Suddenly very noisy exhaust and something hanging off!

[ChuckHunky]

Hi all! As the title suggests, I am not at all technically minded when it comes to our Bongo, so I'm hoping some kind soul will be able to advise!

I've got a 2002 Bongo and yesterday when I was driving the exhaust suddenly got very noisy! I immediately stopped and looked under the van. The noise was coming from about a 1/3 of the way from the front. I'm guessing that perhaps the exhaust has developed a leak or become detached or something. When looking underneath, I noticed this: https://photos.app.goo.gl/hnf4UojkHhcSvvvH9 I'm wondering if it could be related? Googling has suggested it's an oxygen/lambda sensor? I've no idea why it's just hanging like that! I was 2 hours from home so ended up driving home with it like that, which I'm hoping wasn't a terrible idea!

All the local exhaust places are saying at least a two week wait for an appointment, and the Bongo place I go to for servicing is 2.5 hours away. I'm supposed to using the van to help my eldest move house in a week!

Does anyone have any ideas of things I could do to help narrow down the problem so I've at least got an idea what I'm dealing with, and sort the issue with the hanging component/sensor? I'm naively hoping that it is just a case of sticking the component back where it should be and all will be well, but I strongly suspect that won't be the case.

Any help / advice would be very much appreciated, thank you!

[g8dhe]

Ah yes it is the Lambda sensor, it should be screwed into the exhaust to sense the level of Oxygen in the exhaust gases. It sounds like it has for some reason come out hence the noise! It could be the exhaust has rusted in that location or it could be that someone has not screwed it in properly!
You haven't told us which engine you have 2l or V6 petrol, its similar sensors just after the manifold and before it gets to the catalytic convertor.

[ChuckHunky]

You haven't told us which engine you have 2l or V6 petrol, its similar sensors just after the manifold and before it gets to the catalytic convertor.

Thank you for the reply! Sorry, it's a V6 petrol. So, on the assumption that it's not rusted, is it simply a case of me finding where it should screw in and screwing it back in?

[g8dhe]

It could be as simple as that but its unlikely to have come out on its own accord, normally its a battle to undo them due to all the heat and carbon etc.!
See here - righhand side exhaust is marked as item 4000 you can see the sensor and its wiring before the catalytic convertor section https://www.lushprojects.com/bongoparts ... mgno=.html

[ChuckHunky]

The Force is clearly with me today as I shimmied under the van, found the hole, and screwed the sensor back in and all is well! I've no idea how it could have come out because, as you say, its clearly not the sort of thing that you would expect to come loose of its own accord. So I'm a bit mystified, all I can assume is that when it was last replaced, it wasn't screwed in very tightly.

Anyway, I really, really appreciate your help, you've saved me a lot of stress, running around and potential expense! Thank you very much!