newb q - is this the o2 sensor?

[chmercer]

i was trying to get my heatshield off the other day and i knocked a cable loose. I think it is the o2 sensor but since i am stupid, i have no idea. I looked under my hood and it had popped off again, and i have been driving it like this for a week or 2, no check engine light or anything. heres a picture.

also can anyone tell me what this is for while im asking questions? more knowledge = better.

[quiksilvia]

the sensor is in the way of the heat shield coming off so yea u killed it, my wire snapped off and i had to go buy another at kragen.the connection should clip on

[chmercer]

its connected now, i just noticed it was disconnected for like a week and i have been driving like that with no problems. if i had no problems, then what is it for? maybe i have just been running rich or somthing? please tell me what this dones :/

[GoTbOOsT]

Those are the wires for the o2 sensor... You probably ran really rich and made ur cat all ****ty... Whats surprising is that check-engine light didnt come on... thats odd. If it was not connected at all then the light shouldve came on. Run the code newayz and see what it throws...

[chmercer]

i dont have any cats anymore. and how would i "Run the code newayz and see what it throws"? car didnt come with a manual so i dunno how to do the diagnostics.

[GoTbOOsT]

Ok the thing is the check-engine light doesnt always come on even if the ECU senses that somethings wrong. Same thing happened with my knock sensor code. Even if the light wasnt on when I was running the code it threw a knock sensor code.

There is an instruction in the FAQ section in http://www.240sx.org. That has all the details

[chmercer]

um thanks for telling me to look in the faq, but i am not exactly sure what to be looking for and there are like a million sections? could you please be more specific? once again...

<--- newb

[silviaNE]

LOOK FOR ECU AND CODE ON GLOSS AT LEFTHAND SIDE.

[ricebike]

hmm my 89 sohc car doesn't have a check engine light... from the pic, you got a sohc engine as well? (unless it's CA emission car)