Do-It-Yourself Story

In a previous attempt to fix the problem, I had (prompted by the informational videos on this site) accessed and cleaned out the chopper assembly from the interior of the dishwasher. I removed some debris, but this didn't help the problem. I finally (again following the helpful videos on this site) removed the dishwasher completely and inspected the motor. I noticed a small pile of metal dust and a sand-like substance under the motor. From the reviews on this site and other sources, I concluded that it was the motor bearings that had failed and were causing the loud grinding noise. An online chat with one of the tech support staff on this site helped to confirm this theory and answered some other questions. I ordered a new motor and chopper (which had a broken inner seal and therefore wasn't seating securely), which arrived right on schedule. Replacing the motor went pretty smoothly, although I had some difficulty installing the new motor due to the tight fit and stiff seals. The dishwasher now runs much quieter and I haven't seen any evidence of leaks or other problems. Success!