One of the condenser's main functions is to keep point set contacts arcing to a minimum to keep the contacts from burning up. I've known old-timers that could look at your points and tell you if your condenser was either over or under in capacitance by looking at the points wear and whether metal was being deposited to the stationary or moving contact!

Usual recommendation is to replace when points are changed but I often left it alone if point contact wear was even with no metal "migration" from one contact to the other...

As the condenser is in parallel with the points I suppose that symptoms would be a no-start/spark condition if shorted or a weak spark and hard start/rapid points wear condition if open.

Justin B.