Alrighty There People!

New to the forums, but I need some help please...

Okay, I've got an 04 plate Fiesta Zetec 1.4 TDCi, 45k on the clock.

It started off when I put water in the windscreen washer bottle, and then when I got in the car, I noticed that the handbrake light was lit, even though the handbrake was off. Something else was wrong, but I couldn't put my finger on it, until I got in the car again later - and realised that the speedo wasn't working. And the odometer was just registering -----.

And the engine management light comes on.

I was doing 50 according to my TomTom, but 19 according to the speedo on the car. And then it packed in.

So, at the moment, I'm not recording speed or mileage, the handbrake light stays on, and the the engine light stays on.

I read this earlier, on another forum:

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check the earth on the battery post, but especially where it goes down to the body near the washer bottle as it is often soaked when the bottle is filled up. Remove and clean the terminal on the inner wing area, this means wire brush and WD40! Also the small earth wire on the back of the cylinder head needs to be checked, apololgies if you have all been down this route but nobody has mentioned it! Don't overlook the obvious stuff!
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I've taken out the cluster, cleaned it, dried it overnight, no good. I've replaced the cluster, no good.

So. Maybe I need to think about replacing the VSS. I've heard that the part is pretty cheap... but what about fitting it? And any heads up as to whereabouts on this model the VSS is? (Pictures would help, I can't make head or tail of the Haynes manual image).

Thanks in advance