I have a 97 F150, 6 cyl manual trans with 165K on the odometer.

This issue began about 6 months ago, hard starting cold and intermittent wiper operation.

In the past 6 month period the starter failed and I had it replaced. After I took the truck out of the shop the wipers worked perfectly and the engine was starting beautifully; 1st-2nd crank. I don't know if the hard starting and wiper issue are related, but only mention to possibly provide more clues as to the problem.

Anyway a few months pass and the truck engine will only start if I leave the key in the 'ON' position for approx 2-3 minutes and the wipers are back to working intermittently. While running, the truck eng is smooth, no misses, lots of power and will start warm no problem.

Listed below are the repairs done to the truck in the past 12 months.

clutch
fuel filter
starter
thermostat
new battery to starter cable
wiper motor (mechanic changed this to resolve intermittent wipers) didn't work
new wiper control on steering column (mechanic changed this to resolve intermittent wipers) didn't work
oil filter/oil

Any clue as to the possible orign of the problem will be greatly appreciated.