Supplemental Guarantor Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements - Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Sep. 30, 2018	Jan. 01, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 202		$ 315
Restricted cash	1		3
Receivables, net	1,408		1,321
Inventories	956	$ 864	869
Prepayments and other	369	$ 297	291
Total current assets	2,936		2,799
Other assets:
Investment in affiliated companies	0		0
Notes and advances receivable from affiliates	0		0
Long-term receivables, net	12		9
Goodwill	47		49
Intangibles, net	20		22
Deferred income taxes	227		204
Other	154		144
Total other assets	460		428
Plant, property, and equipment, at cost	4,068		4,008
Less — Accumulated depreciation and amortization	(2,436)		(2,393)
Plant, property and equipment, net	1,632		1,615
Total assets	5,028		4,842	$ 4,935
Short-term debt (including current maturities of long-term debt):
Short-term debt — non-affiliated	240		83
Short-term debt — affiliated	0		0
Accounts payable	1,769		1,705
Accrued taxes	38		45
Other	445		433
Total current liabilities	2,492		2,266
Long-term debt — non-affiliated	1,304		1,358
Long-term debt — affiliated	0		0
Deferred income taxes	11		11
Pension, postretirement benefits and other liabilities	418		423
Total liabilities	4,225		4,058
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	28		42	32	$ 40
Tenneco Inc. shareholders’ equity	737		696
Noncontrolling interests	38		46
Total equity	775		742	$ 686
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity	5,028		4,842
Reclass and Elims
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0		0
Restricted cash	0		0
Receivables, net	(733)		(648)
Inventories	0		0
Prepayments and other	0		0
Total current assets	(733)		(648)
Other assets:
Investment in affiliated companies	(2,742)		(2,647)
Notes and advances receivable from affiliates	(25,888)		(23,877)
Long-term receivables, net	0		0
Goodwill	0		0
Intangibles, net	0		0
Deferred income taxes	0		0
Other	0		0
Total other assets	(28,630)		(26,524)
Plant, property, and equipment, at cost	0		0
Less — Accumulated depreciation and amortization	0		0
Plant, property and equipment, net	0		0
Total assets	(29,363)		(27,172)
Short-term debt (including current maturities of long-term debt):
Short-term debt — non-affiliated	0		0
Short-term debt — affiliated	(615)		(556)
Accounts payable	(112)		(89)
Accrued taxes	0		0
Other	(6)		(3)
Total current liabilities	(733)		(648)
Long-term debt — non-affiliated	0		0
Long-term debt — affiliated	(25,888)		(23,877)
Deferred income taxes	0		0
Pension, postretirement benefits and other liabilities	0		0
Total liabilities	(26,621)		(24,525)
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0		0
Tenneco Inc. shareholders’ equity	(2,742)		(2,647)
Noncontrolling interests	0		0
Total equity	(2,742)		(2,647)
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity	(29,363)		(27,172)
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	5		7
Restricted cash	0		0
Receivables, net	434		402
Inventories	414		383
Prepayments and other	139		99
Total current assets	992		891
Other assets:
Investment in affiliated companies	1,385		1,389
Notes and advances receivable from affiliates	801		791
Long-term receivables, net	12		8
Goodwill	22		22
Intangibles, net	5		5
Deferred income taxes	171		161
Other	63		66
Total other assets	2,459		2,442
Plant, property, and equipment, at cost	1,564		1,478
Less — Accumulated depreciation and amortization	(978)		(934)
Plant, property and equipment, net	586		544
Total assets	4,037		3,877
Short-term debt (including current maturities of long-term debt):
Short-term debt — non-affiliated	0		0
Short-term debt — affiliated	458		408
Accounts payable	724		562
Accrued taxes	4		8
Other	210		203
Total current liabilities	1,396		1,181
Long-term debt — non-affiliated	580		632
Long-term debt — affiliated	1,061		1,093
Deferred income taxes	0		0
Pension, postretirement benefits and other liabilities	298		296
Total liabilities	3,335		3,202
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0		0
Tenneco Inc. shareholders’ equity	702		675
Noncontrolling interests	0		0
Total equity	702		675
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity	4,037		3,877
Nonguarantor Subsidiaries
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	197		308
Restricted cash	1		3
Receivables, net	1,707		1,567
Inventories	542		486
Prepayments and other	230		192
Total current assets	2,677		2,556
Other assets:
Investment in affiliated companies	0		0
Notes and advances receivable from affiliates	20,907		19,119
Long-term receivables, net	0		1
Goodwill	25		27
Intangibles, net	15		17
Deferred income taxes	56		43
Other	91		78
Total other assets	21,094		19,285
Plant, property, and equipment, at cost	2,504		2,530
Less — Accumulated depreciation and amortization	(1,458)		(1,459)
Plant, property and equipment, net	1,046		1,071
Total assets	24,817		22,912
Short-term debt (including current maturities of long-term debt):
Short-term debt — non-affiliated	225		83
Short-term debt — affiliated	157		148
Accounts payable	1,157		1,232
Accrued taxes	34		37
Other	232		221
Total current liabilities	1,805		1,721
Long-term debt — non-affiliated	9		12
Long-term debt — affiliated	20,766		18,981
Deferred income taxes	11		11
Pension, postretirement benefits and other liabilities	120		127
Total liabilities	22,711		20,852
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	28		42
Tenneco Inc. shareholders’ equity	2,040		1,972
Noncontrolling interests	38		46
Total equity	2,078		2,018
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity	24,817		22,912
Tenneco Inc
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0		0
Restricted cash	0		0
Receivables, net	0		0
Inventories	0		0
Prepayments and other	0		0
Total current assets	0		0
Other assets:
Investment in affiliated companies	1,357		1,258
Notes and advances receivable from affiliates	4,180		3,967
Long-term receivables, net	0		0
Goodwill	0		0
Intangibles, net	0		0
Deferred income taxes	0		0
Other	0		0
Total other assets	5,537		5,225
Plant, property, and equipment, at cost	0		0
Less — Accumulated depreciation and amortization	0		0
Plant, property and equipment, net	0		0
Total assets	5,537		5,225
Short-term debt (including current maturities of long-term debt):
Short-term debt — non-affiliated	15		0
Short-term debt — affiliated	0		0
Accounts payable	0		0
Accrued taxes	0		0
Other	9		12
Total current liabilities	24		12
Long-term debt — non-affiliated	715		714
Long-term debt — affiliated	4,061		3,803
Deferred income taxes	0		0
Pension, postretirement benefits and other liabilities	0		0
Total liabilities	4,800		4,529
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0		0
Tenneco Inc. shareholders’ equity	737		696
Noncontrolling interests	0		0
Total equity	737		696
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity	$ 5,537		$ 5,225