Whilst it was beating on a medium speed, not straining, I heard a bang and smoke started to come out of the hinge area. I turned it off then on again and it was still working but I turned it off again to prevent any further possible damage.
I live in France so getting it to an engineer won't be easy. Can anyone tell me what fault this might indicate so that we can decide whether to try & get it repaired or not?
Also, where to download a manual for this machine? Thanks.

Spoony, July 2009

Thanks for your answer - how do we tell which problem it might be? Would it still be working if it was either of these?

Spoony, July 2009

On a small electrical appliance, the capacitor, wired across the motor, is there to prevent TV and radio interference. The machine will still work without this - although its best to remove it, naturally. If the motor windings are packing in though, often the motor speed will reduce before it stops working altogether - producing more smoke. The only way to really tell whats going on is to open the machine up and look for charred bits.

John, July 2009

Thanks for your answer - how do we tell which problem it might be? Would it still be working if it was either of these?

Spoony, July 2009

I think it would be a good idea to investigate things before using the machine again.....the bang could have come from the motor's capacitor bursting - in which case its worth repairing if you can get one - but if its the motor windings then time for a new one I'm afraid.

John, July 2009