Did you put in a ball?

It could be as simple as the ball isn't in the trough. Maybe it stuck somewhere during the move. Gottliebs wont start if there is no ball.

Something possibly shook loose in the move? Did you disconnect any cables to move the game?

Some days I feel just like you. I'm really rubbish at fixing these pins and I bought a few machines I honestly shouldn't have. I chalk those up to expensive lessons. Its frustrating. Because, pinball machines not only take up so much space, but also they take up time not just for repairs when they break, but you need to clean and wax them frequently too.

Since this lockdown began. I just did a few repairs on some of my machines. But, I mostly focused on playing video games. I think I needed a break from pinball. Anyway. Just take a break. Relax. And if need be, you might just have to pay someone around 200 dollars to come out and fix your machine. Small price in the long run to get a machine back running.

Sure learn how to do all the repairs you can, but when you can't figure it out, it might be time to pay someone for all the years of knowledge that they have.

This hobby is not for the faint of heart. You talked the guy down but did not try the machine on the spot before taking it? (If I am reading your post correctly) There are plenty of good guys that can try and help trouble shoot it for free. Sometimes you have to pay to have something fixed by a pro if you can't figure it out.

Don't give up. There are going to be plenty of days like this depending of what price and condition you buy stuff at.

Owning a game is not a requirement of the hobby. Sounds like you were fine until you started buying games.

Haunted House is an almost 40 year old System 80. If you had done your homework, you would've learned that System 80's can be a bear to keep working. Even moving them can cause issues, as you've now learned.

I would suggest testing all the fuses to start. If good, I would check all the switches in switch test. You say the ball is in the trough, but you need to see if the games sees it there.

yeah prob not the hobby for you if you get that frustrated over stuff like this. its part of owning pinballs.

You've got a $1500 budget from what you saved to pay someone to fix it. You can probably pay a tech to get it working next week for a quarter of that and you're still $1125 ahead of the game with your game working.

Reseat connectors, look for broken wires.

If it worked at his house, it is likely something minor. I don't know much about Gottliebs, but see if the ball trough switch works in test mode. Hang in there...post a help thread and work through it. Every fix gives you a little more knowledge.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/haunted-house-won-t-boot-

I have least experience with GTB SS machines so I'm probably of little use.

Is NIB in your future? Something under warranty?

do you have a working game or do you just have the space for one machine?
keeping one game running while fixing a second can keep your spirits high

It's something simple, trust me. Go back through all your connectors and make sure there seated good. Also make sure that you didn't miss any when plugging them back in as there is a lot to plug in on that game since you took the head off. Also make sure you didn't switch colored connectors around, in other words that the blacks to the blacks, blues to blue or whatever...
One question since I'm not sure if you mentioned it or not but does it come up in attract mode at least? Need more info.

John

Whoops. Just read that it coins up so thats a good thing. Get into a switch test and see if the ball trough is working correctly and that the credit/game start button is activating.

John

Why do you think the guy let you hack him down 1500 bucks.....

I had a haunted house and I had random troubles until I did all if the ground mods..then it worked great very dependable.
It is a very fun game.
You took off the head. Make sure everything is reseated in the correct connector.
It's always a fuse on that game

System 80s are notorious for ground issues. Read up on System 80 ground mods. Good grounds fixed 99% of the issues I've had with System 80 pins. Moving a pin with questionable grounds and it not working right after setting back up sounds totally reasonable and likely.

Here's some info on ground mods: https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/best-haunted-house-ground-mod

I don't know man... I think NIB even under warranty can have crap you shouldn't have to deal with. I'm not knocking it. But, I've had issues with all 3 of the NIB I've bought. Still working on one with Elvira. The really battered sinbad I bought is the best running pin I've bought to date. And that is beaten to hell and my oldest pin. But, it has a new board on it. So that does make a bit of a difference.

I've owned 3 Haunted Houses. It is a great pin...and GORGEOUS.
It sounds like it is extremely close to working. Im sure your tech will have it and pacman up and running soon. Don't fret.

There has been some awesome advice in here so far. Since you have someone coming over to look at it, you might just want to sit tight and not mess with it, but you can definitely go line through line on the posts here to give it a shot.
If/when the tech comes over, be sure to watch what he does and ask questions so you can learn. It will be invaluable.

dont be talkin crazy shit about giving up!..stick with it on this pin as its great game to add to your collection.much info and help you can get on pinside as well as the internet on haunted house..do the grounds as mentioned and you will eliminate much of your worry on this pin.many of us feel the same way at times when things dont work when we get our pins home after buying..bought ours from a great pinsider years ago on a great deal.my son went and picked it up for me.1 mile from buyers house a car slammed into the back of my sons van.game worked perfect before this at buyers house.got it home and sound no longer worked.i freaked out and was ready to throw in the towel on the deal..forced me to learn how to find and fix problems on other older gottlieb 80 and 80B games..like daditude mention..watch the tech and learn and you will be fine ..good luck

Are you sure it's not the famous slam switch issue in the coin door?

