The short answer
Wash and wax it, change the oil, fill the tank and add stabiliser, inflate the tires above normal or put it on stands, connect a battery maintainer, block the exhaust and intake against mice, use a breathable cover, and store it somewhere dry. In spring, check for rodent damage and fluid leaks before the first start, and let it warm fully.
Why storage prep matters more here
A Manitoba storage season is five or six months, long enough for fuel to degrade, a battery to die, tires to flat-spot and mice to move in. Cars stored carelessly come out in May with a varnish-filled fuel system, a dead battery and a chewed wiring harness. Two hours of prep in October prevents all of it.
Before it goes in
- Wash it thoroughly, including the underbody, and wax it. Dirt and road salt left on paint for months etch it.
- Change the oil and filter. Used oil holds acids and moisture that attack bearings while the car sits.
- Fill the fuel tank to limit condensation and add a fuel stabiliser, then drive long enough to get treated fuel through the system.
- Check coolant freeze protection; an unheated garage will see −30°C.
- Inflate tires about 10 psi above normal to limit flat-spotting, or put the car on jack stands if it will sit for the full season.
- Connect a quality battery maintainer, or remove the battery and store it somewhere it will not freeze.
- Block the exhaust tips and the air intake with steel wool or purpose-made plugs, and put a note on the steering wheel so you remember to remove them.
- Set rodent deterrents around and under the car. Mice love a warm, quiet engine bay.
- Leave the parking brake off; chock the wheels instead so the pads do not seize to the rotors.
- Use a breathable car cover, never plastic, which traps moisture.
Where to store it
Dry is more important than warm. A dry, unheated garage on a concrete floor with a vapour barrier underneath beats a damp heated space. Paid winter storage facilities around Winnipeg offer indoor space by the month or season; ask about humidity control, whether you can access the car, and insurance. Keep registration or storage insurance in place through MPI as required.
The spring wake-up
- Remove the exhaust and intake plugs. Check the air filter box and engine bay for nests and chewed wires.
- Look under the car for fresh fluid spots.
- Set tire pressures back to normal and check for flat spots on the first drive.
- Reconnect or refit the battery, check all lights.
- Start it and let it idle until fully warm before any load. Listen for noises; the first ten minutes tell you a lot.
- Brakes will have a layer of rust: expect noise for the first few stops and drive gently.
- Book a spring inspection and alignment before the first spirited drive. Garage 46 does storage prep in the fall and the wake-up check in the spring.