> Today I went to the house where the van is parked, sat in the drivers seat and turned the key. The van made the initial starting sound much slower and with less force than what is normal, and it didn't turn on.

Check that you're getting a spark - you should also hear a buzz from the
fuel pump when you first turn the engine on, before you even start to
crank it.  No buzz suggests that the relay's not getting power.

toodle pip,
--
        Dug Smith         | Terry Pratchett: It's almost
(mailto:dug@dugbert.com) |  impossible to ride a rock and roll
(http://www.dugbert.com) |  motorbike and stay on for three verses.