I don't understand where this mythology about
capacitors has come from.
Because they are "mysterious" - not at all obvious what they do and how
they work to somebody who doesn't have a clue about electronics (but won't
admit to that). The concepts of resistors, or even diodes, are simpler
to grasp.
For entertainment, ask automobile mechanics what the "condenser" (a
capacitor) does, what the coil is and does, or even why the spark occurs
when the points separate rather than when they make contact.
They have NO IDEA how to test one, so therefore, "it MUST be changed when
you change the points" because they are somehow "matched" to each other,
and there certainly can't be any substitution from another model! (OK, one
with too short a connecting wire can be a hassle to install)
Most are not even aware that metal transfer from one side of the points to
the opposite is usually due to wrong capacitance.
"But, electronic ignition eliminates the whole problem, so there is no
need to know anything about that kind of stuff. And the USB OBDII reader
would tell you if you needed to know."
Admittedly, their symptoms can be peculiar - I once encountered a car that
seemed to pull to the right due to a bad condenser!! THAT was hard to
explain, until I went on a windy road while watching a scope. There was
an intermittent fault that came and went while turning, or even in the
small tilts in one direction but not the other in normal engine vibration.