Hello to all. i have embarked on a journey to become a full time espresso tech. In time I will get certified and properly trained but right now I am stuck.... Somebody who worked on the aforementioned machine disassembled everything and I was tasked with putting it back together. So far i figured out most of it however I can't figure out what to do with the little bluish wire that's dangling under the heating element. I tried connecting it to the heating element but when I did so and turned the machine on- lights in my shop started to flicker and an electrical chair like sound could be heard coming from the machine. Luckily I didn't fry it(yet). Also it's probably worth mentioning that when I cleaned the boiler out there was a lot of fine black sediment that seemed to me to have come off the heating element- maybe it burnt out. Anyway if there is a merciful soul out there who is willing to help that would be great... I have one picture but i can provide as many as needed. Thank you in advance

If you tested the heating element without water in the boiler, then you did indeed fry the element.
(assuming you successfully powered the element)

where is that wire coming from?
the pressurestat?
is so do you have the 2 whites and the blue in the three contacts?

That blue line comes from the main switch. Two white lines com from the pressure stat and those are the only two lines that come out of pressure stat. I have two white and a brown wire in the pressure stat, brown comes from the main switch as well.

The 2 white wires are attached to the terminals on the right in the picture, the blue wire goes usually on the bottom left terminal.

The heating element probably wasn't damaged, as it wasn't powered up. But Allon is correct, make sure there is water in the boiler before you do fire it up. On the other hand, that electric chair sound you heard was probably the sound of your main power switch or pressure stat being put to death. What you did was the espresso machine equivalent of sticking a fork in an electric socket, so the power surge probably destroyed something. I wouldn't expect it to work when you do turn it on again.

For your own safety and well-being, I would strongly urge you to get help from someone who knows what they are doing.

You're right. I re connected it and it seems to be working. Boiler is heating up and nothing seems to be fried so far. I was very lucky. Thank you guys for your help!