Island Shine Car Wash LLC in Austin
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Austin, Travis County, Texas, US
From the business
Site: http://islandshinecarwash.com/
- Monday:Open 24 hours
- Tuesday:Open 24 hours
- Wednesday:Open 24 hours
- Thursday:Open 24 hours
- Friday:Open 24 hours
- Saturday:Open 24 hours
- Sunday:Open 24 hours
To start, I absolutely love this car wash. I come here practically every other day with my Challenger.Unfortunately, there seems to be a new trend of there being screws and nails in the bays. Went today and found 8 screws at the bay nearest to the car wash. Now, granted, this is obviously not the fault of the car wash, and I’m not even sure how the owner could solve that issue, without knowing who or when the screws are getting thrown down. But the way they were scattered seemed intentional, like someone is trying to pop people’s tires.I’m gonna take a break from coming here for a while, as I really can’t afford to be risking my tires for a wash, but I promise I’ll be back. Just keep an eye out whenever you pull in!
Loved the fact that they have free working vacuums! Washed my car as well through the drive through and it did a great job for 10$. Not as good as if I did it myself but I’m lazy loved that they had options! The vacuums look like you have to pay but the first one I tried worked amazingly. Glad to have a clean car.
This place is good, however the pressure washers have no pressure. Couldnt even remove the soap from the vehicle much less bird poop or road tar...*Update* owner refunded money and I have since been two more times... everything was in working order, the vacuums were especially powerful the last trip.
Good management but tough business... Needs a better on site product vendor who tends too the machines. Also sir or maam, I edited my review because Id rather not see island shine car wash become a 500 unit apartment complex. So, Can we figure out why my vehicle is still dirty after a 8 minute hose down?
Using the clean stalls was both cheap and very effective. Got a good shine on my car for only $4! Better yet, the vacuums were free (at least for the month I was there).My only minor complaint is switching between cleaning modes took a while, which is difficult when youre up against the clock, but for the price, I really cant complain. Be sure to come here during irregular times, as this place packs up quick.
Awesome, I received a personal reply from the owners. This is my go to car wash, and have been going here for years.New automatic car wash machine. Prices are up $15 for the everything wash and I still ended up needing to use the hand sprayer.I do like this place though. Great location, free vacuum usage during select months.
The brushes are too worn. Even after scrubbing there is a film stuck to the car. Last time I went the pressure was so low it wouldn’t blast off bird poop. Squeezing the handle only gave you about a 20% increase in pressure. Vacuums are pretty weak too.Maybe the bristles are too long and aren’t very effective with grime. I went back again today and the pressure was still too low. Bird poop and bugs don’t come off at all. You have try soaking and hitting the car a few times with brush and sprayer going back and forth.Been going, bays closest to the automated wash seem to have lower pressure. Bay furthest away from drive through wash had good pressure. Will try to use that one. Sometimes you have to wait to use a vacuum because there are people taking advantage using vacuums that didn’t wash their car and just drive off after vacuuming. Not sure what the owners can do for greedy thieves.
As a car guy who lives in an apartment building, I am a frequent user of coin washes and this is a fantastic car wash. Lots of bays so there was no line when I went. $2 to get started, and that was plenty of time to rinse off the car. They also have parking spots out front with FREE VACUUMS where I parked and did a rinseless bucket wash.I just moved to Austin and I will be back here regularly to keep my car clean.
Good business, takes care of the equipment. I dont recommend the automated car wash, the rubber brushes are great for flat panels, but they do not do anywhere near a good a job as the traditional cloth composite ones. Got about 90% of my F250 clean. Used the 10$ package which was the 2nd of 4
The reason I gave it to 3 stars is due to the time it takes the selection cycle ie: from wheel cleaner too soap it can take a good minute ad a half for the wheel cleaning solution to clear the line ( Trust e you dont want to spray that stuff on your paint) and the lack of any extra time added most places offer extra minutes once you purchase a set amount. Too much wasted time added to the expense.
