My Zanussi 1600 fails to let me programe it?

Has anyone come across this problem with this model. When I switch on the machine. The display no longer comes on and stays on, it seems like when I press the buttons to programe the machine to wash a load, it will not respond to me pressing the buttons, its as though, there is a short somewhere. When I do eventually programe it (can take upto 10 mins of trying and trying again), it does not display with the countdown. Also it will stop sometimes and I have to press the start button to make it carry on. Any help would be appreciated. Cheers