Discharge the capacitor completely before testing
Set the multimeter to capacitance mode if available
Connect the red probe to the positive terminal and the black probe to the negative terminal for polarized capacitors
Connect the probes to either terminal for non-polarized capacitors
Read the capacitance value on the display
Compare the reading with the capacitor’s rated value
If the reading is close to the rated value, the capacitor is likely good
If the reading is far below the rated value, the capacitor may be faulty
If the multimeter shows OL, 0, or no reading, the capacitor may be bad or the meter may not support capacitance testing
If capacitance mode is not available, set the multimeter to resistance mode
Touch the probes to the capacitor terminals
Watch for a low resistance reading that quickly rises toward infinity
If the resistance stays very low, the capacitor may be shorted
If the resistance stays at infinity with no change, the capacitor may be open
Reverse the probes and repeat the test for polarized capacitors
Remove the capacitor from the circuit for more accurate testing
Check for physical damage, bulging, leakage, or corrosion before testing