Great location. Fairly clean although Im sure its extremely difficult to keep places like maintained. Especially as far as the trash is concerned, which is a no brainier. The free vacuums draw me in each time Im needing to wash my car. I appreciate them very much. However, they could use some maintenance, if thats even an option, as they seem to be very weak as of late. If thats not possible, replacements should be considered. Maybe not should as they are free, but it would be nice if they would consider replacing them. Starting with the weakest/suckiest of them all. Not a good suckiest.......😉 Prices for self service washes are average & Ive found the length of time given is better than some of the other car washes in the extended area. The last time I visited, my wash wouldnt start for about 15 seconds, which doesnt sound like much.....unless youre on a 2 - 3 min timer. Over all, I prefer this car wash to others & love the fact its operational 24 hours a day. PERFECT for night owls like myself.
Island Shine Car Wash is a pretty average car wash that offers self-serve wash, automated car wash and free vacuums.On a busy day, I picked the automatic car wash as I was on a schedule. I can also wash my car at home in my driveway if I want to save money. I know not everyone is so lucky as to have their own driveway with easy access to a hose, hence why these services exist.I picked the $10 wash and the result was okay. Front and sides of my Mini Cooper look good, but the back of my hatchback still has some dirt, especially the rear window. Rims also look meh.My expectations going in are never too high as very few car washes do a good job at cleaning the back of my car. Only two or three new facilities in Round Rock, Killeen and San Antonio manage to exceed my expectations. I have yet to encounter a single high quality car wash in Austin, and Island Car Wash, unfortunately, is no exception.All in all, this car wash is a bit like giving your car a pirate bath. You know youll have to take a proper bath or shower soonish, but in the mean time, itll do the job.My main concern with this automated car wash is how much contact with the car is necessary to give it a good scrub. While the brushes looked clean and new, the car was literally shaking. Now you might be thinking but Tina, you have a small car, that must be why it was shaking! Alas no, in all the times Ive been using car washes, never before has my car felt like it was being shaken like a fruit tree while being cleaned. This car wash definitely had an attitude problem.In all seriousness, beyond that, no major issue to report. Its an okay place. Just dont expect wonders and you should be fine.
My first experience was terrible waited 15 minutes until a lane was vacated only to find that the credit card swipe was inoperable, no sign, nothing. Waited for a little bit and got into a better lane. I have since been here twice and my only main complaint is the amount of time given compared to other washes. I often charge my card 3-4 times at this wash. Yet others I get 1-2 with the same amount of time. Seems odd considering power, water and expenses should be roughly the same. But theres a convenience factor as I work nearby. Overall good car wash, slightly longer times and new brushes would make it a great car wash. Dryer wand like other car washes i would give 5 stars. Close, but not there yet!!
Just moved to Austin from California. Best self-serve car wash I’ve EVER been to! Clean, efficient, plenty of space, inexpensive and free vacuuming. It would cost me an average of $8-$10 for a car wash in CA. At island, I only payed $5 for a full wash. Keepup the great work!
FREE VACUUMS!!! You cant get any better than that. Yeah you can you can have soap that comes out every time. And foaming brush that actually foams. Some other places tell you that they have foaming brushes but it doesnt. This place is always clean and on top of that its right next to a Sonic so you cant lose with that combination
My go to car wash! Love the self-serve stations where you can slide your credit card and go crazy without stopping to feed quarters! Does a nice job with various washing options. The drive-thru does a nice job as well when youre on the run or dont have time to do it yourself. Very nice vacuum stations, too, that are often free as a monthly special. Thanks, Island Shine Car Wash!
Just moved to Austin a and gave this place a try. My Tesla was transported over from California and was filthy. Payed for the $6 car wash (ranges from $5 to $10) and my car was as good as new. You can also wash your car yourself as well. Vacuuming was free for this month and on top of that, this place is open 24 hours which is amazing. I will be coming here a lot!
I’ve been going here since I moved up north. Each time, my car was so sparkly clean and it was worth every penny! Though, I went two days ago, and I notified that they upgraded their setup. I also noticed that their prices went up. I’m guessing since it’s new, that’s one of the reasons why no description was placed anywhere on what each selection contained. I went ahead and got the $10 option because why not? Unfortunately, I wasn’t impressed. More, I was disappointed. My car was still dirty and there was still soap running down even after the machine had finished. For $10, I was hoping maybe it would clean it a bit better. But I’m giving it an excuse that maybe it’s just because the equipment is new and I just happened to be unlucky. I will try this place again at another date. Hopefully everything works out better this time.
