How Do I Test A Relay?

How Do I Test A Relay?
My air conditioning went out on me and I would like to rule out a bad relay as a possibility.
I have an analog multimeter.
Could I use that to do a resistance test?
Which terminals do I test?

[NIX]

Replace ut with another relay is what I'd do. They cost about nothing, especially at the U-pull-it. If you insist on testing, some wires, a batterie and a testing light wil do the trick. Here's some ralay info .

So I can just use my analog multimeter to do a resistance test on the coil terminals to see if its burnt out and then resistance test the normaly closed terminal.
What batteries can I use to effectively energize the coil so that I can test the normaly open terminal?
Will any 1.5V AAA, AA, C, D, 3V button, or 6Volt battery work?
Could I just use the 12V car battery to energize it or would that fry the coil and or shock the terd out of me?

[NIX]

Assuming werte talking about the litle squareones with 4 or 5 terminals, they ARE powered by 12v DC from the battery, to let pass the full 12v DC from your battery to whatever neds to be powered. The relays are only used to prevent switches (mechanical and electronics) from getting fried and to prevent resistance because of long, flimsy wires, flimsy switches and flimsy connectors.

To test them, put 12v from + on your batterie on terminal 30, put a test light between terminal 87 (or 87a if present) and the - of the bat.

If you insist on using a multimeter, choose ohm and just put the meter between the 30 and 87 or 87a.

Put a wire on the 85 and connect the 86 with the minus of your battery. Putting the wire against the battery + makes the light go on or off (or let the multimeter shoe lots of resistanc or none), depending if you test it on 87 or 87a. If the light or meter reacts, the relay is fine, if it doesn't, use another relay.

I would't even think of testing the resistance in the coil. It eiteher works, or is good for the trashcan.

Can't make it more difficult. Good luck. [img]images/graemlins/burnout.gif[/img]