Frequently Asked Questions

Question: What does the red button near the gear shift lever do?

Answer: The red button is only fitted to cars with the automatic gearbox. The Japanese writing near the button says ‘shift lock system’ and the writing on the button itself says ‘Release’. The purpose of this button is to move the car out of park without starting the engine. The other answer is an ejector seat!

Question: Are there any handbooks or workshop manuals in English

Answer: No – the Sera was a Japanese market vehicle only, so all specific manuals are in Japanese. I can get the drivers handbook translated but would require 100 orders at £ 25.00 a time.

Question: I can’t find any bulbs for the dip beam headlamp unit.

Answer: The dip beam bulb is not a common European bulb. It is the H3C and this is very similar to the European H3 bulb. In fact bulb mounting and filament are identical. The differences is that the H3C has two terminals on the back of the bulb, and the H3 has one terminal. To use the H3 bulb, you need to make a short cable, with one male spade terminal on one end (this connects to the Sera wiring loom) and a female spade terminal on the other (this connects to an earthing tag which is on the back of the headlamp next to the dip beam bulb holder. The H3 bulb connects to the other terminal on the wiring loom. This method is sometimes known as the “Lewis” method – as Paul Lewis, Sera owner near Birmingham, discovered this trick…

Question: I live in the USA, can I have a SERA?

Answer: The US import regulations do not make it easy to import a car that has not been through the Federal Approval procedure. When the car is 25 years old, then it will get easier. Currently the car could be imported under a recently introduced “show / display” clause, but any car imported under this procedure is limited to 2500 miles per year. The other method is to import the car and make it comply with US regulations, something which would cost US$ 5000 + and several months of waiting.

UPDATE: I was emailed by a Sera owner in Washington. How it got to the US is as yet unknown.

Hopefully a way to get Seras to the US legally will present itself soon.

Question: I live in Europe, can I have a SERA?

Answer: Yes, a Sera can be registered in Europe. I know of three, possibly four Seras in Germany and one Sera in Switzerland. Some modifications are needed before the car is fully legal.

Question: What is the most common colour?

Answer: Based upon registry entries as at 29th October 2002, the following is found. The most common Sera colour is Dark Grey Mica which accounts for roughly 20%. Turquoise 746 appears to be the rarest (I think this was only on the rare phase III Seras (92-95) which would account for this.

Cars that have been repainted are not included.
Cars whose colour has not been specified has not been included.
Sample was 91 UK cars and 58 cars outside the UK.