My engine light flashes only when acceleration.

Does the vehicle have regular maintenance, oil and filter change? The ticking might be oil pressure issue? Is the oil pressure ok? Use a long metal shank like a long screwdriver or lug wrench. Place the tip on the valve cover, the other end of metal on that bone behind your ear, it helps magnify the sound. See if you can locate the sound? Just dont get anything caught in belt--pulleys--radiator fan, Safety is your responsibility. If the sound isn't coming from under valve cover, try it on the oil pan.

Check for applicable trouble codes. To check codes yourself, at the least, you need an obd2 code reader. Some of the national brand autostores will check codes for free. Let us know what you find.