Our radio has never really worked well on our 1996 previa.
The reception is terrible and having now got round to trying to fix it I'm really struggling.
I pulled out the aerial which came out rather easily with a plug on the end which leads me to believe this was the reason our reception was so bad.
I took off as much of the paneling on the inside as I could, but found the aerial wire runs under a metal encasing and I can't get to it to plug it in.
I looked under the steering wheel to see if I could see the end of the wire, or even the socket the aerial plug goes into, but there's no way to get to it through all the other wires and annoying things (like pedals, steering wheel column, ect).
Am I missing something obvious or can this not be done?
Thanks.

I did exactly the same as you. I removed the aerial because it had rusted into its plastic sleeve, oiled it up but in doing so disconnected it. I called about half a dozen Toyota dealers and independents in the UK but they were clueless and even the workshop manuals didn't tell them. One told me to remove the top part of the dashboard!!! That would only take the best part of a day I am sure and leave me with a sqeeky dashboard foreverafter.

Anyway the solution on my 1999 previa was simply this. This is the last year of the old shape (egg shape) so it might not apply on earlier models. However this is how I fixed it.

Under the bonnet/hood there is an oval shape rubber gromit about 2 inches high and 3 inches long. It has a wire running through the middle of it and THAT is the radio co-axial cable which come through the bulkhead about 6 inches away. You disconnect that gomit with a flat blade screwdriver and you'll find thaton the other side there is a female co-axial connecter. Now fish around in the hole you uncovered and you should find the male end dangling around in there. Connect male and female and put the gromit back. Jobs a goodun and your aerial should be working just fine. If the male end is not there, then it might have snagged in the pillar when you put it back so remover it again by undoing the two screws, straighten the cable and re-insert carefully until you feel the end come through. There is plenty of slack and the job takes less than five minutes.