Supplemental Guarantor Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements (Details 2) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Nov. 30, 2009	Dec. 31, 2011		Dec. 31, 2010		Dec. 31, 2009		Dec. 31, 2011 Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]	Dec. 31, 2009 Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]	Dec. 31, 2009 Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Tenneco Inc. (Parent Company) [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Tenneco Inc. (Parent Company) [Member]	Dec. 31, 2009 Tenneco Inc. (Parent Company) [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Reclass & Elims [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Reclass & Elims [Member]	Dec. 31, 2009 Reclass & Elims [Member]	Dec. 31, 2008 Reclass & Elims [Member]
Operating Activities
Net cash provided by operating activities		$ 245		$ 244		$ 241		$ 401	$ 97	$ 347	$ 83	$ 380	$ 160	$ (239)	$ (233)	$ (266)
Investing Activities
Proceeds from sale of assets		4		3		5		3	1		1	2	5
Cash payments for plant, property, and equipment		(213)		(151)		(120)		(69)	(50)	(42)	(144)	(101)	(78)
Acquisition of businesses (net of cash acquired)						1							1
Cash payments for software related intangible assets		(15)		(12)		(6)		(4)	(7)	(2)	(11)	(5)	(4)
Other				3		1						3	1
Net cash used by investing activities		(224)		(157)		(119)		(70)	(56)	(44)	(154)	(101)	(75)
Financing Activities
Issuance of common shares	188					188										188
Issuance of long-term debt		5		880		6					5	5			875	6
Debt issuance cost of long-term debt		(1)		(24)		(8)								(1)	(24)	(8)
Retirement of long-term debt		(24)		(864)		(22)					(1)	(4)	(5)	(23)	(860)	(17)
Increase (decrease) in bank overdrafts		3		2		(23)					3	2	(23)
Net increase (decrease) in revolver borrowings and short-term debt excluding current maturities of long-term debt		30		(10)		(218)					6	(10)	21	24		(239)
Intercompany dividends and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations								(330)	(61)	(299)	75	(181)	(37)	255	242	336
Capital contribution from noncontrolling interest partner		1									1
Purchase of additional noncontrolling equity interest		(4)									(4)
Distributions to noncontrolling interest partners		(20)		(14)		(10)					(20)	(14)	(10)
Purchase of common stock under the share repurchase program		(16)												(16)
Net cash used by financing activities		(26)		(30)		(87)		(330)	(61)	(299)	65	(202)	(54)	239	233	266
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents		(14)		9		6					(14)	9	6
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents		(19)		66		41		1	(20)	4	(20)	86	37
Cash and cash equivalents, January 1		233	[1]	167	[1]	126		0	20	16	233	147	110	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, December 31 (Note)		$ 214	[1]	$ 233	[1]	$ 167	[1]	$ 1	$ 0	$ 20	$ 213	$ 233	$ 147	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0

[1] Cash and cash equivalents include highly liquid investments with a maturity of three months or less at the date of purchase.