Condensed Consolidating Financial Information Condensed Statements of Cash Flows (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	$ 12	$ 100
Capital expenditures for property, plant and equipment	(110)	(122)
Sales of short-term investments - net	431	132
Loans to affiliates	0	0
Repayments of loans from affiliates	0	0
Proceeds from sale of business	3	761
Other - net	(20)	2
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	304	773
Payments on borrowings	(257)	(687)
Proceeds from borrowings from affiliates	0	0
Payments on borrowings from affiliates	0	0
Other intercompany financing activities	0	0
Cash dividends paid	(229)	(194)
Exercise of employee stock options	23	56
Excess tax benefit from equity-based compensation	20	16
Other - net	0	(1)
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	(443)	(810)
Effect of currency on cash	(4)	(1)
Total increase (decrease) in cash	(131)	62
Cash at the beginning of the period	915	577
Cash at the end of the period	784	639
Eaton Corporation plc [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	17	62
Capital expenditures for property, plant and equipment	0	0
Sales of short-term investments - net	0	0
Loans to affiliates	0	0
Repayments of loans from affiliates	0	0
Proceeds from sale of business	0	0
Other - net	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	0	0
Payments on borrowings	0	0
Proceeds from borrowings from affiliates	0	0
Payments on borrowings from affiliates	0	0
Other intercompany financing activities	217	129
Cash dividends paid	(229)	(194)
Exercise of employee stock options	0	0
Excess tax benefit from equity-based compensation	0	0
Other - net		0
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	(12)	(65)
Effect of currency on cash	0	0
Total increase (decrease) in cash	5	(3)
Cash at the beginning of the period	3	7
Cash at the end of the period	8	4
Eaton Corporation [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(463)	(301)
Capital expenditures for property, plant and equipment	(25)	(51)
Sales of short-term investments - net	0	25
Loans to affiliates	(7)	(36)
Repayments of loans from affiliates	171	28
Proceeds from sale of business	0	0
Other - net	(13)	4
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	126	(30)
Payments on borrowings	(251)	(676)
Proceeds from borrowings from affiliates	946	437
Payments on borrowings from affiliates	(510)	(131)
Other intercompany financing activities	104	687
Cash dividends paid	0	0
Exercise of employee stock options	23	56
Excess tax benefit from equity-based compensation	20	16
Other - net		0
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	332	389
Effect of currency on cash	0	0
Total increase (decrease) in cash	(5)	58
Cash at the beginning of the period	51	54
Cash at the end of the period	46	112
Guarantors [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	182	778
Capital expenditures for property, plant and equipment	(29)	(18)
Sales of short-term investments - net	98	31
Loans to affiliates	0	0
Repayments of loans from affiliates	0	82
Proceeds from sale of business	0	0
Other - net	(1)	(3)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	68	92
Payments on borrowings	0	(8)
Proceeds from borrowings from affiliates	110	1
Payments on borrowings from affiliates	(304)	(171)
Other intercompany financing activities	(54)	(692)
Cash dividends paid	0	0
Exercise of employee stock options	0	0
Excess tax benefit from equity-based compensation	0	0
Other - net		0
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	(248)	(870)
Effect of currency on cash	0	0
Total increase (decrease) in cash	2	0
Cash at the beginning of the period	10	14
Cash at the end of the period	12	14
Other subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	276	(439)
Capital expenditures for property, plant and equipment	(56)	(53)
Sales of short-term investments - net	333	76
Loans to affiliates	(1,056)	(438)
Repayments of loans from affiliates	814	303
Proceeds from sale of business	3	761
Other - net	(6)	1
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	32	650
Payments on borrowings	(6)	(3)
Proceeds from borrowings from affiliates	7	36
Payments on borrowings from affiliates	(171)	(111)
Other intercompany financing activities	(267)	(124)
Cash dividends paid	0	0
Exercise of employee stock options	0	0
Excess tax benefit from equity-based compensation	0	0
Other - net		(1)
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	(437)	(203)
Effect of currency on cash	(4)	(1)
Total increase (decrease) in cash	(133)	7
Cash at the beginning of the period	851	502
Cash at the end of the period	718	509
Consolidating adjustments [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	0	0
Capital expenditures for property, plant and equipment	0	0
Sales of short-term investments - net	0	0
Loans to affiliates	1,063	474
Repayments of loans from affiliates	(985)	(413)
Proceeds from sale of business	0	0
Other - net	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	78	61
Payments on borrowings	0	0
Proceeds from borrowings from affiliates	(1,063)	(474)
Payments on borrowings from affiliates	985	413
Other intercompany financing activities	0	0
Cash dividends paid	0	0
Exercise of employee stock options	0	0
Excess tax benefit from equity-based compensation	0	0
Other - net		0
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	(78)	(61)
Effect of currency on cash	0	0
Total increase (decrease) in cash	0	0
Cash at the beginning of the period	0	0
Cash at the end of the period	$ 0	$ 0