Something is drawing enough while parked to drain my battery, from 100% to unresponsive, within 24hrs, finally have a few days off so perfect time to occasionally come and check what it could be.
2yr old battery, I've already pulled fuses for the Audio Gateway, Command, SOS teleaid, mobile phone, none of which seem to be the culprit. I've had a meter in series on the battery but can only see 100mA, I suspect something happens after it's been resting for a while.

I want to park and arm my ML leaving the tailgate up for access to the fusebox, but I also want it to think the tailgate is in the down/locked position, how can i achieve this?
Any suggestions on what may be the gremlin?

 

The first thing that must be done is to slow charge the battery overnight until it reads 12.7 volts and leave the charger attached.

With the key out of the ign. open the hood, right front door and the tailgate. Move the right front seat up and forward as far as possible so you can access the fuse box where the battery is stored.

Throw the latch on each open door, hood & tailgate which will simulate that the doors are locked. Wait 20 mins. so every module goes to sleep. After the 20 min. wait, you cannot open any other door or turn on the ign. or else the timing will have to be repeated.

Then with a DVOM, start testing each and every fuse, as per the video, starting with the Load Comp. fuse box. , Cockpit fuse box, Eng. Comp. fuse box and lastly the Barrery Comp. fuse box, in that order.


Note: when finished, remember to pull handles to open door latches. For hood, pull inside hood release.

 

Amazing step-by-step and thank you for your prompt response!
Results are as follows.
Cockpit.
#13. 5A Steering Column module Upper control panel control unit 0.4mV [22mA]
#14. 7.5A EIS [EZS] control unit 0.1mV [9mA]
Battery Compartment.
#86. 30A Cockpit fuse box 0.1mV [51mA]

Current draw obtained using conversion chart from Powerprobe site.
https://www.powerprobe.com/fuse-voltage-drop-charts

I'm fairly certain the Maxi Fuses had zero drop, but the probes were too large for the test points, really had to jam them in.

 

Read voltage on battery, then throw the latch on the right front door and remove fuse #86. Then monitor the voltage drop at the battery for a period of 6 hrs. and compare to original reading.

If there is still voltage drop then you will have to do the same thing with fuses 13 & 14 (one at a time)