Condensed Consolidating Financial Information Consolidating Statements of Comprehensive Income (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013
Consolidating Statements of Comprehensive Income, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 5,767	$ 5,602	$ 11,259	$ 10,912
Cost of products sold	4,025	3,870	7,883	7,605
Selling and administrative expense	984	960	1,946	1,918
Litigation settlements	644	0	644	0
Research and development expense	168	161	330	313
Interest expense (income) - net	55	71	117	146
Other expense (income) - net	(166)	6	(171)	(4)
Equity in (earnings) loss of subsidiaries, net of tax	0	0	0	0
Intercompany expense (income) - net	0	0	0	0
Income (loss) before income taxes	57	534	510	934
Income tax (benefit) expense	(115)	37	(103)	57
Net income (loss)	172	497	613	877
Less net income for noncontrolling interests	(1)	(3)	(3)	(5)
Net income (loss) attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	171	494	610	872
Other comprehensive income (loss)	83	(72)	86	(306)
Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	254	422	696	566
Eaton Corporation plc [Member]
Consolidating Statements of Comprehensive Income, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	0	0	0	0
Cost of products sold	0	0	0	0
Selling and administrative expense	(2)	2	0	4
Litigation settlements	0		0
Research and development expense	0	0	0	0
Interest expense (income) - net	0	0	0	0
Other expense (income) - net	0	0	0	0
Equity in (earnings) loss of subsidiaries, net of tax	(231)	(569)	(700)	(1,013)
Intercompany expense (income) - net	62	61	90	125
Income (loss) before income taxes	171	506	610	884
Income tax (benefit) expense	0	12	0	12
Net income (loss)	171	494	610	872
Less net income for noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss) attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	171	494	610	872
Other comprehensive income (loss)	83	(72)	86	(306)
Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	254	422	696	566
Eaton Corporation [Member]
Consolidating Statements of Comprehensive Income, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	1,750	1,743	3,417	3,331
Cost of products sold	1,378	1,353	2,720	2,592
Selling and administrative expense	370	360	731	701
Litigation settlements	644		644
Research and development expense	62	64	122	122
Interest expense (income) - net	55	69	114	143
Other expense (income) - net	(50)	19	(45)	14
Equity in (earnings) loss of subsidiaries, net of tax	(258)	(299)	(465)	(608)
Intercompany expense (income) - net	(46)	(112)	(117)	(214)
Income (loss) before income taxes	(405)	289	(287)	581
Income tax (benefit) expense	(229)	(43)	(254)	(45)
Net income (loss)	(176)	332	(33)	626
Less net income for noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss) attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	(176)	332	(33)	626
Other comprehensive income (loss)	36	(42)	64	(64)
Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	(140)	290	31	562
Guarantors [Member]
Consolidating Statements of Comprehensive Income, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	1,779	1,626	3,420	3,199
Cost of products sold	1,288	1,179	2,506	2,374
Selling and administrative expense	193	183	393	381
Litigation settlements	0		0
Research and development expense	52	51	102	98
Interest expense (income) - net	6	7	13	14
Other expense (income) - net	(95)	14	(92)	22
Equity in (earnings) loss of subsidiaries, net of tax	(269)	395	(754)	(172)
Intercompany expense (income) - net	147	(860)	267	(684)
Income (loss) before income taxes	457	657	985	1,166
Income tax (benefit) expense	78	20	71	(17)
Net income (loss)	379	637	914	1,183
Less net income for noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss) attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	379	637	914	1,183
Other comprehensive income (loss)	88	(70)	111	(303)
Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	467	567	1,025	880
Other subsidiaries [Member]
Consolidating Statements of Comprehensive Income, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	3,354	3,420	6,645	6,693
Cost of products sold	2,473	2,525	4,865	4,950
Selling and administrative expense	423	415	822	832
Litigation settlements	0		0
Research and development expense	54	46	106	93
Interest expense (income) - net	(8)	(5)	(14)	(11)
Other expense (income) - net	(21)	(27)	(34)	(40)
Equity in (earnings) loss of subsidiaries, net of tax	167	(239)	(34)	(405)
Intercompany expense (income) - net	(163)	911	(240)	773
Income (loss) before income taxes	429	(206)	1,174	501
Income tax (benefit) expense	37	48	86	107
Net income (loss)	392	(254)	1,088	394
Less net income for noncontrolling interests	(1)	(3)	(3)	(5)
Net income (loss) attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	391	(257)	1,085	389
Other comprehensive income (loss)	126	(180)	111	(571)
Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	517	(437)	1,196	(182)
Consolidating adjustments [Member]
Consolidating Statements of Comprehensive Income, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	(1,116)	(1,187)	(2,223)	(2,311)
Cost of products sold	(1,114)	(1,187)	(2,208)	(2,311)
Selling and administrative expense	0	0	0	0
Litigation settlements	0		0
Research and development expense	0	0	0	0
Interest expense (income) - net	2	0	4	0
Other expense (income) - net	0	0	0	0
Equity in (earnings) loss of subsidiaries, net of tax	591	712	1,953	2,198
Intercompany expense (income) - net	0	0	0	0
Income (loss) before income taxes	(595)	(712)	(1,972)	(2,198)
Income tax (benefit) expense	(1)	0	(6)	0
Net income (loss)	(594)	(712)	(1,966)	(2,198)
Less net income for noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss) attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	(594)	(712)	(1,966)	(2,198)
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(250)	292	(286)	938
Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	$ (844)	$ (420)	$ (2,252)	$ (1,260)