To place a multimeter in Relative mode for capacitance, leave the test leads open and press the REL button. Once you've found the capacitor, place the shaft of the screwdriver on the positive terminal … Set the meter on Ohm range (Set it at lease 1000Ohm = 1k). Make sure the capacitor is discharged. The writing or markings on the capacitor leads will most likely be a (+) and a (-). Connect the meter leads to the capacitor terminals. Use the same procedure whether you are using an analog meter or digital multimeter as you are testing for electrical resistance. To test a capacitor by DMM (Digital Multimeter), follow the steps given below. Set the knob on your digital multimeter to capacitance settings, then connect the probes to the terminals of the capacitor. Then, use a screwdriver to open the appliance so you can locate the capacitor, which is a metal tube that should be near the motor. Next, take the multimeter leads and put the black lead to the negative side of the capacitor and the red lead to the positive side. Connect the test leads to the capacitor terminals.
Keep test leads connected for a few seconds to allow the multimeter to automatically select the proper range. Wear work gloves and use a screwdriver with an insulated handle so you don't shock yourself. This removes the residual capacitance value of the test leads. For non-electrolytic, you can join them either way; it wouldn’t matter. To get your readings right on an electrolytic capacitor, connect the red probe to the positive terminal, then the black to the negative terminal. To check a start capacitor, start by turning off and unplugging your appliance.