Tried searching, and couldn't find anything. Yesterday, took the cat out and the wire came with it, so it ripped. Turned the car on after and the CEL came on so I knew what it was, and so I'm asking, is it alright to drive with the rear 02 sensor out?
I know that the front one checks what the exhaust is like and the back checks to see if the cat's doing its job, but I've searched on Google and people have said before that the car might run better, any suggestions/help?

 

Will it run...yes. Will it run better, not better than if all your PGM-FI related parts were operating correctly.

 

Not meaning to sound dumb if I am, but I don't think it has PGM-FI because another kid from my school has an older Accord but it says PFI on it.

 

Yes your 97 Accord has Programmed (PGM) Fuel Injection (FI). It uses what is known as a sequential multiport fuel injection system. It has 1 injector for each cylinder (multiport) Each injector is opened individually via the engine control unit (ECU/EMU) to squirt only when required (sequential).

They stopped printing PGM-FI on the tops of the Accord intake manifold when they switched to the F22B1 & 2 engines in 1994.

 

Alrighty. So as long as everything else works, then there won't be a problem with the sensor?

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, Ghost, but won't it go into limp mode? If so, you'll get terrible gas mileage and it's really hard on your other O2 sensor.

 

Not limp mode. It will go into back-up mode. In this mode the CEL is on and the ECU will ignore the defective sensor and use a programmed set of values for it.

It is always better to fix any PGM-FI related issues like this. Running a car with the CEL on is never an optimal way to go. However, I have seen cars run for years without issue having the CEL on for secondary O2 sensor BS.

 

Cool! I never knew that.