Many multimeter tools display the resistance measurement setting as the Greek letter "omega."
Capacitors connect to a receiver's circuitry and store electricity. Stored electricity is discharged to smooth the feed of electricity to the receiver or to discharge bursts of electricity to the receiver's components. Capacitors use two plates, separated by an insulator, to store the charge. Failed capacitors will pass unregulated current through to other components, fail to store sufficient charge or fail to pass any electrical charge. Replace capacitors with visible damage, such as high corrosion, bulging or dielectric gel leakage. Test suspect capacitors with a multimeter to determine the functional state. Always discharge capacitors before handling to avoid electric shock.
Instructions
Preparation
1. Turn off the receiver and remove the device from the electrical power source.
2. Loosen and remove any screws or bolts securing the receiver's cover. Remove the cover to access the circuitry.
3. Inspect each capacitor for visible damage.
4. Discharge any capacitors identified for testing. Grasp the thick copper wire by the insulation only. Touch the bare portion of the thick copper wire against the capacitor's two leads. The leads extend from the bottom or sides of the capacitor depending on the type. Hold the bare wire against the capacitors leads for at least 30 seconds to discharge any stored electricity.
Capacitor Testing
5. Adjust the multimeter tool to measure Ohms or set it to the Greek symbol "omega." The Ohm measurement is often noted as the Greek symbol "omega," which resembles a horseshoe.
6. Hold the black multimeter lead against either of the capacitor leads. Hold the red multimeter lead against the remaining capacitor lead.
7. Watch the resistance measurement output on the multimeter tool.
8. Determine the functional state of the capacitor. Functioning capacitors display a "zero" measurement followed by a steady climb toward infinity. Capacitors in an "open" state will fail to register any reading. Failed capacitors with electrical shorts will display a "zero" measurement only. Leaking capacitors initially display a "zero" measurement, climb toward infinity and stop during the climb.
9. Replace capacitors with visible damage and any capacitors that fail the resistance test
Tags: capacitors with, display zero, display zero measurement, visible damage, zero measurement