Supplemental Guarantor Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements - Statement of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016
Operating Activities
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities			$ 119	$ 132	$ 110	$ 103
Investing Activities
Proceeds from sale of equity interest			9	0	9	0
Proceeds from sale of assets			3	2	6	3
Cash payments for plant, property, and equipment			(90)	(71)	(193)	(139)
Cash payments for software related intangible assets			(6)	(3)	(12)	(9)
Changes in restricted cash			1	(1)	0	(2)
Other			(4)	0	(4)	0
Net cash used by investing activities			(87)	(73)	(194)	(147)
Financing Activities
Issuance (repurchase) of common shares			0	4	(3)	2
Cash dividends	$ (13)	$ (13)	(13)	0	(26)	0
Issuance of common shares				4		2
Retirement of long-term debt - net			(2)	(344)	(8)	(348)
Issuance of long-term debt - net			136	501	136	506
Debt issuance cost of long-term debt			(8)	(8)	(8)	(8)
Purchase of common stock under the share repurchase program			(44)	(41)	(60)	(57)
Net increase (decrease) in bank overdrafts			(12)	(2)	(9)	5
Net increase (decrease) in revolver borrowings and short-term debt excluding current maturities of long-term debt			(57)	(168)	60	25
Net increase (decrease) in short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivable				(30)	20	(30)
Intercompany dividend payments and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations			0	0	0	0
Distributions to noncontrolling interest partners			(33)	(27)	(33)	(27)
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities			(33)	(115)	69	68
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			(7)	(7)	1	0
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			(8)	(63)	(14)	24
Cash and cash equivalents, April 1 and January 1, respectively			341	374	347	287
Cash and cash equivalents, June 30 (Note)	333	341	333	311	333	311
Reclass and Elims
Operating Activities
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities			(7)	(11)	(7)	(11)
Investing Activities
Proceeds from sale of equity interest			0		0
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	0		0
Other			0		0
Net cash used by investing activities			0	0	0	0
Financing Activities
Issuance (repurchase) of common shares					0
Cash dividends			0		0
Issuance of common shares				0		0
Retirement of long-term debt - net			0	0	0	0
Issuance of long-term debt - net			0	0	0	0
Debt issuance cost of long-term debt			0	0	0	0
Purchase of common stock under the share repurchase program			0	0	0	0
Net 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			0	0	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivable				0	0	0
Intercompany dividend payments and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations			7	11	7	11
Distributions to noncontrolling interest partners			0	0	0	0
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities			7	11	7	11
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 (Note)	0	0	0	0	0	0
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Operating Activities
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities			104	155	63	(57)
Investing Activities
Proceeds from sale of equity interest			0		0
Proceeds from sale of assets			1	0	3	0
Cash payments for plant, property, and equipment			(39)	(30)	(81)	(43)
Cash payments for software related intangible assets			(4)	(2)	(6)	(4)
Changes in restricted cash			0	0		0
Other			(4)		(4)
Net cash used by investing activities			(46)	(32)	(88)	(47)
Financing Activities
Issuance (repurchase) of common shares					0
Cash dividends			0		0
Issuance of common shares				0		0
Retirement of long-term debt - net			0	0	0	0
Issuance of long-term debt - net			400	0	400	0
Debt issuance cost of long-term debt			(8)	0	(8)	0
Purchase of common stock under the share repurchase program			0	0	0	0
Net 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			369	0	369	0
Net increase (decrease) in short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivable				0	0	0
Intercompany dividend payments and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations			(821)	(126)	(741)	103
Distributions to noncontrolling interest partners			0	0	0	0
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities			(60)	(126)	20	103
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			0	1	0	1
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			(2)	(2)	(5)	0
Cash and cash equivalents, April 1 and January 1, respectively			6	4	9	2
Cash and cash equivalents, June 30 (Note)	4	6	4	2	4	2
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Operating Activities
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities			29	24	75	204
Investing Activities
Proceeds from sale of equity interest			9		9
Proceeds from sale of assets			2	2	3	3
Cash payments for plant, property, and equipment			(51)	(41)	(112)	(96)
Cash payments for software related intangible assets			(2)	(1)	(6)	(5)
Changes in restricted cash			1	(1)		(2)
Other			0		0
Net cash used by investing activities			(41)	(41)	(106)	(100)
Financing Activities
Issuance (repurchase) of common shares					0
Cash dividends			0		0
Issuance of common shares				0		0
Retirement of long-term debt - net			(2)	(16)	(2)	(16)
Issuance of long-term debt - net			0	1	0	6
Debt issuance cost of long-term debt			0	0	0	0
Purchase of common stock under the share repurchase program			0	0	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in bank overdrafts			(12)	(2)	(9)	5
Net increase (decrease) in revolver borrowings and short-term debt excluding current maturities of long-term debt			(6)	(18)	14	(10)
Net increase (decrease) in short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivable				0	0	0
Intercompany dividend payments and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations			66	25	51	(38)
Distributions to noncontrolling interest partners			(33)	(27)	(33)	(27)
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities			13	(37)	21	(80)
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			(7)	(7)	1	0
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			(6)	(61)	(9)	24
Cash and cash equivalents, April 1 and January 1, respectively			335	370	338	285
Cash and cash equivalents, June 30 (Note)	329	335	329	309	329	309
Tenneco Inc
Operating Activities
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities			(7)	(36)	(21)	(33)
Investing Activities
Proceeds from sale of equity interest			0		0
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	0		0
Other			0		0
Net cash used by investing activities			0	0	0	0
Financing Activities
Issuance (repurchase) of common shares					(3)
Cash dividends			(13)		(26)
Issuance of common shares				4		2
Retirement of long-term debt - net			0	(328)	(6)	(332)
Issuance of long-term debt - net			(264)	500	(264)	500
Debt issuance cost of long-term debt			0	(8)	0	(8)
Purchase of common stock under the share repurchase program			(44)	(41)	(60)	(57)
Net 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			(420)	(150)	(323)	35
Net increase (decrease) in short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivable				(30)	20	(30)
Intercompany dividend payments and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations			748	90	683	(76)
Distributions to noncontrolling interest partners			0	0	0	0
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities			7	37	21	34
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			0	(1)	0	(1)
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 (Note)	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0