I don't blame you, I wouldn't do this either. I fixed this problem on an 'on location' machine about 6 month ago with tie wraps and it worked flawlessly ever since. I did clip the tie wraps for neatness when I was done, I took the photos attached photos to document how far off the bracket holes are.

20200125_152114 (resized).jpgpasted_image (resized).png
I noticed when removing the VUK that the holes did not line up with the support support bracket; out of curiosity I tested the VUK with the screws out and it worked perfectly! This told me imminently that Stern mounted either the VUK or support bracket in the wrong position and is a great way to test to see if this fix is going to work before doing anything else.

At that time I decided to just leave the 2 screws out and used tie wraps to secure it to the bracket to keep the VUK from vibrating when the coil fires.

IMO a possible permanent solution would be to simply mill the VUK bracket holes into sloted holes so they line up with the threaded holes in the support bracket; then just add a couple flat washers to the bracket when putting it back together and call it done.

EDITED: To correct quotes and attached photos.

This isn't a permanent fix but has lasted for several hundred plays with zero degradation, and in a home environment would likely last years. I can assure you the VUK is firmly secured to its support bracket and there is absolutely no movement when the solenoid fires as ALL force from the VUK solenoid hitting the coil stop is applied equally across the VUK mounting bracket and the support bracket to the playfield.

All I'm doing is providing an alternative for folks that for whatever reason aren't comfortable with the fix presented by Stern. In all reality this is a design flaw that should be addressed by Stern with a proper fix sent to everyone that has this defect.

I have to admit I'm very puzzled by this statement and cant see any piece of metal that will break from fatigue here, please point out to me what part of the mounting bracket you think is going to break.

I cant re-engineer this, but for what it does, it should had a simple flipper mech or similar hold coil for raising and lowering the ramp. This device causes more interruptions to game play than any other device on the machine by either having balls trapped under it or shot back into it while its raised, although the later can easily be fixed with code by having it either score the shot or by stopping all mode timers.

For real? Are you aware that she's 68?

I would as well.

Image: https://f002.backblazeb2.com/file/gamecode/elvira3-0_97_0.Release.16G.sdcard.raw.zip
Instructions: https://sternpinball.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/How-to-Create-a-SD-Card-for-a-SPIKE-System-Pinball-Machine.pdf

you dont copy the file to the drive...you have to write the image to the flash card as a bootable device, to do this you have to use 3rd party software.

Cost...Stern will use the cheapest cards on the market that work..

The only thing I can say it the "temp" fix I implemented hits the targets 100% of the time, usually centered on 24 and commonly hitting 36+24 or 24+36. I actually reduced the power of the VUK from MAX to somewhere around 160 so that it would have some randomness on where it hit. The biggest problem I have with sterns fix, is they have you move the wrong bracket as with even 1 screw in the support bracket you are tweaking the VUK; IMO (based on it working flawlessly with zero screws) is that the support bracket is the one that's off but there is absolutely no easy way to move it. Another issue you could be having is its possible that the VUK may be resting on the plastic subway and changing its angle.

OPINION: This is a very busy busy area and things just don't fit like they should...almost as if something had to move prior to manufacture without fully considering the effect it would have on other items in the area...or someone said "just make it fit!"

The biggest repetitive failures I see with this game is from the trunk opto that shines through the cutout for rollover switch. The bottom side opto is held in place with a single screw and as we all know anything in a pinball that has only one fasten point is going to move.

Medieval Madness Royal Edition

I believe they broke the Trailer Trash mode in v0.97. I noticed that if you start a mode then start a multiball during the mode, Trailer Trash isn't available when you complete the mode while the multiball is still running ... I either missed this in the release notes or it an undocumented feature. Any one else notice this?

I've noticed an interesting bug after installing v0.97 and am wondering if anyone else has seen this; occasionally and infrequently after finishing a game and attempting to start a new game the machine doesn't do anything at all when you press the start button...then after about a minute, the game resets and then continues to operate just fine. Anyone else run into this?

Thanks for replying, I was actually thinking this as well the first time it happened, after that I was looking for it and can confirm it happened with no additional shots into the house.

if you have the coin door open and pull the interlock switch out to its bypass position...does it boot up properly?

Congratulations, it really is a fun game to play, which is why part of me wants to buy this game as it really is fun to play; however, the more logical part of me continually refers the design and engineering of this machine and compares it to that of a Twilight Zone ... and for the same money I just cant pull the trigger no matter how much I want to.

My scores are that high...

...In my dreams

EDIT: changed sores to scores...one letter does make a difference

HA! damn typos

I thought your original post was very clear on what you were asking ... I honestly have no idea what was unclear about your SD card question

EDIT: It may be that folks don't realize Spike games use an SD card in the same fashion as a computer uses an internal hard drive. If I had to guess, I would assume that windows is only capable of reading the files on the boot partition and the rest of the card is formatted in some form of Unix like EXT4 that Windows cant see.

