogged up.

As it ages, peroxides can start to form within the fuel, which can also damage some other metal and rubber parts, particularly during hotter weather.

To help motorists avoid fuel from going off inside their vehicle, Scotty suggested that those putting a car into storage invest in a fuel stabiliser.

He added: "So what do you do if you're parking your vehicle up for six to nine months or more? Well, you buy some fuel stabilization chemicals.

"You pour it in the tank when it's about half full and then you fill it to the top so there's less air in the tank when it oxidizes."

Fuel stabilisers can be bought at most motoring accessory shops or tool stores from around £5 and aim to prevent petrol and diesel from breaking up for up to 24 months.

In order to extend the life of the fuel, motorists must add the stabiliser to the tank as soon as possible, since the chemical cannot restore petrol or diesel to their former glory.

Nevertheless, many motoring experts also suggest that drivers planning on taking a car off the road should be mindful about how much fuel they put in the tank in the weeks before it goes into storage.