Medeco Lock Rekeying Nationwide | Novak Lock & Security Los Angeles

Medeco Lock Rekeying: The Los Angeles Owner’s Guide

Medeco lock rekeying in Los Angeles typically runs $45-$85 per cylinder for residential deadbolts and knob sets, with high-security rim cylinders and commercial mortise cores landing at $75-$140. We stock Medeco key-in-knob, deadbolt, and rim cylinder pinning kits on every van, and most residential rekeys are completed same day. Homeowners usually discover a rekey is needed after a move, a lost key, or a tenant turnover, when the question becomes whether the existing Medeco cylinder is worth rekeying or has reached the end of its service life.

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Which Medeco Models This Applies To

Medeco has produced several cylinder families over the past four decades, and the rekeying approach differs by series. The original Medeco Biaxial system, still common in Los Angeles homes built 1995-2010, uses angled pin tumblers with sidebar engagement. The newer Medeco3, introduced around 2003, added a slider mechanism for pick resistance. Most residential hardware in Los Angeles carries the 32 series (key-in-knob), 11 series (deadbolt), or 20 series (rim cylinder). The 31 series mortise cylinders appear frequently on commercial doors in DTLA and Koreatown.

Identification starts with the key head: Biaxial keys show “MEDECO” with a small registered trademark, while Medeco3 keys add “3” or “M3” stamping. The cylinder face may also read “ASSA ABLOY” on post-2010 production. We do not guess. Our technician photographs the existing cylinder, confirms the pinning kit compatibility, and quotes the rekey in writing before touching the hardware. Novak Lock & Security Los Angeles is an independent service provider, not affiliated with Medeco.

OEM Medeco pinning kits use proprietary key blanks with UL 437 listing. Aftermarket equivalents exist for some Biaxial applications, but we stock factory pinning kits exclusively. The reason is straightforward: Medeco’s angled pin geometry tolerances are tight, and we have seen aftermarket pins shear at the angle after 18-24 months of use in Los Angeles coastal humidity.

Signs Your Medeco Lock Rekeying Is Failing

• Key requires jiggling or repeated insertion to turn. This usually indicates worn pin chambers or accumulated grit from Los Angeles dust and Santa Ana wind cycles. The cylinder can be cleaned and rekeyed, but if the chamber walls are scored, the new pins will bind again within months.
• Key turns but bolt does not retract fully. The tailpiece or cam connecting cylinder to bolt mechanism is worn or misaligned. On Medeco deadbolts, this is often a tailpiece length issue after an incorrect cylinder swap by a previous technician.
• Key works in one direction only (lock or unlock, not both). The sidebar springs have weakened or the sidebar itself is sticking. This is a rekey-plus-repair situation, not a simple pin change.
• New keys cut from code do not operate the lock. Either the code record is wrong, which happens when locksmiths guess instead of decoding, or the cylinder has been rekeyed previously without updating the card. We decode every cylinder physically before cutting.
• Lock was rekeyed recently and already feels loose. In Silver Lake and Echo Park, we see this when a competitor used standard .003-inch pin kits instead of Medeco-spec .005-inch increments. The wider tolerance causes rapid wear.

Replacement Cost & What’s Included

The range reflects cylinder condition, not bait pricing. A clean Biaxial cylinder with intact chambers rekeys at the lower end. A cylinder with seized pins, damaged springs, or a worn cam requires chamber honing or cam replacement, which moves the price up. We tell you which before we start. Haven Standard Clause 1: the price on the phone is the price on the invoice. The full price is quoted before anyone is dispatched, and it is the price on the invoice. No call-out surcharge is added on arrival.

Every rekey includes new bottom pins, master pins if applicable, new sidebar springs, lubrication with Houdini Lock Lube, and six new keys. The 365-Day Done Right Promise covers the work. A documented photo record is left with you at completion.

DIY or Call Us?

A Medeco cylinder can be removed from most residential deadbolts with two Phillips screws. If you are comfortable with that, you can bring the cylinder to our shop for rekeying. What you cannot do safely at home is decode the pinning, cut keys to Medeco restricted blanks, or verify sidebar spring tension without a plug follower and pinning kit. We see cylinders destroyed weekly by owners who attempted to shim the sidebar without supporting the plug, dropping pins into the housing.

Medeco’s sidebar mechanism is under spring pressure. Disassembly without the correct tools scars the chambers and voids any remaining warranty from the original installation. For a single cylinder, the shop rekey saves you roughly $20 in labor versus mobile service. For multiple cylinders, or if the lock is installed on a door you cannot easily remove, mobile service is the practical choice. Call (213) 632-4875 and we will quote the exact price for your configuration.

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