super cap boost build

ws9876

I bought a pre assembled string,15v, of super caps  a few years ago. The string has its own balancer controller built in I guess but I haven't seen it. The pack is wrapped up in blue plastic. It works good, charges from a 12v battery quickly. I put it in a box with 4 awg wires and wanted to rig it as a boost box for a V6 engine start. It unloads before the battery so it handles most or all of the start current.I put the project aside for years but now want to finish it. The only issue now is measuring the current rush to the starter and making sure it does not exceed the rush that comes from the battery. That way I won't worry about damaging anything. But if I hook it up to the starter and test it and it is too much it would be too late.!!! So how can I 
rig up a test on the current rush that will give me some useful info? I have it now hooked up to a cigarette lighter and it trips it  in about 10 seconds.And then a little longer as the voltage drops.The caps recharge in a couple minutes from a 12v battery.
The engine is a chevy Vortec 4.3 in a Silverado pick up truck.The alternator in the engine charges at about 14.5 volts.
What do you think...?

BB.

What is the rating of the super cap bank? You may find it rated for 100 amps and maybe 200 amps (or more) for short surges.

I would guess that the starting current is somewhere in the 80-150 amp range. You could use an AC+DC Current Clamp DMM... You probably don't need the "fancy/expensive" instant current reading model... Just start cranking and see what the current is...

Plugging into the cigarette lighter outlet--Typically those have a 10 amp fuse. And I am not sure what you are saying "trips in 10 seconds"...

This meter is good for 100 Amps DC max for $50:

https://www.amazon.com/UNI-T-Digital-Handheld-Resistance-Capacitance/dp/B0188WD1NE

Or you may have to find another meter that goes over 200 amps. This is for $120:

https://www.amazon.com/Auto-Ranging-Resistance-Klein-Tools-CL800/dp/B019CY4FB4

And just for FYI... 4 AWG cable, 100 amps, at 4 feet (one way run), on 12 volts:
https://www.calculator.net/voltage-drop-calculator.html?necmaterial=copper&necwiresize=5&necconduit=pvc&necpf=0.99&material=copper&wiresize=0.4066&resistance=1.2&resistanceunit=okm&voltage=12&phase=dc&noofconductor=1&distance=4&distanceunit=meters&amperes=100&x=0&y=0&ctype=nec

Result

Voltage drop: 0.82
Voltage drop percentage: 6.80%
Voltage at the end: 11.18

-Bill