Statement of Cash Flows (Detail) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Operating Activities
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities	$ 115	$ 50	$ 89	$ 91
Investing Activities
Proceeds from sale of assets	1	4	1	6
Cash payments for plant, property, and equipment	(95)	(54)	(262)	(178)
Cash payments for software related intangible assets	(3)	(7)	(12)	(19)
Changes in restricted cash	0	0	0	(5)
Net cash used by investing activities	(97)	(57)	(273)	(196)
Financing Activities
Issuance (repurchase) of common shares	0	4	(1)	17
Tax benefit from stock-based compensation	1	17	18	17
Retirement of long-term debt	(6)	(5)	(16)	(13)
Purchase of common stock under the share repurchase program	0	(18)	0	(20)
Issuance of long-term debt	0	0	45	0
Increase (decrease) in bank overdrafts	(4)	(38)	(5)	(3)
Net increase (decrease) in revolver borrowings and short-term debt excluding current maturities of long-term debt and short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivables	(20)	84	147	191
Net increase (decrease) in short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivables	30		20
Intercompany dividend payments and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations	0	0	0	0
Capital contribution from noncontrolling interest partner	0	0	5	0
Distributions to noncontrolling interest partners	0	(6)	(23)	(29)
Net cash provided by financing activities	1	38	190	160
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(4)	10	(6)	(2)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	15	41	0	53
Cash and cash equivalents, July 1 and January 1, respectively	260	235	275	223
Cash and cash equivalents, September 30 (Note)	275	276	275	276
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Operating Activities
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities	86	21	(70)	6
Investing Activities
Proceeds from sale of assets	0	0	0	1
Cash payments for plant, property, and equipment	(31)	(21)	(78)	(76)
Cash payments for software related intangible assets	(2)	(6)	(8)	(15)
Changes in restricted cash				0
Net cash used by investing activities	(33)	(27)	(86)	(90)
Financing Activities
Issuance (repurchase) of common shares		0	0	0
Tax benefit from stock-based compensation	0		0	17
Retirement of long-term debt	0	0	0	0
Purchase of common stock under the share repurchase program		0		0
Issuance of long-term debt			0
Increase (decrease) in bank overdrafts	0	(40)	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 receivables	0	0	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivables	0		0
Intercompany dividend payments and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations	(53)	31	150	66
Capital contribution from noncontrolling interest partner			0
Distributions to noncontrolling interest partners		0	0	0
Net cash provided by financing activities	(53)	8	150	83
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0	2	(6)	(1)
Cash and cash equivalents, July 1 and January 1, respectively	0	1	6	4
Cash and cash equivalents, September 30 (Note)	0	3	0	3
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Operating Activities
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities	42	25	212	153
Investing Activities
Proceeds from sale of assets	1	4	1	5
Cash payments for plant, property, and equipment	(64)	(33)	(184)	(102)
Cash payments for software related intangible assets	(1)	(1)	(4)	(4)
Changes in restricted cash				(5)
Net cash used by investing activities	(64)	(30)	(187)	(106)
Financing Activities
Issuance (repurchase) of common shares		0	0	0
Tax benefit from stock-based compensation	0		0	0
Retirement of long-term debt	0	(1)	0	(2)
Purchase of common stock under the share repurchase program		0		0
Issuance of long-term debt			45
Increase (decrease) in bank overdrafts	(4)	2	(5)	(3)
Net increase (decrease) in revolver borrowings and short-term debt excluding current maturities of long-term debt and short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivables	22	12	29	22
Net increase (decrease) in short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivables	0		0
Intercompany dividend payments and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations	23	27	(64)	21
Capital contribution from noncontrolling interest partner			5
Distributions to noncontrolling interest partners		(6)	(23)	(29)
Net cash provided by financing activities	41	34	(13)	9
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(4)	10	(6)	(2)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	15	39	6	54
Cash and cash equivalents, July 1 and January 1, respectively	260	234	269	219
Cash and cash equivalents, September 30 (Note)	275	273	275	273
Tenneco Inc
Operating Activities
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities	(13)	13	(27)	(19)
Investing Activities
Proceeds from sale of assets	0	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
Net cash used by investing activities	0	0	0	0
Financing Activities
Issuance (repurchase) of common shares		4	(1)	17
Tax benefit from stock-based compensation	1		18	0
Retirement of long-term debt	(6)	(4)	(16)	(11)
Purchase of common stock under the share repurchase program		(18)		(20)
Issuance of long-term debt			0
Increase (decrease) in bank overdrafts	0	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 receivables	(42)	72	118	169
Net increase (decrease) in short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivables	30		20
Intercompany dividend payments and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations	30	(67)	(112)	(136)
Capital contribution from noncontrolling interest partner			0
Distributions to noncontrolling interest partners		0		0
Net cash provided by financing activities	13	(13)	27	19
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, July 1 and January 1, respectively	0	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, September 30 (Note)	0	0	0	0
Reclass and Elims
Operating Activities
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities	0	(9)	(26)	(49)
Investing Activities
Proceeds from sale of assets	0	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
Net cash used by investing activities	0	0	0	0
Financing Activities
Issuance (repurchase) of common shares		0	0	0
Tax benefit from stock-based compensation	0		0	0
Retirement of long-term debt	0	0		0
Purchase of common stock under the share repurchase program		0		0
Issuance of long-term debt			0
Increase (decrease) in bank overdrafts	0	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 receivables	0	0	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivables	0		0
Intercompany dividend payments and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations	0	9	26	49
Capital contribution from noncontrolling interest partner			0
Distributions to noncontrolling interest partners		0	0	0
Net cash provided by financing activities	0	9	26	49
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, July 1 and January 1, respectively	0	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, September 30 (Note)	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0