led signal light

Hello All, Please bare with my n00b-ness as I am completely new to all this... Ok so what I am trying to do is the following... I have purchased a 12v led strip that I am wanting to use for my back windshield as signal lights, but I want to put 3 separate strips of 12 leds in each strip for each side except the first strip would be 18, that form one solid strip, that blink in sequence and then fade out... kind of like the new mustang... but I want them to blink, fade out, then blink, fade out, then blink and fade out... all in sequence... Strip 1, then strip 2 and then strip 3, Then start over again... any help would be greatly appreciated... I have read that a 555 timer is in need? But that's as far as I can understand... I have attached what I am talking about kind of... if you can understand... I was inspired by the tesla model s 3rd brake light...

I am willing to pay for someone to make this for me as well please let me know if someone can make it or if I can buy some sort of module somewhere for this task...

Forget the 555. You'd use a a uPC or PICAXE etc else buy and off-the-shelf circuit (which would be cheaper than having someone deign & build it for you). I'd google for such products else similar DIY projects.

thanks oldspark I did find some stuff thats similar but I dont know how I would join them together persay and make them accomplish what I am trying to accomplish.... This thing I found on eBay will make it flash, and/or dim but how about doing both in sequence? and then going to the next light strip and then, the next and starting all over again? eBay in line dimmer controller

No eBay links (read the Rules). But I have those 360838907406 dimmers - I'd assume they are PICs or PICAXEs tho maybe as a masked mass produced item. But how would you switch and cascade them? IMO too messy unless you have no DIY or other choice. Sequencing is easy - you could use a 4017 one-of-ten decade counter as a divide by 2 or 3 or 4 counter plus some extra logic. That might be messy enough, but it's the dimming that gets real messy.

An after thought... I added a 3rd brake (& tail) LED strip to my vehicle. I later considered making the outer sections dual color (amber & red) to double up as flashers not unlike your idea. My end conclusion - use individual addressable RGB LED strips. Then instead of having wiring nightmares and dual color LEDs etc I'd have completely programmable colors & brightness & patterns - all thru a 3 or 5 wire (whatever it was) connection to the LED strip. Suitable IP rated strips based on WS2811 or WS2812 LED chips are reasonable cheap (via eBay etc). There are other controller chip types but the WS281x seem the most popular. And there seem to be enough public domain - sorry - Open Source programs for at least the Arduino. (I haven't checked for the PICAXE 08M2.) Because I see this as a uPC project (Arduino, PIC, etc), the extra work required to control the LEDs shouldn't be that much extra. And I'd argue far simpler and reliable than any uPC switched method involving wire & circuits. (As to non-uPC circuit solutions, IMO no way.) And of course once implemented, ANYTHING can be displayed. My first enhancement would be white light for my tray (that's after any flashing red stops or wave flashers or strobed hazard flashers etc.) It's mere additional programing...

hmmm... ok I see what you are saying... but honestly I am such a noob at this that I wouldnt know where to start to do what you are stating... I have no sort of knowledge with Arudino or picaxe... what if I were to do away with the dimming altogether... what would be the easiest way to make the strips blink in sequence and restart?

A 4017 counter or similar.

i dont know anything about that how would i wire it up? and program it?

No programming the 4017 - it's merely a counter. See refs like headlight switch, CD4017 datasheets, maybe head and park lights on with momentary sw. You need to split for each side - ie, either 2 circuits or external gating/selection to sent the output to whatever side.