Stolen cat: new Denso 02 won't plug in to receptacle

Stolen cat on our 2004 Prius. I bought ebay item 193690871378 and amazon item B000C5WCUO per recommendations on this site. (Thanks a million, all y'all!) (Not allowed to post links, sorry.)

I didn't like the "for Calif. Equip" part of the O2 sensor description on the Amazon listing because I don't have a CA Prius, but it worked for AndyFromWI, so what the hey? (I also didn't like that the description says "Square Plug Harness" while the image is of a rectangular plug.) It arrived and the plug is square, as is the existing receptacle. Sounds like a win. Unfortunately, the plug and the receptacle will not mate. Insertion is possible, but there is no click connection and the depth of penetration doesn't seem adequate for physical contact between the two parts. Any idea what gives?

Additional info: it seems the thieves forcibly yanked the cat with O2 away, rather than snipping the sensor's wires. The plug at the end of the original O2's wires was separated from the receptacle, with some of the plastic snapped off. I'm not certain, but some plastic on the receptacle end might also have broken.

What are my options for getting my vehicle back on the road?

 

Thank you, mr_guy_mann; good suggestion and good data to have. Looking at it in daylight I've reversed my thinking that it wasn't inserting far enough to make contact, so I'll try the zip-ties and hope for the best.

 

Image credit: Amazon (Error message trying to use "Upload a File," so none of my own pics yet.)

I know for a fact a small bit of the square plastic connector on the stolen sensor broke off. Quite possibly something also broke on the car side connector; I just can't be positive yet. It certainly doesn't snap together. I made one unsuccessful zip tie attempt today (had to move the vehicle before I could finish). I'll have another try when I have daylight again.

 

Apologies, the title was supposed to say "won't fully plug in;" I don't see a way to edit the title.

I zip tied the two pieces together, as suggested.

I have a P0037 that returns within seconds of clearing it, so I cut the cable ties to try again, and to take photos.



On this side view photo, I'm assuming that is the release on the left. (It depresses a bit.) On the new part there is what looks like a corresponding lip that would be the other side of the click connection. The pieces won't press together far enough for the car side piece to grab onto the piece at the end of the 02 wires.

 

Thanks for the suggestion, Frontporch. It does feel like the pieces are not aligning properly, but no particular part is visibly bent. Could the car side part be damaged instead? I've thought about ordering that piece as a way to check.

Never having seen a mated pair, I'm unsure whether I've identified things correctly. Here's a new photo that I've marked up with my guesses:

I think the area circled in green is where I would press to release a mated pair; the bump circled in blue is what the car side piece needs to grab; and the edge that the yellow arrow points to is what the bump needs to slide under. This picture shows how far away the bump is from where it needs to go, at the point the O2 connector hits solid resistance.

 

Thank you, Frontporch.

As mentioned in the OP, Amazon item B000C5WCUO, "Denso 234-4623 Downstream Oxygen Sensor with 23” 4-Wire Square Plug Harness for Calif. Equip" is what I purchased and am trying to install.

 

Hard to get a good picture of the plug; best I have so far:

 

Another attempt:


I've ordered this $10 pigtail:

Image credit: amazon.com

If my 02 sensor won't plug into the new pigtail, I'll assume the sensor's plug is defective and I need to return the sensor.

 

The pigtail was clearly not the correct piece, so I've ordered a different one.

Per a suggestion above, I ordered a Denso O2 sensor from Rock Auto. It's exactly the same as the one from Amazon and also doesn't fully connect to the car side.

Here is a head on image of the car side connector:

To me it looks odd in that the red or orange rubbery part is visible on three sides, but on the fourth side (where the presumed latching mechanism it barely visible at all; instead I see the hard gray plastic. Should the rubbery thing be visible on four sides, three sides, or not at all?

 

Thank you, Frontporch!!! Now it all makes sense, including why it felt like something hard was blocking full insertion of the new plug.

It took a few tries to figure out a technique to dislodge the piece that stayed behind, but here it is:

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The O2 sensor is finally plugged in! Now I can clear the P0037 and do a bunch of fingers crossed driving that I don't get a P0040.

The Denso O2 sensor from Amazon was already installed in the cat; I'm not going to remove it to return it to Amazon. I'll have to resell or return the one from Rock Auto.