Might be the Cap!
It sounds like you may have a bad capacitor. The capacitor is a metal can or cylinder with terminals on one end. It should be located under a cover panel on the outside unit. If the unit uses a dual capacitor it will have three terminals on it (most common). The three terminals will be HERM, FAN, and C (stamped into the metal next to each terminal). The herm terminal is the start assist for you compressor the C is common and the FAN is the start assist for the condenser fan motor. Caps are not easy to check but they are fairly cheap, $15 to $20.
The clicking sound you hear may be the contactor (switch) that provides power to the compressor. If you are inclined to replace the cap take the following precautions. Disconnect the power to the outside unit (trip the breaker or pull the service disconnect). Discharge any stored charge in the cap by touching a screwdriver across the terminals, then go ahead and replace the cap.
Hope this helps!
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