Dirty MAF caused clogged cats?

[Slade]

I was tuning the MAF values this morning and when I parked the car in the garage everything seemed well. I went to take the car out for a spin this evening and found it sluggish at lite throttle and <2200rpm. It felt like it was struggling to get up in the rpm when taking off idle.

Tried all the previous tunes I have been messing with up to my original 1 year old modded tune and found it all to be the same indicating it isn't a tune issue anymore.

No codes, knock retard is not a factor, logging isn't picking up anything. Looked at the MAF and found it to be dirty, ie coated with a good layer of solid dirt. I cleaned it off and found my LTFT trims to be cut in half from the previous run.

I'm wondering if incorrect MAF readings indicating more fuel should be added could cook the cats and cause them to get clogged. The exhaust seems more muted and had some pops at 50% throttle and WOT like there was a pressure build up and it popped. This sound like an accurate diagnosis? Any way to test it via hp tuners?

[MNR-0]

Your cats will not just die all of a sudden. If you are worried about your CATS pull them out and have a look - only way to tell.

The MAF being dirty sure will flaw your fuel readings, but not to the point that it is dangerous or damages something. Sure, all components that fail over PROLONGED periods of time will cause upstream effects.

Unfortnuately HPT can't tell you when your MAF is dirty and your exhaust is shagged, or when to lock the car (I wish). But it can tell you what is happening right now and based on the accuracy of your cars sensor inputs, you need to deduce from that what it all means.

[Slade]

HP Tuners can tell you about which cylinder is misfiring though...

phew solved my problem, Number 3 wire burned but since my headers are coated, no arcing outside the wire to the header.

Raw fuel smell coming out the passenger pipe, true duals on car, made me think cat or something. Exhaust note changed to something somewhat muted and the one thing that made me point to the cat was the passenger side cat made a large thump noise when I got on it. Must have been raw fuel igniting in the cat.

[MNR-0]

You are lucky it didn't hydraulic. Would be wise to do a leakdown test on all cylinders and change you motor oil while you are at it...