Transaxle Cooling
WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2006 Mercury Montego, 2006 Ford Freestyle, and 2006 Ford Five Hundred. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.
These vehicles are equipped with an external fluid cooler. The cooler is mounted between the engine radiator and the A/C condenser. In operation, transmission fluid travels from the transaxle to the fluid cooler then back to the transaxle. The fluid cooler transfers heat from the transmission fluid to the outside air.