[wiswind]

It is normal for there to be a very slight amount of vaccum in the EGR valve's vaccum line at idle......it is not enough to open the valve though.

If you apply vaccum to the EGR valve's vaccum fitting, the valve should open.
If the valve is open at idle......the engine should die.
The EGR valve should be closed, and stay closed at idle.
It should take a fair amount of vaccum to open it.
If the valve is not fully closed when it should be......your vehicle will not run properly.
The EGR valve itself is not a high failure item.....but it can happen.
I would try working the valve manually by manually applying vaccum to it....with the engine OFF.....just in case you may have some carbon particles causing it to not seat properly.

Your slow turn over could be a weak battery or connection.
This can also cause you to have a wide variety of problems as electronic controls are sensitive to voltage issues.

As you smell fuel when trying to start......I would think that you are getting fuel......
Fuel pressure regulator is also not a high failure item.....but the vaccum line to it can have issues seating to it.
The pressure regulator will give you maximum fuel pressure with no vaccum applied, and adding vaccum reduces fuel pressure.
You can test the fuel pressure at the test point on the fuel rail......middle of the front of it.

You may need a good diagnostic at a well equiped shop that can monitor the various aspects of you engine controls.
Fuel injector firing, Camshaft position sensor, MAF, and vaccum leaks can be slight enough that the PCM does not throw a code....but is trying to compensate for a reading that is wrong, but within range.