P0087: Fuel rail or system pressure too low

What P0087 means

The fuel rail is the pipe that feeds pressurised fuel to the injectors. The ECU knows what pressure it wants at every moment and compares it with the reading from the rail pressure sensor. If actual pressure stays well below target, this code is stored. It is common on common rail diesels and direct injection petrol engines.

Most common causes

• Blocked fuel filter or water in the filter (very common on diesels)
• Low fuel in the tank or a weak in-tank lift pump
• Air getting in or a leak in the fuel lines
• Pressure regulator or pressure control valve not sealing properly
• Rail pressure sensor giving a false reading
• Worn high-pressure pump

Symptoms

• Loss of power, sometimes with the car in limp mode
• Hesitation or lack of pull under hard acceleration
• Hard starting or the engine cutting out
• Engine warning light on

Can you drive with P0087?

With care You can drive gently to a garage, but the engine may lose power or stall. If the high-pressure pump is wearing out, carrying on for long can damage the injectors.

How to check it

In your scanner’s live data, watch desired and actual rail pressure together at idle and when accelerating. If actual pressure cannot keep up with desired, ask the garage to check the filter and lift pump before replacing expensive parts.

How to read and clear P0087 with Final OBD

Plug an OBD2 scanner in under the steering wheel, switch the ignition on and open Final OBD. Under Faults you’ll see P0087 with this same explanation and whether it’s confirmed, pending or permanent.

With Free you read this code with its short description for nothing, and clear it if the engine stores it over standard OBD. With Pro you get the full explanation, how the car was running when it was logged (revs, temperature, load) and clearing in every control unit.

Clearing the code only turns the light off: if the cause is still there, it comes back. Clear it once it’s fixed, and not right before the ITV. It’s all in how to read and clear fault codes and in the ITV and OBD.

Similar codes

• P0058 Oxygen sensor heater circuit high (bank 2, sensor 2)
• P0069 Manifold pressure and barometric pressure do not match
• P0070 Ambient air temperature sensor circuit fault
• P0071 Ambient air temperature sensor range or performance problem
• P0088 Fuel rail or system pressure too high
• P0089 Fuel pressure regulator performance problem
• P0090 Fuel pressure regulator control circuit fault
• P0091 Fuel pressure regulator control circuit low
• P0010 Camshaft A actuator control: open circuit (bank 1)
• P0011 Camshaft A timing over-advanced (bank 1)
• P0012 Camshaft A timing over-retarded (bank 1)
• P0013 Camshaft B actuator control: open circuit (bank 1)

P0087 is a generic code, so it means the same on any make, for example on Abarth, Cupra, Jeep, Nissan, Seat, Škoda. See what Final OBD does on your car in makes and models.