Zanussi Fjs1425w motor problem?

Hi,

I have a Zanussi Fjs1425w which has recently stopped agitating or spinning.

I found some ball bearings in the drum from my sons pocket which for the last wash had made some awful noises being caught between the drum and the outer drum casing. Somehow they had got through the drain holes in the drum. I cant get the last one out, I guess that would be an awkward job as I dont see how to get to that part of the drum and they dont seem to want to wash through!

My real questions are this: could the ball bearings have damaged any motor switch or sensor which could prevent the motor really kicking in? If I set a cycle going and start the drum moving then the motor continues to turn it. But it refuses to really proceed through the cycle.

If I was to think just of the motor response I would suspect some failure with the armature or commutator/brushes but it is co-incidental with the ball bearings.

Its been in heavy use (1-3 washes per day) for 5 years without failure and so I am not at all complaining about it.

If its the motor, I only see them at about £130-£180 which is not really worth it with a 5 yr old £340 machine.

Any thoughts from anyone?

Thanks for a very useful site!

Kevin