Why is it going only 30mph? What's wrong with my engine?

[yeyo]

I was going about 80mph on the Freeway (75mph-Speed limit), then I heard a noise coming from my 2.4L engine. Then in less than a minute the car could NOT go faster than 30mph . Then I pulled over I let the car running and then I opened the hood; I noticed right away that the noise was coming from the engine block or somewhere where the pistons are or somewhere inside the engine . It sounds like if something broke inside and that something is jumping or something inside the engine
What could it be???

[yeyo]

That noise sounds like a some bolts being shaken around in a metal can!!! And it also sound a little loud!!!

[gzone]

i just got this car so not sure what the main probs are with this motor. but was the motor shaking real bad and was there any oil under the hood. If so could be a blown head gasket with possibility of extra damage if there's a lot of knocking sounds. I had one truck blew the head gasket and the number one cylinder apart and thats what it did.

[fbod383]

sounds like the timing chain

[G-Dam96]

my car did something like that on the interstate. I dropped 2 cylinders as I was rolling. It turned out that the housing was crached, so I had to buy new plugs, new coils, and a new housing unit. Couldn't believe a cheap piece of plastic could make my car go to half strength.