AEG Lavamat 71400 C9 Code?

I have an AEG Lavamat 71400 washing machine, which stopped part way through a wash with a C9 code. This machine is 6 years old and is never idle. The top LED Pre-wash and the third down LED Rinse were also flashing.

I checked many internet sites, but it seems that nobody had posted a successful remedy for an AEG Lavamat 71400 with this problem.

It seems that AEG along with many other washing machines use the same controller and that C9 or E9 means that there is a problem with the motor. The problem is that this error can mean a number of things could be wrong. The brushes need replacing, the tachometer is faulty, the motor itself is faulty or the controller is broken.

I took the off the motor and checked the brushes. They were certainly worn down. I called the local AEG parts shop and found that the brushes cost 48€. I live in Germany so the price many be different. Was it worth throwing away this money when the brushes may not be faulty?

After collecting and fitting the new brushes, the real fun started. The C9 error and the flashing LEDs were still present. I have read on the internet that a reset sequence needs to be followed. I unplugged the washing machine, waited a couple of minutes and plugged it back in. Still no success! I had also read various reset instructions such as holding down various buttons and turning the control knob in various directions. Still no success.

I then decided to disconnect the brushes and put an AVO between the two spade connectors to see if there was any voltage. When I turned the machine back on, I happened to be pressing the Pre-wash button and I turned the control knob one click in the anti-clock wise direction. There was a loud click, all the LEDs lit up, the three digit display said 888 and the AVO meter told me that there was about 150V DC across the connectors.

I was slightly shocked to see all the LEDs alight, that I turned the machine immediately off. I then put the spade connectors back on the brushes and everything now works fine. I must stress that when I turned the machine on and all the LEDs switched on, the motor exact for the AVO, was not connected. So why this worked, I do not know.

I hope this rather log explanation might help someone.