My car just turns but never starts

The fuel pump should only run for one second after turning on the ignition switch, then again during engine cranking. It's powered through a fuel pump relay or the automatic shutdown (ASD) relay. If the pump doesn't run at all, and the gauge stays on "empty", the wiring is the main suspect. Look for a connector that get left unplugged, or a place where a mouse chewed through the wires.

Anything is possible but the fuel pump would be my last suspect. Find the fuel pump relay and bypass it so you can troubleshoot the circuit without having to crank the engine. It should look like the left one in this drawing. Remove the relay, then use a piece of wire or a stretched-out paper clip to jump terminals 30 and 87 together. If you see a tiny spark, the wiring is okay and the pump is trying to run. If there's no spark, the brushes in the pump motor could be open or there's a wiring problem, most commonly by the tank.

No professional likes throwing random parts at a problem. I read way too often when someone replaces the fuel pump and has the same problem. The first thing to do is check for spark. Don't get hung up on the first thing you find missing, ... Fuel pressure in this case. If you don't have spark, we have to look for what the two systems have in common.

If you do have spark, my next step would be to leave the jumper in the relay socket, then test for voltage at the fuel pump connector. A test light will be more accurate in this case than a voltmeter. If you find 12 volts there, look for a corroded ground wire. Remember, you have two different problems, a dead fuel pump and a dead fuel gauge. The only thing the two circuits have in common is the ground wire.

First of all, check for spark. If you don't have that, there's no point in working on the fuel system. If there is no spark, measure the voltage on the ignition coil. A test light works better than a voltmeter because most voltmeters don't respond fast enough. You should see 12 volts there for just one second after turning on the ignition switch, then it should come back during engine cranking. Holler back with the results.

Dandy. Next, test for 12 volts the same way on the fuel pump wire. I'm sorry I don't have the service manual for your model so you'll have to try each wire.