Hi, I recently purchased a 2003 Jaguar S-Type 4.2L V8, and so far I'm pretty satisfied with it! It's fast...

Anyway, I registered on this forum to get some help with a few problems I've been having. I have found many helpful posts so far, but I've been unable to find a solution to the following problem:

There is a strange clicking noise in the headliner above my head while driving.

The best way I can describe this clicking noise would be, if you take your thumb and middle finger on one hand, and put your fingertips together, and make a clicking noise with your fingernails by clicking them next to your ear.

This is the most annoying thing while driving! It's messing with my head, and I'm hoping someone has had this problem and may be able to help me resolve it. I do have a power sunroof, but it seems to be just far enough away from that (to the left) to where I don't think that it is related to the problem. Plus, the clicking happens whether it's opened or closed.

The clicking happens whenever the car is moving, at any speed.

It seems like maybe the headliner is separating from something...? I have tried pushing, hitting, and slapping the headliner in the spots where it sounds like the clicking is coming from, but nothing seems to help.

This is driving me mad. Please help me. Clickety-click-click.

Thank you.

 

There is a round button located just left of the radio display. Rotate said button clockwise until clicking noise can no longer be heard.

 

Same problem on the '03 I had. I fixed it by reaching back behind my head and pounding on the headliner with the side of my fist (with fairly firm pressure). I took a couple of tries over multiple days but it finally went away. Not elegant but it worked.

Good luck,
Eric

 

So we are thinking bugs?

 

Thanks for the replies so far. In responding to your responses:

1. I can hear the clicks over the radio. I don't want to blow my speakers trying to drown out the clicks, either. Funny reply, though.

2. I have tried hitting it several times already, pretty hard, and it's not going away.

3. Definitely not bugs. Yuck. Anyway, the noise starts only when my car is moving, even slowly. But the second I stop, the clicks stop.

My guess is that it has something to do with the way the headliner is attached to the roof. Does anyone know what is used to secure it to the roof? Is there something sticky or gluey that they originally used? Maybe it's like a sticker getting stuck/unstuck over and over again. Just a thought.

I still need help... Anyone else?

 

I notice a creaking or clicking coming from the roof on mine as well. Mine is the sunroof. I found out by pressing my hand on the sunroof while driving. The sound stopped. I figure it is something to do with the weather strip and was going to post here for suggestions on what people have used to stop weather strip squeaks. The first thing I would do is press one hand on various places like the head liner, sunroof, and sunroof sunshade and listed for the sound to either go away or change. Once it does, you've found the source. If you like, have someone ride along who also hears it and have them press around on various parts. After that, it may well involve taking things apart to fix it.

 

The cheapest and easiest attempt to fix this annoyance would involve coating all rubber weatherstripping surfaces in and around your moonroof with a silicone-based lubricant made to do just that. Then, open and close the moonroof numerous times to help distribute the lubricant to where it needs to be. I like a product called Sil-Glyde. Been using it for decades. It comes in tubes at auto parts stores and hardware stores. Does a great job on silencing weatherstripping squeaks and it's also good on toasted English muffins with just a dab of butter....

 

Do you hear it when you close the headliner over the sunroof? If my sunroof is open and I stand outside and look back into the back of the open sunroof and headliner there is a gap with velcro. Maybe something came loose inside of the headliner. Try having someone drive the car while you move around listening for the actual place the sound is coming from.

 

Just an update, I ended up punching the headliner with EXTREME force and noticed that it "crackled." I did it again (of course only in the spots where the noise was coming from), and it seems to "crackle" some more. I decided to start punching the hell out of the headliner in the spots where the sound was coming from (while driving, which I don't recommend), and lo-and-behold, the noise disappeared.

I'm thinking it was either adhesive they used to attach the headliner, or it was some kind of soft-plastic that turned brittle after years of sitting in the sun.

Either way, the sounds is gone, the headliner is still intact and looks perfect, and I'm slowly regaining my sanity.

Hope this post helps someone else in the future from losing their mind.