If youre looking for cheap car wash its the place to go. They have several lanes of self car wash which is good as I dont see many self car wash lanes around the area, but people take there own sweet time in washing which makes the waiting time longer sometimes.Theres automated car wash lane as well which is pretty good for the price and options it has.Vaccum lanes are always occupied or broken sometimes. It gets really busy on weekend. I would suggest getting wash done in the evening due to less crowd.
Clean, lots of bays, everything worked well and i found it to be less expensive than the other manual washes i have gone to. My car was filthy so i went over it twice and only spent $12! Then i saw that the vacuums were free!!! I have my dogs in the car a lot so there is tons of hair everywhere. A free vacuum is so so wonderful! And if you factor in the price of vacuums at other washes, you realize you are saving even more money! I had been searching for a good car wash and im happy to report i found a great one! Ill be back and im recommending it to all my friends!
Clean & safe + Sonic & Taco place near by :-) friendly owner- a loyal customer however not a fan of vacuums-always seem to be full or inoperable, I realize its probably cuz theyre free- I actually wash my car there, new auto wash is ok but meh...also, maybe dryers were adjusted??? Bay washers work well :-) I have a new mid size SUV now, used to work better on my smaller Versa. :-)
Needed to sell my car fast. I know touchless car washes dont get the dirt off As well but at least they dont leave scuff marks. The wash went well but when I got to the vacuuming the hose was Broken. So I had to hold it together while I was vacuuming. The tells at the vending machine are not as advertised but 3 of them got the job done. I was able to clean my car well enough that the dealership didnt even need to test drive it.
I have always brought our cars here. This morning I brought my Impala and notice the price had gone up on the auto car wash. That wasnt a big deal or so I thought. I paid for the top washwhich was $15. When I got into the bay I noticed the owner had replaced the brushes. Well needless to say this was the worst wash I had done on my car. The brushes missed some spots on the side of my car. I can understand the bumpers of the car because sometime the brushes cant reach around the plate but the side of the car.
Went in on a Monday evening for the self-serve wash and there was no line. The stalls are spacious and the machinery is set up high so no worries about clearance. Clear instructions on the wall for guidance during the wash, if needed. Great water pressure, quick switch between the different cleaning guns, convenient button to press to extend time if using a card, and noticeable shine after washing! Designated port area to dry off and do quick, final touches. Only two things could use improvement: the knob to switch between settings has some play in it (wiggles left/right) so its hard to tell if youre on the right setting; and when trying to do a final spotless rinse after waxing, the hose kept dispersing wax so my hardtop has a nice sheen to it on the rear quarter. Not a big deal, but a little frustrating. Believe it was the second or third stall from the western-most end. DEFINITELY RECOMMEND REGARDLESS!
*updated*I did review our credit card statement again and the charge did change from $15 to the correct price of $10. Apologies to the owner, but I hope you understand how alarming it is when you get charged the wrong price, especially I have been going here for years and use it about once a month. If there is signage explaining the pre-authorization I have missed it. I do think Im not in the wrong by saying the $2 for 4 minutes using coins and a credit card is $3.50 for 7 minutes is not clearly explained at the stations.*original review*LOOK AT YOUR CREDIT CARD STATEMENTS!!$10 car wash, was charged $15.Ive been going here for years and I feel completely betrayed. The self service wash says $2 and my statement says $3.50 per wash. SCAM. Post the real price and stop ripping people off.
I go here all the time for a quick wash and vacuum. Nothing fancy, credit card readers sometimes a little clunky and I feel the need to review the charges to my card to see if Ive been double charged but so far no issues. The equipment in a place like this takes a beating, but it appears that management is responsive.
Came here to leave a bad review for the car wash charging me double. Man I feel dumb. I was pretty upset because I worked hard and fast to get my car done in two charges. Turns out its a temp hold and I was correctly charged for two cycles. If I had one more minute I would leave a five star review. Ill be back and hopefully refine my process so I can hit more options in my time.
Not for people who care about their cars. I can excuse the trash on the ground within the wash bays. But leaf blowing and erratic sprinklers next to all the vacuum bays (after everyone has just washed their cars), is unacceptable. I went to a different car wash so that I could have a clean car after wasting time and money here.
