If you can smell gas at any point, stop. Turn every burner knob off, do not operate switches, open a window, leave the house and call the gas emergency number from outside. Everything below assumes there is no smell of gas and the clicking is simply not producing a flame.
The Usual Cause Is Moisture or Alignment
Spills boil over into the burner assembly, and cleaning water runs into the same place. A damp igniter clicks without producing a spark strong enough to light. Turn the burner off, let the area dry completely, and give it several hours if it was recently cleaned or if a pot boiled over.
Then check the assembly, with all knobs off and the surface cold:
- Lift off the burner cap and check it sits flat and square in its seat. A cap rotated slightly or resting on debris stops the flame carrying around the ring.
- Look at the small ports around the burner ring. Clear blocked ports with a straightened paperclip or a soft brush, never a toothpick that can snap off inside.
- Clean the igniter electrode gently with a dry toothbrush. Do not soak it.
- Refit everything fully dry, and make sure the cap seats with a positive feel rather than rocking.
Reading the Pattern
Which burners are affected tells you a lot. One burner clicking and not lighting while the others are fine points at that burner assembly. All burners clicking continuously, even with the knobs off, usually points at a switch or the spark module. A burner that lights but drops out once the knob is released is a different fault again, often around flame sensing on models that have it.
Where to Stop
Spark modules, igniter switches, valves and any work on the gas supply belong with a qualified technician. Do not attempt to light a burner with a match while the igniter is clicking, and do not leave a burner turned on hoping it will catch, because unburned gas collects. Book a Maytag range repair and describe which burners behave how.