I'm curios what it looks like in my CentOS 7 machine...may have to play with this this weekend

Think of it as a smart missile in other Stern games.

Words of wisdom ... use Loctite or Permatex on everything that comes loose when you fix it so you don't have to go back in as Stern didn't use any on anything. The cellar VUK is a huge PITA as you have to remove both the house and the backboard plastic just to get to the screws to remove this assembly to adjust the switch for this assembly; ANY engineer worth a damn would have put the screws on the assembly and used T-Nuts on the backboard to hold it in place...this would probably have added an extra $1 per machine though.

Addition thoughts after removing the VUK TWICE to adjust the switch...do not test this with the playfield resting on the maintenance arms, this small additional angle will make it seem like its working but it will fail to work properly when the playfield is secured in its normal position.

that does work in a pinch and I've had to do it before; however, this ( https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00093GEC6 ) is 100 times better and works for removing screws so you don't have to spend 30 minutes under the playfield looking for that assembly screw you just dropped and heard bouncing around and never fell into the cabinet.

Hopefully Stern implemented a fix for the VUK that was better than the one they provided a workaround for.

You can also test it this way:
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/elvira-s-house-of-horrors-the-owner-s-club/page/75#post-5706730

This "temporary" fix was done back in January in an on location machine and has been working great as the ball hits the bank targets 100% of the time. You will also want to reduce power to the VUK from 255 to somewhere around 160 - 180 to get some variation on which bank target the ball hits.

... dont forget .98 its a huge update

0.98.0 - Jul. 23, 2020
=======================

- Reprocessed deadhead audio to exclude large amounts of trailing silence
that was blocking follow-up speech requests.
- Added Clown (deadhead) to the Deadhead Family Crypt.
- Added Double Header (deadhead) to the Deadhead Family Crypt.
- Added more video clips to DRIVE ME CRAZY for background and loop shots.
- Added lamp effects for DIRECTOR'S CUT start, shots, and levels.
- Fixed a bug with the Elvira popups that was causing requests to fail.
- Added lamp effects for DRIVE ME CRAZY.
- Turn off CRYPT VUK ball save for COMPETITION mode.
- Added a new setting to allow/disallow the crypt VUK ball saver during
multiball (default is NO, do not allow).
- Changed scoring for DRIVE ME CRAZY (increased the base, made increments
based on the number of deadheads banished, and increased the score for
each loop shot made).
- Added laughter and speech to the start of DRIVE ME CRAZY.
- Added extra scoring for each SKELETON KEY collected for the sneak-in
behind the left loop.
- Added a way to save and cancel changes to the score color in the main
UI (via the color editor). Added a way to restore the colors to the
default (factory) Implemented exit dialog with EXIT/SAVE+EXIT/CANCEL.
- Update player score colors after they are edited instead of only at
power-up or at the start of a new ball. This allows the colors to be
edited in the middle of a game.
- Randomize ramp dome flashing in attract mode.
- Shaved some time off of the attack combo timer for THE WEREWOLF OF
WASHINGTON. Increased the scores for the attack combos.
- Changed initials and names for some HSTD.
- Cleaned up background messages for TEENAGERS FROM OUTER SPACE. Added
text to describe the spinner bonus a bit better. Increased scoring for
spinner.
- Added video clips, sounds, lamp effects, scoring for the top lane skill
shot.
- Added new lamp effects, sounds, and music for trailer trash.
- Added pop-up for TEENAGERS FROM OUTER SPACE (old cave).
- Added sounds to game start effect.
- Fixed a stale frame glitch at game start where a frame of an old video
is displayed.
- Restore score frame player score colors at game start (the match effect
may have changed then to white).
- Added lamp effects to thunder sounds when the ball is in the shooter
lane.
- Added shaker effects to thunder/lightning storm (maximal use only).
- Added additional stage to TEENAGERS FROM OUTER SPACE (cave).
- Extended lamp effects for WILD WOMEN MULTIBALL super jackpot (explosion).
- Adjust EQ and volume for several sounds, speech, and music.

