Intake Air Temperature (IAT) Sensor
WARNING: This page does not describe the selected car, but rather 8 other vehicles, including the 2006 Ford RV Cutaway, 2006 Ford Pickup, 2006 Ford F550 Super Duty, 2006 Ford F450 Super Duty, and 2006 Ford Econoline. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.
The IAT sensor is a thermistor device. The electrical resistance of a thermistor decreases as the temperature increases, and resistance increases as the temperature decreases. The varying resistance affects the voltage drop across the sensor providing a signal corresponding to temperature.
The 6.0L diesel uses 2 IAT sensors. For vehicles with a mass air flow (MAF) sensor, the IAT sensor is integrated into the MAF sensor. For vehicles without a MAF sensor, the IAT sensor is a stand alone sensor.