Ford Escort 1998 problem

Ok So my Ford escort is kinda weird. I just bought the car its a 1998 model of some sort. When I go up a steep hill it will act like it is out of gas and then shut down. After it shuts down I have to wait a lil while before it will star back up. I don’t understand why this happens. Another problem Im having is the fuel gage. For some strange reason the car runs out of gas when the fuel gage is on half full. Either that or it is just close to empty when on half full. Why is it like this and how do I fix it. Thanks guys. Signed, Mechanically impaired.

For starters, change your fuel filter. The sending unit for the fuel gauge is likely FUBAR. There may be a way to check it by measuring the resistance on the sending unit wire leads. Does the gauge read full when you fill up and drop in a reasonable fashion to the 1/2 point? Frankly, I would probably live with it resetting the trip odometer for an independent check so you won’t run out of gas. If the fuel tank need to be removed to replace the sender it might be expensive to replace it.