Discharge the capacitor fully before testing
Set the multimeter to capacitance mode if available
Remove the capacitor from the circuit if possible
Connect the multimeter probes to the capacitor terminals
Read the capacitance value on the display
Compare the reading with the capacitor’s rated value
If the reading is far below or above the rated value, the capacitor may be faulty
If the multimeter has no capacitance mode, set it to resistance mode
Place the probes on the capacitor terminals
Watch for a low resistance reading that rises toward infinity
Reverse the probes and repeat the test
If the resistance stays near zero, the capacitor may be shorted
If the resistance stays infinite with no change, the capacitor may be open
Check for polarity when testing electrolytic capacitors
Replace the capacitor if it shows leakage, short, open, or incorrect capacitance