Could Lambda / Heat sensor cause VERY loud banging?

[Brooktini86]

On my 96 FD I Have just noticed my lambda sensor his now hanging from my exhaust and is scraping along the road. At the same time my exhaust has starting banging very loudly. so loud that i can phyisically feel it going through my drivers seat.

Is this due to the cat sensor falling out or not related?

Also cat heat light has come on the dash... as i would expect.
Performance seems affected... but could be in my head?!

[shaunwil]

Good chance, its a fair lump of metal. Plus performance may be down because there is a big threaded hole in the exhaust where the sensor was !

Shaun

[Brooktini86]

Ok its not the lambda, its the heat sensor.
The part where you attach the heat sensor TO has come off. Leaving a nice hole on the bottom of the cat.

Would this cause a noise like a bang/pop?

[shaunwil]

Could it be gases igniting under the car out of the hole ?

Shaun

[Brooktini86]

That\'s worrying!
Well I\'ve ordered a new cat now
and on the look for a heat sensor.

[shaunwil]

You sure its not the end of the sensor cable bouncing off the bottom of the car ? Have you had it up on axle stands and looked for possible causes ?

Shaun

[Brooktini86]

No I haven\'t had the chance yet, I need to get another cat anyway, so I\'ll start from there! Cheers for the help though!

[David Nock (RIP)]

Don\'t know anything about the FD but in the FB the first sign of a cracked/holed exhaust used to be a savage backfire when lifting off the throttle. That was the original Mazda exhaust did that, with the reactor and air pump system fitted.