You should take pictures of the boards and post. If you had to take the head off there could easily be a connector in the wrong place or not connected at all.
With pictures, you'll get more help from Pinsiders.
I'd lift up that playfield one more time and look for a connector you may have missed.

Holy shit! This is a strong possibility. My Gottlieb Spirit had the exact same problem. Drove me nuts for days. A friend came over and fixed it in 5 minutes.

Post a photo of the inside of the coin door as well. Great point vdojaq!

I know how you feel when you are so excited get a new pin home and it will not start a game. You are correct it will be a simple fix in the end.
I am no expert but here is a good link I use as well:
https://pinwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Gottlieb_System_80

Buy a manual for it at Pinball Resource.A manual is very usefull for a Gottlieb.

A manual is always a great thing to have... Even if you don't work on machines yourself. That way if you do pay a tech to fix it, you'll know you will have at least one copy of the schematics and stuff. Can't expect all pinball repair people to have a manual for every machine.

This is some great advice Joe E. Bitterman. Now go look into a mirror and keep repeating this to yourself over and over. After that, go out to your barn and finish your “Freaking“ game room you lazy one eyed piece of shit!

Might I suggest an alternative?
Rather than giving up, sell a bunch of your arcade and consoles games and buy more pins.

I apologize in advance..
With all due respect, looks like you have 4 machines and have had them for around 4 years?
I’m new to this hobby, I think I’m coming up on a year- Just recently bought my 3rd machine. Last night, I was stone drunk and the ball launcher on my just purchased MSF was sending every single ball STDM.
Did I write a post about getting f’ed by the seller and spending a bunch of money? No.
My drunk brain did the logical thing and tore the machine open to replace the stripped screw on the askew target. (What a hassle, had to remove one of the lighting boards to get to it, a hell of a task when you’re 6 tall boys deep).
I pray to allah there’s a post about your machine not working in the tech forums- not just this one caterwauling about what machines do best- break down.
I went nuts deep on my first machine, learned things the hard way. I know that I don’t have enough money to pay someone to fix my shit, sounds like you don’t either.
Open the machine up and get started, it’s the only way. If you don’t want to do that, then yeah. Maybe the hobby ISN’T for you after all.

I recently bought a can of worms, a WCS. Voltage jumper set at the wrong voltage so the coils would fire etc and flippers too powerful.
Changed to correct voltage and coils weak as fuck. Go through it all and no joy so it’s out with the power board and in with a spare, bingo back to life.
Looked at original board and br3 has 2 pins with no solder in like it had been desoldered,WTF. Still had 72v at coils but no oomph. Few more things to sort and all will be good.

I believe in karma, it makes me smile.

Take your time and don’t stress. Plenty of help here.

There’s a reason this hobby attracts the Alphas. Embrace the repair side ALONG with the play side and you’ll see why.

Buy roll around carts, they’ll fill with tools, testers, spare parts quickly. It’ll be a fun ride.

If you took an older/elderly man down $1500 for a machine that you describe as 9/10 condition, then you deserve what you get.
Welcome to your first lesson of Karma from the pinball gods.
Knowing that it was working at sellers house and now after transport/set-up it is not, that means it is something you are over looking.
Always take pics of the boards in backbox if it's a machine you're unfamiliar with, that way you have a reference for re-connecting everything.
If you need a manual I can send one over.
-Mike

well good morning mike..always a treat to hear from you..wish my problem with this shop were as simple as fixing a HH...as you know back at home i had more than a few avenues and friends to help me with almost anything to do with our old shop or pinball..what maybe 100 or more pinsiders within 10 miles of the shop..even had some asshole who offered security cameras and plan to keep out thieves back home.. here..1-active pinsider in 35 miles of this new shop and he did not answer my welcome email..no power.. so impossible to even start a shop here...

Owned a Black Hole for a while. During that ownership I learned how to test and replace fuses, resistors, capacitors, and diodes. Learned everything about replacing coils and mechs. Became a master at soldering to include working on boards. Achieved a beginner's to medium level of reading schematics. All in all I learned 2 big things. 1) how to find a problem in a pinball machine and 2) Never own a Gottlieb system 80 again.

On the plus side at least your not looking at a $3500 paperweight. All kidding aside you knocked the seller down $1500 for a game you describe as 9/10 and pristine.

I wouldn’t have thrown a fit on pinside i would have just got a tech round and paid a few hundred bucks to get it sorted and still be thinking all in all I got a great deal. If I’d paid full price and then had an issue I couldn’t fix yeah that would suck no doubt!

Preach it brother!
The sys80s always get the best of me

Yes the more pins you get the more you will learn happy flipping