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.
UK only
|
Rest of World
|
Whole World
|
|
Dark Grey |
17.6%
|
22.4%
|
19.5 %
|
Wine Red |
15.4%
|
17.2%
|
16.1 %
|
Light Silver |
13.2%
|
15.5%
|
14.1 %
|
Greenish Yellow |
16.5%
|
8.6%
|
13.4 %
|
Light Blue |
12.1%
|
5.2%
|
9.4 %
|
Astral Black |
5.5%
|
6.9%
|
6.0 %
|
Burnt Orange |
5.5%
|
5.2%
|
5.4 %
|
Red |
4.4%
|
6.9%
|
5.4 %
|
Medium Blue |
3.3%
|
8.6%
|
5.4 %
|
Light Turquoise |
5.5%
|
3.4%
|
4.7 %
|
Turquoise |
1.1%
|
0.0%
|
0.7 %
|
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.
Question: How many SERAs were made?
Answer: I am not 100% sure, but at least 15852, but certainly under 16000.
The first table shows how many cars were registered in Japan per year.
1990
|
9665
|
1991 |
3727
|
1992
|
1238
|
1993
|
578
|
1994
|
345
|
1995
|
272
|
1996
|
8
|
TOTAL
|
15852
|
However, importing niche market cars from Japan to the UK was becoming a lucrative business in the early 1990’s, and I am sure it was the same story in other countries. Some of these cars may not necessarily have been registered in Japan before being exported.
The following table, from club SERA, shows the Japanese registration details split by month, where known. information from club SERA (c)2002
1989 |
1990
|
1991
|
1992
|
1993
|
1994
|
1995
|
|
January
|
—
|
114
|
|||||
February |
—
|
134
|
|||||
March
|
1285
|
186
|
|||||
April
|
1075
|
||||||
May
|
1264
|
||||||
June
|
1302
|
||||||
July
|
1239
|
||||||
August
|
836
|
98
|
|||||
September
|
1030
|
265
|
105
|
||||
October
|
688
|
||||||
November
|
485
|
||||||
December
|
461
|
This information was found on a Russian website and shows the chassis numbers per month. Sales started in March 1990 and ended in December 1995. Maybe the last cars were ordered in 12/95 but were made and delivered during 1996?
1989
|
1990
|
1991
|
1992
|
1993
|
1994
|
1995
|
1996
|
|
January
|
1033
|
11982
|
14808
|
15818
|
16346
|
16679
|
16943
|
|
February |
1053
|
12239
|
14909
|
15858
|
16369
|
16688
|
||
March
|
1721
|
12564
|
14997
|
15909
|
16411
|
16706
|
||
April
|
2997
|
12853
|
15140
|
15974
|
16458
|
16736
|
||
May
|
4148
|
12936
|
15184
|
16041
|
16480
|
16759
|
||
June
|
5353
|
13299
|
15246
|
16075
|
16513
|
16781
|
||
July
|
6557
|
13592
|
15334
|
16120
|
16544
|
16803
|
||
August
|
1001
|
7814
|
13937
|
15453
|
16158
|
16577
|
16836
|
|
September
|
1005
|
8839
|
14108
|
15552
|
16200
|
16598
|
16846
|
|
October
|
—
|
10116
|
14350
|
15624
|
16250
|
16619
|
16874
|
|
November
|
1013
|
10996
|
14543
|
15694
|
16297
|
16633
|
16890
|
|
December
|
1030
|
11565
|
14704
|
15764
|
16234
|
16659
|
16930
|
Question: How many versions of the SERA was there?
Answer: Well, there was only one engine option and only one body option, so there was really only one Toyota SERA, but it was never quite as easy as that because the price lists were laid out in a grid to help quickly determine the cost of the car with the major options – manual or auto, with or without SLSS, with or without ABS (extra ¥ 91,000). Prices are in Japanese Yen, and were prices at launch – March 1990.
TOYOTA SERA 1.5
|
|||
MANUAL TRANSMISSION
|
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
|
||
standard ¥ 1,600,000 |
SLSS ¥ 1,806,000 |
standard ¥ 1,675,000 |
SLSS ¥ 1,881,000 |
with ABS
¥ 1,691,000 |
with ABS
¥ 1,897,000 |
with ABS
¥ 1,766,000 |
with ABS
¥ 1,972,000 |
SNOW VERSION
|
COLD AREA
SPECIFICATION |
extra ¥ 5,000
|
extra ¥ 3,000
|
increased power windscreen wipers wiper arms same length (normal car has different lenght wiper arms) bonnet has extra sealing rubbers some areas received extra paintwork protection |
high capacity battery some areas received extra paintwork protection wiper arms same length (normal car has different lenght wiper arms) – but normal strenght wiper motor heavy duty heater (larger core size) heavy duty starter motor bonnet has extra sealing rubbers |
FENDER MIRROR VERSION
|
AMLUX VERSION
|
ANNIVERSARY VERSION
|
extra ¥ 4,000
|
¥ 1,924,000
|
no information on cost
|
wing mirrors mounted on front wings (aka fender) The normal position for the mirrors on the doors was replaced with a flat cover. Quite rare – maybe under 50 cars with these mirrors were made.
|
The Amlux version, named after Toyotas flagship building in Tokyo, was to the first 50 applicants received by 18/10/92, cars were built between 11/92 and 12/92They were based upon the phase III automatic SERA with SLSS.ABS was available as an option. Air bag was an optionSpecial features include…• two-tone green paint • special colour hubcaps • blue tinted glass • choice of 6 special colours of seat material designs • rear seat cover • AMLUX logo on mats • AMLUX logo on door The translation of the Japanese information I have suggests that there was a personalise name plate on the car, together with personalised seat custion and also special scarf. |
This vehicle was a special edition version sold in May 1991, to celebrate the 1st year of Sera production.The car was based upon the standard specification model and the 250 phase II cars built were fitted with an enhanced hi-fi system (although not as good as the premium SLSS system) and special heat reflective glass coating. |