'02 Forester "turns off" while driving

Maintenance/Repairs
1

First off, I would just like to thank all of those who give of their time and expertise to help normal Joes like me.

My Forester was dead one morning and when I went to jump it off my pick-up in a hurry I did the age old palm to forehead and didn’t pay close attention to the posts on my pick-up battery. Crossed the posts.
So I began working through the common known issues.
Replaced the main fuse. Didn’t Start.
Replaced the battery. Started… Yay!
Car shut off while driving. Did not sputter out, simply cut out like turning the key off.
Started right back up.
Positive battery cable was loose. Replaced it.
Grounds are good.
Alternator output is good.
So here are some more details on the car shutting off.

This last time as I was coming home from the store and the car shut off on the main road through town. I had enough momentum to get off to the side of the road. I tried to start it and it would turn over. Normal turn over sound but the car wouldn’t start. I took a minute to check other electrical things in the car with key in the “on” position. Radio worked. Dome/interior lights worked. But then I noticed something strange. None of the dash lights came on (Car is not started but key is in “on” position). The windows did not work either.
It started after about 5 minutes time and I made it home, forgot to roll the windows back up. Turned key to “on” again and couldn’t roll the windows up. Got out of the car and came back after about 5 minutes, turned key to “on” and the dash lights came on the windows rolled up.
Thanks in advance for any help.

2

From what you stated about the problem it seems power is getting to the ignition switch okay but the area like the dash warning lights don’t come on. This makes it seem like there is a faulty connection to power possibly after the ignition switch, at least to the dash area. Power from the ignition switch ties to the dash fuses and then to the different circuits. There could be a problem with ignition switch also since it has a couple of sections. Check voltage to the dash fuses while this trouble is happening. If some of the fuses don’t have power to them then the switch is suspect. If all the fuses do have power then perhaps the trouble is a loose connection to the cluster panel. Use the slits on top of the fuses to check the voltage to them.