V0.97.0 - Jun. 25, 2020
=======================

- Improved the presentation of the lamps during TRUNK MULTIBALL. Mask
off left 3-bank, jackpot, RGB arrow and junk in the trunk lights during
big light effects.
- Implemented the RAY GUN for UN HAPPY HOUR and DRIVE ME CRAZY, these
were not implemented.
- Fixed a problem where TRAILER TRASH would award the full value instead
of the hurry-up (counted down) value.
- Added score font color editor that allows the user to set the colors
for the scores in the main UI (foreground and background).
(From the main diagnostics menu, navigate to UTIL -> GAME -> RGB and
edit the colors using the utility.)
- Cleaned up MATCH displays; eliminate dark shadows and improve lighting
behind the house windows.
- Implemented the FLASK (junk item); this increases the values for
anything that uses the JACKPOT lights and/or the JACKPOT display effect:
WILD WOMEN MULTIBALL
ADD-A-ZOMBIE MULTIBALL
ATTIC ATTACK MULTIBALL
TRUNK MULTIBALL
PHONE-A-FIEND
HOUSE PARTY
GAPPA ANGRY
DRIVE ME CRAZY
MAKE-OUT MAYHEM
SCREAM TEST
RUN FOR YOUR LIFE
GAPPA ANGRY MULTIBALL
- Added Elvira pop-ups for DIRECTOR'S CUT (that's a wrap) and (cut cut cut).
- The ENTER INITIALS display for HSTD was not rendering the right-most
character in the input alphabet when the user pressed the right flipper
button to scroll the characters to the left. This has been corrected.
- Sync thunder sounds with main-play display thunder/lightning when
the ball is in the shooter lane and the main-play display (house, for
sale sign with pumpkin) is running.
- Resequenced the HAUNT completion so the Elvira outro is sequenced first,
followed by the B-RESTORATOR level (which may light EXTRA BALL), followed
by TRAILER TRASH LIT.
- Added video clips and sounds for WILD WOMEN MULTIBALL total:
(Show parrot laughing/insulting if one shot or less. Show women behind
tree if the super jackpot is collected. Otherwise parrot squawking/women
in shrubs.)
- Edited down the video clips for DIRECTOR'S CUT (these were taking too
long). Moved the Elvira pop-ups for the level award (cut, print it) to
shortly after the start of the display effect (instead of the end).
- Elvira's 'cut print it' pop-up was being inhibited sometimes when
requested at the end of the level award during DIRECTOR'S CUT (and
sometimes it would not show up). It is now always requested and should
always show up.
- Hold up kickout of cellar lock during DRIECTOR'S CUT level award so
the player can see what is going on.
- Move the WILD WOMEN MULTIBALL SUPER JACKPOT shot around after each
shot is made so the player doesn't keep shooting the same SUPER JACKPOT
shot over and over.
- Added video clips from UNTAMED WOMEN (black & white) to the first part
of WILD WOMEN MULTIBALL. Moved video clips from THE WILD WOMEN OF WONGO
(color) to the last (super jackpot) part of WILD WOMEN MULTIBALL. (The
color clips from THE WILD WOMEN OF WONGO were the only clips used in the
previous version for all parts of the multiball.)
- Fixed an issue with the TRAILER TRASH hurry-up score where it would
count down and allow the player to collect a score that did not end in
a ZERO.
- Changed the score font in main UI that allows coloring of the outline.
- Fixed an issue in the main UI where the PLAYER UP message would flash
too quickly.
- Give out multiball jackpot awards from the CELLAR if the HOUSE ENTRANCE
RAMP is UP due to HAUNT taking priority.
- Implement THE DEAD RETURN ball save settings:
NONE
ADD TIME
MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE
- THE DEAD RETURN ball save setting set to NONE for COMPETITION mode.
- Fixed the shaker motor effect for the spaceship hitting the ground
during the start of the TEENAGERS FROM OUTER SPACE mode (this is timed
much better).
- Adjusted the position and size of the timers during the ENTER INITIALS
display for HSTD so they do not overlap other elements.
- Added video clips/sounds for total pages: SCREAM TEST and RUN FOR YOUR
LIFE.
- Added new sounds for POOL PARTY (splashes).
- Added video clips/sounds for MANOS: THE HANDS OF FATE total.
- Fix up ENTER INITIALS display for HSTD (title area) so it does not
overlap other graphical elements (looks bad). Vertically align/center
the text.

$600 does seem high, I don't think it will be anywhere near the same quality as the Medieval Madness King of Payne topper for the same price https://www.chicago-gaming.com/coinop/medieval-madness#pid=2 ... but if I'm wrong and it is, then its totally worth it!

That is funny, no way it will sell out for several years unless they produce a very high quality item ... unfortunately this is something that Stern is not really known for.

As a side note, the really nice looking topper Stern made for Game of Thrones is still not sold out, likely due to the $500 price tag.

I'm almost positive this is a bug in the 0.98 code. I've seen it register with shots to the left orbit multiple times. Not that it would be a bad thing for the left orbit to score a backdoor shot, just makes it too easy IMO.

Maybe the Crypt mech as well. The entire crypt sequence can be done with stationary target alone.