Whirlpool WWDC7440 6th Sense - 7 year old - used once per week - to repair or not to repair?

This thread was marked as solved. Here's a summary of the problem and the fix, generated from the discussion below.

Whirlpool WWDC7440 burnt smell and no wash programmes starting

The problem

A 7-year-old Whirlpool WWDC7440 integrated washing machine made a loud bang with a burning smell just before the final spin. The programme completed, but the clothes and drum smelt burnt/smoky afterwards. After that, wash programmes would not start, although drain mode still worked and the drum could be turned by hand.

Likely cause

A serious internal electrical or mechanical failure was implied by the bang and burning smell, but no specific faulty part was identified in the discussion.

What fixed it

No repair diagnosis or fix was documented. The accepted advice focused on whether to replace the machine rather than repair it, noting that 7 years is an average life expectancy and discussing replacement options. The exact repair was not confirmed.

Checks to try

• Drain mode still worked
• Drum moved freely by hand
• Wash programmes would not start after the incident
• Bang and burning smell occurred just before final spin