It should engage only when you get the 500 pt roll-over in the midfield lane above it, but its engaged all the time. From the start of ball 1, its engaged. When the game goes through its start up sequence, it does disengage, But just as it serves the ball to start a new game, it re-engages for the duration of the game.

The kicker gate coil is labeled "BB", and there is a hold switch on the score motor dedicated to it, but I can't get the gate to disengage no matter the position of the switch. Open or closed, it has no effect, the coil stays engaged.

Any ideas?

The game plays 100% correctly, and all scoring is correct. The only issue is the kick out gate, which is on the lower left of the playfield, is always engaged, meaning it always saves your ball and kicks it back out onto the playfield. The gate that controls whether your ball drains or kicks back out is supposed to engage only when a dedicated rollover switch in the left mid side lane is closed, also scoring 500 points. In other words you're supposed to earn it, it shouldn't be on all the time.

There is a similar lane on the right side whose rollover switch controls the lower right ball return gate, which returns the ball to the plunger instead of draining it. This gate works, only engaging when the rollover switch is hit.

Jeffc, Rolf, you are the best! Thanks especially Rolf for the diagram. If I were in Switzerland, I'd gladly buy you a beer or six!

Yes, it was the second rollover switch in the ball return lane. I was blind to the fact that the gate was controlled by TWO rollovers, not just one. When I check the second one, sure enough, one of the switches in the pair were making contact. Simple fix, it shows that it pays to slow down sometimes. With 8 machines in my repair que, I get in too much of a hurry sometimes!