Secondary AIR Diverter Valve
WARNING: This page does not describe the selected car, but rather 31 other vehicles, including the 2006 Mercury Mountaineer, 2006 Mercury Monterey, 2006 Mercury Montego, 2006 Mercury Milan, and 2006 Mercury Mariner. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.
The secondary AIR diverter valve is used with the secondary AIR pump to provide on/off control of air to the exhaust manifold and catalytic converter. When the secondary AIR pump is on and vacuum is supplied to the AIR diverter valve, air passes the integral check valve disk. When the secondary AIR pump is off, and vacuum is removed from the AIR diverter valve, the integral check valve disk is held on the seat and stops air from being drawn into the exhaust system and prevents the back flow of the exhaust into the secondary AIR system.