How can I fix a P1320 on a 2008 Mitsubishi Outlander XLS V6? It has 128,000 miles, I went to turn on my car this morning and it displayed a Service Engine Soon Light. Went to Autozone they pulled a P1320 Code "ASE certified master technicians have seen this issue on your type of vehicle and the most likely solution is: Replace Engine Control Module (ECM)" How much should a mechanic charge to fix this? Do any ECMs come with a lifetime warranty? I had a Mitsubishi Dealer Replace the ECM two years ago.

 

what about the other 2 possible causes? also if the ECM can't retard the timing far enough, why is it pre-detonating in the first place?

P1320 Ignition Timing Retard Insufficient
MITSUBISHI Possible Causes

• Faulty Thermostat
• Faulty Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) sensor signal
• Faulty Engine Control Module (ECM)

Causes of Pre-Detonation
Lean Air/Fuel Mixture. A rich Air/Fuel Mixture runs cooler than a lean mixture. ...
Too Much Compression. Compression causes heat. ...
Engine Overheating. ...
Low Octane Fuel.

I mean just a thought before chasing down used ECM's or spending 1000's only to have the same issue?

 

After two days the Service Engine Soon Light has gone away. Should I not worry anymore? The light has gone off so does that mean it is not a serious problem? Could it have been a fluke glitch and now it has fixed itself therefore the light turned off? What would you do in my situation?

 

run a tank of premium is a low cost option and monitor,
you could have just been getting serious engine knock due to cold or other external factors and now it's doing ok

 

OK thank you man should I Run Premium Shell, Exxon or BP?

 

I have not used Shell since I worked at their stations as a teen (when full service was still a thing) but the Exxon or BP are both fine or at least they were when I lived in the midwest

 

I'd dump a bottle of Techron fuel cleaner into it and give it some "spirited driving". We've had a few instances over at the Mirage Forum where members have gotten the Service Engine Soon Light has come on with similar codes and adding a bottle of quality injector cleaner has eliminated the problem. It seems to happen after about 110k miles and about every 100k. On the Mirage Forum we have a member that has over 300k miles on his Mirage and he's had this type of error pop up that after running a tank with Techron, he's good for another 100K+.

 

I use the Techron from Chevron probably 60% of the time as there's a station a few blocks away. I think that's good advice to run a cleaner through as removing deposits helps keep the compression level down and thus prevents the pre-detonation that the ECM cannot dial back far enough.