Replacing Battery Charger - how test cables before installing new unit

[tranquil]

I am in the process of replacing a Charles 5000 with a Sterling Ultra Pro 1230Plus. In the interim I've been charging the batteries with a portable trickle charger while on the hard while I am present. Prior to de-installing the Charles, the batteries showed at 70% charged. Uninstalled the old Charles and wanted to test the 2 red wires to determine which leads to "Battery 1" and assume the other leads to "Battery 2". 2 is a start battery and 1 are 4 Golf Carts wired up as 1 battery. However, when I put a voltmeter on each individual red wire that was connected to the old charger and test, there is nothing. Am I testing the wrong thing? How determine if the Charles charger is the issue or if the cables running to the Charles are the issue? Or where else the issue could be? I replaced the switch with a new one, so I dont think the switch is the issue. Thanks

[KenKrawford]

Terri, if you're just trying to determine which positive red charger leads go to your house and start batteries I'd use a multimeter. Disconnect both red leads from the charger and where they connect to each battery bank. Set your meter to Continuity Mode (maybe labeled as Ω) . Place one MM lead on one of the red wires by the charger (A) and the other lead on one of the red (positive) leads on either battery bank 1 or 2 - eg "B". If no continuity is indicated, switch the MM lead from "B" to "C" and you should have your answer. Be sure to disconnect the red charger leads from each battery bank or you could accidentally cause a short if one of you MM leads touches a ground.