Statement of Cash Flows (Detail) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2012
Operating Activities
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities	$ 133	$ 86	$ 41	$ 1
Investing Activities
Proceeds from sale of assets	0	0	2	1
Cash payments for plant, property, and equipment	(54)	(60)	(124)	(125)
Cash payments for software related intangible assets	(6)	(3)	(12)	(7)
Changes in restricted cash	4	0	(5)	0
Net cash (used) by investing activities	(56)	(63)	(139)	(131)
Financing Activities
Issuance of common shares	12	0	13	0
Retirement of long-term debt	(3)	(22)	(8)	(403)
Issuance of long-term debt	0	0	0	250
Debt issuance cost of long-term debt	0	(1)	0	(13)
Purchase of common stock under the share repurchase program	(2)	(18)	(2)	(18)
Increase (decrease) in bank overdrafts	44	(2)	35	0
Net Increase Decrease In Revolver Borrowings And Short Term Debt Excluding Current Maturities Of Long Term Debt And Short Term Borrowings Secured By Accounts Receivable	(84)	3	107	236
Increase Decrease In Secured Short Term Debt		30	107	60
Intercompany dividends and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations	0	0	0	0
Capital contribution from noncontrolling interest partners	0	1	0	1
Distributions to noncontrolling interest partners	(23)	(18)	(23)	(18)
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities	(56)	(27)	122	95
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(19)	(8)	(12)	2
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	2	(12)	12	(33)
Cash and cash equivalents, April 1 and January 1, respectively	233	193	223	214
Cash and cash equivalents, June 30	235	181	235	181
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Operating Activities
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities	87	122	(15)	124
Investing Activities
Proceeds from sale of assets	1		1	0
Cash payments for plant, property, and equipment	(23)	(22)	(55)	(47)
Cash payments for software related intangible assets	(6)	(1)	(9)	(2)
Changes in restricted cash	0		0
Net cash (used) by investing activities	(28)	(23)	(63)	(49)
Financing Activities
Issuance of common shares	0		0
Retirement of long-term debt	0	0	0	0
Issuance of long-term debt				0
Debt issuance cost of long-term debt		0		0
Purchase of common stock under the share repurchase program	0	0	0	0
Increase (decrease) in bank overdrafts	40	0	40
Net Increase Decrease In Revolver Borrowings And Short Term Debt Excluding Current Maturities Of Long Term Debt And Short Term Borrowings Secured By Accounts Receivable	0	0		0
Increase Decrease In Secured Short Term Debt		0	0	0
Intercompany dividends and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations	(102)	(102)	35	(76)
Capital contribution from noncontrolling interest partners		0		0
Distributions to noncontrolling interest partners	0	0	0	0
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities	(62)	(102)	75	(76)
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(3)	(3)	(3)	(1)
Cash and cash equivalents, April 1 and January 1, respectively	4	3	4	1
Cash and cash equivalents, June 30	1	0	1	0
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Operating Activities
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities	73	24	88	3
Investing Activities
Proceeds from sale of assets	(1)		1	1
Cash payments for plant, property, and equipment	(31)	(38)	(69)	(78)
Cash payments for software related intangible assets	0	(2)	(3)	(5)
Changes in restricted cash	4		(5)
Net cash (used) by investing activities	(28)	(40)	(76)	(82)
Financing Activities
Issuance of common shares	0		0
Retirement of long-term debt	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
Issuance of long-term debt				0
Debt issuance cost of long-term debt		0		0
Purchase of common stock under the share repurchase program	0	0	0	0
Increase (decrease) in bank overdrafts	4	(2)	(5)
Net Increase Decrease In Revolver Borrowings And Short Term Debt Excluding Current Maturities Of Long Term Debt And Short Term Borrowings Secured By Accounts Receivable	7	41		68
Increase Decrease In Secured Short Term Debt		0	10	0
Intercompany dividends and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations	(8)	(6)	34	(5)
Capital contribution from noncontrolling interest partners		1		1
Distributions to noncontrolling interest partners	(23)	(18)	(23)	(18)
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities	(21)	15	15	45
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(19)	(8)	(12)	2
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	5	(9)	15	(32)
Cash and cash equivalents, April 1 and January 1, respectively	229	190	219	213
Cash and cash equivalents, June 30	234	181	234	181
Tenneco Inc
Operating Activities
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities	(27)	(60)	(32)	(126)
Investing Activities
Proceeds from sale of assets	0		0	0
Cash payments for plant, property, and equipment	0	0	0	0
Cash payments for software related intangible assets	0	0	0	0
Changes in restricted cash	0		0
Net cash (used) by investing activities	0	0	0	0
Financing Activities
Issuance of common shares	12		13
Retirement of long-term debt	(2)	(21)	(7)	(402)
Issuance of long-term debt				250
Debt issuance cost of long-term debt		(1)		(13)
Purchase of common stock under the share repurchase program	(2)	(18)	(2)	(18)
Increase (decrease) in bank overdrafts	0	0	0
Net Increase Decrease In Revolver Borrowings And Short Term Debt Excluding Current Maturities Of Long Term Debt And Short Term Borrowings Secured By Accounts Receivable	(91)	(38)		168
Increase Decrease In Secured Short Term Debt		30	97	60
Intercompany dividends and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations	110	108	(69)	81
Capital contribution from noncontrolling interest partners		0		0
Distributions to noncontrolling interest partners	0	0	0	0
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities	27	60	32	126
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, April 1 and January 1, respectively	0	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, June 30	0	0	0	0
Reclass and Elims
Operating Activities
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities	0	0	0	0
Investing Activities
Proceeds from sale of assets	0		0	0
Cash payments for plant, property, and equipment	0	0	0	0
Cash payments for software related intangible assets	0	0	0	0
Changes in restricted cash	0		0
Net cash (used) by investing activities	0	0	0	0
Financing Activities
Issuance of common shares	0		0
Retirement of long-term debt	0	0	0	0
Issuance of long-term debt				0
Debt issuance cost of long-term debt		0		0
Purchase of common stock under the share repurchase program	0	0	0	0
Increase (decrease) in bank overdrafts	0	0	0
Net Increase Decrease In Revolver Borrowings And Short Term Debt Excluding Current Maturities Of Long Term Debt And Short Term Borrowings Secured By Accounts Receivable	0	0		0
Increase Decrease In Secured Short Term Debt		0	0	0
Intercompany dividends and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations	0	0	0	0
Capital contribution from noncontrolling interest partners		0		0
Distributions to noncontrolling interest partners	0	0	0	0
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities	0	0	0	0
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, April 1 and January 1, respectively	0	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, June 30	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0