Never again. I (my bank now says) spent $10 there, though I only paid twice, for what was supposed to be $4 per. And the shampoo aspect did not work AT ALL. No fluid, no foam, nothing, no matter how hard I scrubbed. And there was no one to complain to, or even a number to call on the machines. I even tried changing machines. They fail horribly. A $10 vacuum was NOT what I intended.
[updated an older review].After genuine concern from the (new-ish) owner, I will upgrade my review. They do seem to want to fix the problems. Supposedly, there is now a new credit card machine for the auto wash and there are now phone numbers posted for when you have a problem.I was also asked to explain mediocre at best. Well, the dials in the self bay are old and most of the labels are missing...causing me to spend time figuring out which one was the rinse....which is just more money out of my pocket. I also found the time to be too short for the money paid. At other washes in town, I either get longer time or pay less money for each session. The wand worked, but the pivot up top argued with me quite a bit. The brush and bay were both clean.So, Im upgrading my 1* to three.[older review: Ive been there twice. I had the same money-stealing experience with the automatic wash; I couldnt find a way to report the problem and get my money back. Much more recently, I was in a hurry and thought that the manual wash would be fine. It was mediocre at best and quite expensive compared with other wands around town. I was terribly disappointed all over again.]
The bays are always clean and the owner is easy to work with. Had a small problem and he quickly resolved it. The phone number was posted every where so I do not know what the other person was talking about! The new machine is really fast and does a great job. Will keep going there for sure.
I went here on Friday. I thought I paid $8 (2 $4 transactions), but was actually charged first $10, which was cancelled (apparently this is a hold), and then $12.50, which was $4.50 more than what showed up. Do not use your card here if you can avoid it. Now I have to dispute the charges with my bank and of course, there is no receipt. Oh, and the number for this place goes to some dudes voicemail. What a shady operation. Never again.
Total reviews rating 4.2
178 Reviews for Island Shine Car Wash LLC 2023:
Review №1
2022-01-01Car was just as dirty after washing it as before. Free vacuums are great, but if you want your exterior clean go somewhere else. These photos were taken AFTER washing the exterior!
Review №2
2022-04-06Self serve coin car wash, 7 bays, $2.50 cash to start 4.5 minutes. Wand pressure is not much pressure, lower than 75% of other car washes.. No tokens that I saw. Popular. Open Sunday February 27th 2022. I did not try using a credit card or the automatic bay. Edited 2022-04-06th.
Review №3
2022-05-11Been coming here for years, and I live it. Wish they had some type of drying options for self wash and the hose takes about 30 seconds to a minute to get the soap to come out and waste your time. Besides that I love this site great car wash but I wish it was a little bit cleaner and like I said dryers !!!!
Review №4
2022-06-18I was there today, and the owner helped me out when my card wasnt able to be read, so he used his card and resolved it. Nice. Sometimes Ive had to wait in line, at peak times, but never more than 10 minutes. Vacuums are all free! Multiple self-serve bays, and one fully automatic one which does a good job consistently.
Review №5
2022-04-15Been coming here since 2019 for quick washes. No problems with the facility itself.Just had two instances of really sketchy-looking folk coming up and asking for money. But thats out of the 20+ times Ive been here.Always paid with a credit card. Never had any issues.
Review №6
2021-05-05This is my favorite self service car wash. Good water pressure and all the cleaning options work properly. They have a shaded area for drying and detailing your vehicle. Vacuums work great too! Sonic is right next door if you get hungry or thirsty!
Review №7
2022-05-25Hands down, best car wash in all of Austin. While there I ran into the owner, very nice guy. For real though BEST CAR WASH!
Review №8
2019-02-21Good facility, they have clean stalls and easy to use machines. Good prices for the self wash and gotta love the free vacuuming. They always seem busy, but usually they still have available stalls. People are usually friendly and helpful. I would definitely recommend this car wash.
Review №9
2022-01-18At 1st I thought it was great free vacuum nice wash. I spent 15 bucks on I dont know dirty water I guess because by the time I got home it was not clean the windows were still dirty on the outside and outside and the trunk was still dirty so it wasnt working very well Ill think twice about spending that much in a car wash again especially this one, unhappy customer,
Review №10
2018-11-17Great self service car wash. Best one I could find in north Austin. Clean equipment, quality soaps and good price per time. Free vacuum and sink. Non-sketch card readers or coin exchange available. Highly recommend!