vinkodex.
Fault code

P0087 fault code.

This code comes up with 2 known faults.

Generic code

Code type

Engine and drivetrain

System

Fuel pressure is too low

Diesel engines and direct injection petrol engines work with high pressure. The engine control unit measured lower pressure in the fuel rail than requested. A worn high pressure pump, a clogged fuel filter or a leaking return can all lead here. Power typically drops under load.

The code tells you what the control unit measured, not which part has failed. The same code has several possible causes.

Which known faults it comes up with

critical1

3.0 TDI V6: the high-pressure pump sends metal debris into the fuel system

critical

The common rail high-pressure pump is lubricated and cooled by the diesel itself, because the pump produces over 2,000 bar and has no separate lubrication circuit. If that lubricating film breaks down, the internal running surface of the pump eats itself and metal debris is produced. The debris travels through the whole system with the diesel, the rail, the injectors and the tank as well, because the return line carries it back and the lift pump draws it in again at every start. From there flushing the injectors does not help, all of them have to be replaced and the tank cleaned too. The failure is reported between 120,000 and 160,000 km, and the repair runs from 1,500 to 15,000 euro depending on how far the debris got. The lubricating film is broken by misfuelling and by long runs with an almost empty tank, because below 5 litres the lift pump also draws air. Plain wear of the pump is a different case: there is no debris and only the pump has to be replaced.

between 120,000 and 160,000 km1,500–15,000 EUR

What to check

  • Ask when the fuel filter was last changed, and ask for the old filter if it is kept
  • Look for silvery, shiny metal particles in the filter housing and on the filter
  • Ask whether there has been a misfuelling, and whether the car often ran on an almost empty tank
2 more steps in the write-up

expensive1

N54 / N55: high pressure fuel pump

expensive

This is the most common N54 fault, and it affects early N55 engines too. The pump is a two part design: fuel goes into one half and lubricating oil into the other, and the sealing ring separating them ages over time. That is what drops the pressure.

Show the rest

The very first symptom is a long crank: the engine does not catch straight away but turns over for several seconds. Later you get a rough idle, misfire, loss of power, and finally limp mode, which can reach you at the side of the road.

The fault code is typically P0087 or P0089. If the control unit also returns a camshaft timing code (P0011, P0012), that is often not a separate fault but a consequence of the pressure drop: it is worth ruling the pump out first.

The 2007 to 2009 cars are the worst; the maker revised the design after that.

The N53 (the lean burn six cylinder sold in Europe) got the same pump. Faults were reported on it. It is not known whether they are as frequent as on the N54, because the N53 was not sold in the USA and there is no official complaint data on it.

between 114,000 and 256,000 km

What to check

  • Cold start: the engine must catch straight away. Several seconds of cranking is the first sign
  • Restart it once or twice when warm too, and watch for the same thing
  • Load the engine on the test drive: jerking, loss of power and limp mode are suspect
2 more steps in the write-up

Information, not an expert opinion

We write the descriptions, and we put the source next to them. A person reviews them before they go out. They are still information, not a technical expert opinion.

  • A fault on the list does not mean the car you are looking at has it.
  • A fault missing from the list does not mean the model is fault-free. Write-ups are made model by model. Not all of them are done.
  • You decide whether to buy. This is no substitute for an inspection. That needs a workshop and a history check.
Details in the terms