Supplemental Guarantor Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements - Statement of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Operating Activities
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities	$ 64	$ 37
Investing Activities
Acquisition of business, net of cash acquired	(158)	0
Proceeds from sale of assets	8	6
Cash payments for property, plant, and equipment	(541)	(255)
Net proceeds from sale of business	22	0
Other	0	(2)
Proceeds from deferred purchase price of factored receivables	203	102
Net cash used by investing activities	(466)	(149)
Financing Activities
Cash dividends	(20)	(39)
Repayments of term loans and notes	(278)	(35)
Proceeds from term loans and notes	171	12
Issuance (repurchase) of common shares	(2)	(2)
Net increase (decrease) in bank overdrafts	(12)	(5)
Net increase (decrease) in short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivable	(3)	150
Borrowings on revolving lines of credit	6,804	4,051
Payments on revolving lines of credit	(6,548)	(4,074)
Other	1	(2)
Intercompany dividend payments and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations	0	0
Distributions to noncontrolling interest partners	(20)	(44)
Net cash provided by (used by) financing activities	93	12
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	2	(15)
Increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(307)	(115)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period	702	318
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	395	203
Reclass and Elims
Operating Activities
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities	(3)	(12)
Investing Activities
Acquisition of business, net of cash acquired	0
Proceeds from sale of assets	0	0
Cash payments for property, plant, and equipment	0	0
Net proceeds from sale of business	0
Other	0	0
Proceeds from deferred purchase price of factored receivables	0	0
Net cash used by investing activities	0	0
Financing Activities
Cash dividends	0	0
Repayments of term loans and notes	0	0
Proceeds from term loans and notes	0	0
Issuance (repurchase) of common shares	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in bank overdrafts	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivable	0	0
Borrowings on revolving lines of credit	0	0
Payments on revolving lines of credit	0	0
Other	0	0
Intercompany dividend payments and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations	3	12
Distributions to noncontrolling interest partners	0	0
Net cash provided by (used by) financing activities	3	12
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	0	0
Increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	0	0
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period	0	0
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	0	0
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Operating Activities
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities	137	179
Investing Activities
Acquisition of business, net of cash acquired	0
Proceeds from sale of assets	2	1
Cash payments for property, plant, and equipment	(166)	(98)
Net proceeds from sale of business	6
Other	3	(2)
Proceeds from deferred purchase price of factored receivables	0	0
Net cash used by investing activities	(155)	(99)
Financing Activities
Cash dividends	0	0
Repayments of term loans and notes	0	(14)
Proceeds from term loans and notes	0	0
Issuance (repurchase) of common shares	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in bank overdrafts	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivable	0	0
Borrowings on revolving lines of credit	6,119	3,537
Payments on revolving lines of credit	(5,890)	(3,575)
Other	1	(2)
Intercompany dividend payments and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations	(340)	(28)
Distributions to noncontrolling interest partners	0	0
Net cash provided by (used by) financing activities	(110)	(82)
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	0	0
Increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(128)	(2)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period	329	7
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	201	5
Nonguarantor Subsidiaries
Operating Activities
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities	45	(122)
Investing Activities
Acquisition of business, net of cash acquired	(158)
Proceeds from sale of assets	6	5
Cash payments for property, plant, and equipment	(375)	(157)
Net proceeds from sale of business	16
Other	(4)	0
Proceeds from deferred purchase price of factored receivables	203	102
Net cash used by investing activities	(312)	(50)
Financing Activities
Cash dividends	0	0
Repayments of term loans and notes	(201)	(21)
Proceeds from term loans and notes	171	12
Issuance (repurchase) of common shares	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in bank overdrafts	(12)	(5)
Net increase (decrease) in short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivable	(3)	150
Borrowings on revolving lines of credit	171	56
Payments on revolving lines of credit	(144)	(56)
Other	0	0
Intercompany dividend payments and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations	128	(18)
Distributions to noncontrolling interest partners	(20)	(44)
Net cash provided by (used by) financing activities	90	74
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	2	(15)
Increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(175)	(113)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period	369	311
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	194	198
Tenneco Inc
Operating Activities
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities	(115)	(8)
Investing Activities
Acquisition of business, net of cash acquired	0
Proceeds from sale of assets	0	0
Cash payments for property, plant, and equipment	0	0
Net proceeds from sale of business	0
Other	1	0
Proceeds from deferred purchase price of factored receivables	0	0
Net cash used by investing activities	1	0
Financing Activities
Cash dividends	(20)	(39)
Repayments of term loans and notes	(77)	0
Proceeds from term loans and notes	0	0
Issuance (repurchase) of common shares	(2)	(2)
Net increase (decrease) in bank overdrafts	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivable	0	0
Borrowings on revolving lines of credit	514	458
Payments on revolving lines of credit	(514)	(443)
Other	0	0
Intercompany dividend payments and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations	209	34
Distributions to noncontrolling interest partners	0	0
Net cash provided by (used by) financing activities	110	8
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	0	0
Increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(4)	0
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period	4	0
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	$ 0	$ 0