A La Cornue burner that lights and holds a flame, but keeps clicking every second or two the whole time it runs, is describing a different problem than a burner that sparks and never catches. The flame is fine here — the spark module underneath the range top is the part still trying to do something.
Why It Keeps Clicking
The spark module’s job is to generate an arc at the electrode until it senses the burner has lit, at which point it should stop. Continuous clicking after ignition means that sensing step is not completing — either moisture has reached the electrode or its wiring, the electrode has shifted position relative to the burner, or the module itself is not receiving the signal that tells it to stop. None of that affects the flame you are cooking over directly, which is exactly why this is easy to ignore, even though it should not be.
Moisture Is the Most Common Cause
Cleaning around the cooktop, spills that run down between burners, or general kitchen humidity can reach the electrode and its wiring more easily than people expect, and a damp electrode produces exactly this kind of continuous clicking until it dries out on its own — often within a few minutes once the range has been used a couple of times. If the clicking stops after the range has run and cooled a few times, moisture was very likely the cause and no part is needed.
When It Does Not Stop
Clicking that continues indefinitely, on the same burner every time, points toward the electrode’s position or the module’s wiring rather than moisture. An electrode that has shifted even slightly out of the gap it needs relative to the burner cap can keep arcing without the module ever registering ignition, and that is a positioning check rather than a part replacement in many cases.
Why This Is Not Just an Annoyance
A spark module that keeps arcing draws current continuously and, over time, wears its own electrode and contacts faster than normal use would. Leaving it clicking indefinitely because the burner still works tends to turn a simple adjustment into a full module replacement later. It is also a reason to keep the area around the burner clean, since continuous sparking near any accumulated grease or residue is best avoided.
Before Opening Anything Underneath
The spark module and its wiring sit behind the control panel, connected into the range’s low-voltage ignition circuit rather than something meant to be reached into during normal use. If checking or resetting the electrode does not stop the clicking, that panel is a technician’s job to open rather than something to work through by trial and error.
If a burner on your range keeps clicking after it lights, a La Cornue range repair visit checks the electrode position and the spark module before assuming a part has failed.