Air intake mods and fuel economy

[Mataa]

Hi,
On a car with MAF sensor (e46) , just how does boosting air intake improve fuel economy? Or does it even do that?

I'm looking at it from the air/fuel mixture perspective. The job of the MAF sensor is to adjust the fuel amount to correct proportions with air quantity for proper combustion.

So how does improving air intake improve fuel economy?

I am thinking of bumping up the intake of air but only if the fuel economy is significant in response.

Thanks.

[328 Power 04]

In short, it doesn't.

[pbonsalb]

I doubt the marginal improvement you can inexpensively make to reduce the restriction on air intake improves efficiency measurably at near stock power levels. The exhaust might offer more, assuming you have cars restricting the exhaust and can legally and conscientiously remove them.

[BimmerBreaker]

Fuel economy is one of the most important design considerations for a manufacturer, if there was an easy way to gain economy it would have been implemented from the factory. To increase fuel efficiency, assuming the driving style is optimized (ie. "hypermiling"), the best gains will usually be found from aerodynamics. There are forums and groups dedicated entirely to the idea of squeezing every mpg out of a car possible. A notable example is the "aero civic" https://www.aerocivic.com/