It turns out that the motor needed to be replaced. Difficult decision to replace the motor, because the indicator light on top of the motor was flashing 1 sec on 1 sec off, indicating normal standby mode. I tried it as an act of desperation, and voila, the problem is fixed. So I have to ask myself if it is worth spending $220 to repair a 10 yr old washer. If it lasts another 10 years, then it was worth it, if not then perhaps not.