Sometimes my Volvo will not start but most of the time it will. When it will not, I turn the key and hear the car trying to start but it seems like no gas is getting to the engine. Could this be a fuel pump problem? Thanks in advance for the help and forgive my automotive illiteracy.
What leads you to believe it is a fuel problem? Do you hear the fuel pump straining? If the engine is turning over but not starting, it could just as easily be a fault in the ignition system or idle air control system. If the engine doesn’t turn over but just makes a single “tick” sound, your starter is probably going bad.
Go to your local auto parts store and ask them to use a code reader on your car (even if your check engine light is off). Any auto parts store worth its salt will do this for free. If you’re feeling ambitious, pick up a spark plug tester and a Haynes manual as well. This will give you a starting point. It would be a shame to replace a fuel pump (often a labor-intensive job), only to discover that you just needed your idle air control valve cleaned out.