The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Checking condensor

I know how to check capacitor, but how do you check s condenser? Cap has two connection points, but the condenser only has the pigtail. I usually change it when I change points, but it would be nice to know for future reference. Thanks, John

as far as I know, you check it the same way as a capacitor, the case is the 2nd pin.

Thanks Mike. That's what I thought, but it never hurts to ask. John

Touch the pigtail with the + wire of a 12 volt battery and the case to the negative wire of the battery, then toss it to your friend who is not known to be violent. He will immediately indicate to you if it is functional.
Carl

12 volts won't do it, but a pulsating 100+ volts will. I used to charge up condensers with the distributor tester and leave them on a wooden workbench for my "curious" students to pick up!
Jerry

A very crude way to check is to use a VOM (analog) meter on resistance. Use the upper scale of resistance as that's the 9 volt battery on a higher end meter like the 260. Just touch the leads to the pigtail and ground. The meter will go to zero quickly as it is drawing current from the meter battery. Just as quickly the needle will move to infinity or close to it as the condensor build up to the supplied meter voltage. Reverse the leads and do the same test. Yes it's a very crude test but if the condensor is shot you will see it. This test is for electrolytic caps which is what a condenser type is. If needing more a local radio shop my have a real capacitor checker and check it for you.

Thank you for the correct method for making new friends!

are condensers all the same or do they
vary depending on Make of vehicle, engine, etc

just curious, I guess the local Flaps would under stand
if you said you needed a condenser for a 52 chevy 235 engine

I test condensers by installing one in a distributor. If the engine pops, backfires, stumbles, has no power under load or acceleration, then I assume that the condenser is bad. Keep installing new ones until one works.

>> Don't replace condensers when you install new points, even though that's the way that we were taught in the 50s / 60s. If it is working then keep it.

Condensers are going the way of the buggy whip. Fewer cars need them, so major manufacturers are farming them out to off shore companies with less quality control. At least that's the state of condensers for low volume vehicles ... like my '55 MG TF.

New condensers for my MG are often bad right out of the box. Some owners have modified their distributors to accept condensers for high volume 1970's vehicles like Chevrolets. I use a condenser for a 1978 Plymouth Arrow in my MG because it fits and it works.

Lonnie

There are a number of different types of capacitors. Many are used in electronics which do thing like phase shift to start an electric motor and blocking a DC voltage while "passing" an AC one. Current leads voltage with a capacitor by 90 degrees. Inductors (coils) are just the opposite.
The electrolytic capacitors is used in our case here as it has the capacity to store an electrical charge as Hotrod noted. They come with various values and voltages. I have read in old car manuals that by looking at the "spike" that forms on points you can tell if your cap value is wrong. The spike will form on one side or the other depending on the value.
OK, school is dismissed.