What this code means
P0087 means the vehicle may be seeing fuel rail pressure lower than the pressure the control module expects or commands.
What the vehicle may do
- The vehicle may hesitate or feel low on power.
- It can run rough or stumble under load.
- In some cases, it may stall or be hard to restart.
Possible fault areas
- Possible low fuel or fuel supply concern
- Possible fuel leak
- Possible fuel rail pressure sensing concern
- Possible fuel rail issue
- Possible high pressure fuel pump cam or lifter wear concern
- Possible high pressure fuel pump concern
Diagnostic path
Set up the P0087 diagnosis
P0087 on this Honda CR-V means the system may be seeing direct-injection fuel pressure lower than what the PCM is asking for. The vehicle may feel weak, hesitate, run rough, or possibly stall, depending on when the pressure drop shows up. Broadly, this can involve fuel supply, a leak, pressure sensing at the rail, the fuel rail side of the system, the high pressure pump drive, or the pump itself. Before going deep, start with the basic system checks and follow a structured diagnostic approach. Then handle the simple blockers. If the vehicle ran out of fuel and stalled before P0087 set, refuel it, then clear the code with the HDS. If there is any fuel leak, repair the leak before continuing. And if other fuel-pressure-sensor, injector, ignition, cylinder variation, or high-pressure-pump faults are present, check what they mean first so P0087 is not being chased from the wrong end.
Try to duplicate the pressure fault
Once the basic blockers are out of the way, duplicate the fault under controlled conditions. Start the engine. Hold the engine speed at 3,000 rpm without load, in P or N, until the radiator fan comes on, then let it idle. Run the HDS DI FUEL PRESSURE TEST. If that test result is not OK, the failure is duplicated. If you need the second confirmation path, test-drive the vehicle for several minutes in the same general range as the captured operating data: engine load and speed, vehicle speed, air and coolant temperature inputs, driver demand, and both displayed fuel pressure values. The point is to make the pressure command and pressure response fail under the same kind of conditions that set the code.
Compare the two fuel pressure readings
Next, check whether the pressure information agrees. Start the engine again. Hold the engine speed at 3,000 rpm without load, in P or N, until the radiator fan comes on, then let it idle. With the brake pedal held firmly, shift to D position or mode, then press the accelerator pedal. Do not shift the transmission or take your foot off the brake while raising engine speed. Now compare the HDS Fuel Pressure Converted From PF Sensor reading against Fuel Pressure Direct Injection System. Normal is for those two values to be almost same. If they are not, the diagnostic direction is a problem with the fuel rail.
Check the rail pressure sensor low-pressure reading
For the next fuel rail pressure sensor check, disconnect PGM-FI main relay 2. Start the engine and let it idle until it stalls. After it stalls, crank the engine several times. Then confirm the HDS Fuel Pressure Converted From PF Sensor value. Normal here is less than 1,000 kPa, and a value of several hundred kPa is also considered normal. If that reading is abnormal, the diagnostic direction is again a problem with the fuel rail.
Inspect the high pressure pump drive, then isolate the pump
If the fuel rail checks do not identify the fault, move to the high pressure fuel pump cam inspection. Check the high pressure fuel pump cam on the camshaft for damage or wear. Normal is no damage, with camshaft wear within the specified value. The exact wear limit is not available here, so do not guess at that measurement before making the call. If the cam inspection is abnormal, the diagnostic direction is a problem with the camshaft, and you also need to check the roller of the lifter attached with the high pressure fuel pump for damage, deformation, or wear. If the other inspection items all indicate a normal condition, the remaining high pressure fuel pump is determined to be the cause.
Takeaway
The clean way through P0087 is to prove the low-pressure complaint first, compare what the PCM is seeing against the direct-injection pressure value, then separate a fuel rail issue from a cam-drive issue or the remaining high pressure pump. For more diagnostic training, visit stepdiagnostics.com.
Final check
P0087 is best handled by confirming the pressure fault under the right conditions, then separating sensor or rail behavior from the mechanical high pressure pump drive and pump.
For more guided automotive diagnostics, visit STEP Diagnostics.
