Supplemental Guarantor Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements - Statement of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2018	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2018	Mar. 31, 2017
Operating Activities
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities			$ 0	$ (31)
Investing Activities
Proceeds from sale of assets			2	3
Cash payments for plant, property, and equipment			(84)	(103)
Cash payments for software related intangible assets			(5)	(6)
Proceeds from deferred purchase price of factored receivables			34	22
Net cash used by investing activities			(53)	(84)
Financing Activities
Repurchase of common shares			(2)	(3)
Cash dividends	$ (13)	$ (13)	(13)	(13)
Retirement of long-term debt			(6)	(6)
Purchase of common stock under the share repurchase program			0	(16)
Net increase (decrease) in bank overdrafts			(4)	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			77	117
Net increase (decrease) in short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivable			(30)	20
Intercompany dividend payments and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations			0	0
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities			22	102
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			3	8
Decrease in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash			(28)	(5)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, January 1			318	349
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, March 31 (Note)	290	344	290	344
Reclass and Elims
Operating Activities
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities				0
Investing Activities
Proceeds from sale of assets			0	0
Cash payments for plant, property, and equipment			0	0
Cash payments for software related intangible assets			0	0
Proceeds from deferred purchase price of factored receivables			0	0
Net cash used by investing activities			0	0
Financing Activities
Repurchase of common shares			0	0
Cash dividends			0	0
Retirement of long-term debt			0	0
Purchase of common stock under the share repurchase program				0
Net increase (decrease) in bank overdrafts			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
Net increase (decrease) in short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivable			0	0
Intercompany dividend payments and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations				0
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities			0	0
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			0	0
Decrease in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash			0	0
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, January 1			0	0
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, March 31 (Note)	0	0	0	0
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Operating Activities
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities			(27)	(41)
Investing Activities
Proceeds from sale of assets			0	2
Cash payments for plant, property, and equipment			(38)	(42)
Cash payments for software related intangible assets			(2)	(2)
Proceeds from deferred purchase price of factored receivables			0	0
Net cash used by investing activities			(40)	(42)
Financing Activities
Repurchase of common shares			0	0
Cash dividends			0	0
Retirement of long-term debt			(5)	0
Purchase of common stock under the share repurchase program				0
Net increase (decrease) in bank overdrafts			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			97	0
Net increase (decrease) in short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivable			(30)	0
Intercompany dividend payments and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations			3	80
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities			65	80
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			0	0
Decrease in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash			(2)	(3)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, January 1			7	9
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, March 31 (Note)	5	6	5	6
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Operating Activities
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities			32	24
Investing Activities
Proceeds from sale of assets			2	1
Cash payments for plant, property, and equipment			(46)	(61)
Cash payments for software related intangible assets			(3)	(4)
Proceeds from deferred purchase price of factored receivables			34	22
Net cash used by investing activities			(13)	(42)
Financing Activities
Repurchase of common shares			0	0
Cash dividends			0	0
Retirement of long-term debt			(1)	0
Purchase of common stock under the share repurchase program				0
Net increase (decrease) in bank overdrafts			(4)	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			(35)	20
Net increase (decrease) in short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivable			0	0
Intercompany dividend payments and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations			(7)	(15)
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities			(47)	8
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			3	8
Decrease in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash			(25)	(2)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, January 1			311	340
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, March 31 (Note)	286	338	286	338
Tenneco Inc
Operating Activities
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities			(5)	(14)
Investing Activities
Proceeds from sale of assets			0	0
Cash payments for plant, property, and equipment			0	0
Cash payments for software related intangible assets			0	0
Proceeds from deferred purchase price of factored receivables			0	0
Net cash used by investing activities			0	0
Financing Activities
Repurchase of common shares			(2)	(3)
Cash dividends			(13)	(13)
Retirement of long-term debt			0	(6)
Purchase of common stock under the share repurchase program				(16)
Net increase (decrease) in bank overdrafts			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			15	97
Net increase (decrease) in short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivable			0	20
Intercompany dividend payments and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations			4	(65)
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities			4	14
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			0	0
Decrease in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash			(1)	0
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, January 1			0	0
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, March 31 (Note)	$ (1)	$ 0	$ (1)	$ 0