I was driving my little brother to school and the car stalled at a light, I started it back up and drove home. When I started the car back up I noticed that the coolant temp guage had fallen back to below 110, where it is when the car is turned off. When I retrieved the code it turned out to be a code 44(o2 lean), then I found that my o2 sensor wire had melted on my header, I pulled it off and zip tied it to my steering shaft. The only damage was to the pink insulation. Now I still got the code 44 when I started the car up, and the coolant temp guage isn't working. Could these be linked somehow? The cts wire is secured on the sensor and on my proportioning valve with zip ties to keep it off the header. Coolant did leak onto the sensor earlier, Im guessing it will need to be replaced.

 

I'm guessing, but i'd say you did more than just burn the insulation on the O2 wire when it burnt. The only way to check would be to probe the wire (you have to use a digital voltmeter) and see if it's working or not. With the engine warm it should be around 0.45+/- 0.5. If the wire is beat, just get a new sensor as it is more than likely shot. In fact, the wire didn't even have to break. If you ground an O2 sensor pigtail when it is hot (i.e. producing voltage) you will ruin it as it is an ultra low current device. Thats why you have to use a DVM as an analog meter would fry it due to drawing too much current.

As for the coolant guage, you could have burnt the wire, or the sensor might have just gone bad (although i promise it wasn't from getting wet), or the guage could be bad.

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Ed Maher - Moderator @ The TPI & Carb Boards
92 Z28 Convertible - Quasar blue / Tan top
305 TPI A4 2.73 - 14.8 @ 93.1
Stock except ported plenum and dual cats
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