Condensed Consolidating Financial Information Consolidating Statements of Comprehensive Income (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Consolidating Statements of Comprehensive Income, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 5,728	$ 5,607	$ 16,987	$ 16,519
Cost of products sold	3,916	3,883	11,799	11,488
Selling and administrative expense	961	967	2,907	2,885
Litigation settlements	0	0	644	0
Research and development expense	163	166	493	479
Interest expense (income) - net	56	63	173	209
Other expense (income) - net	(10)	7	(181)	3
Equity in (earnings) loss of subsidiaries, net of tax	0	0	0	0
Intercompany expense (income) - net	0	0	0	0
Income before income taxes	642	521	1,152	1,455
Income tax (benefit) expense	37	7	(66)	64
Net income	605	514	1,218	1,391
Less net income for noncontrolling interests	(3)	(4)	(6)	(9)
Net income attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	602	510	1,212	1,382
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(567)	322	(481)	16
Total comprehensive income attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	35	832	731	1,398
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	2	6
Litigation settlements			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	(670)	(563)	(1,370)	(1,576)
Intercompany expense (income) - net	66	63	156	188
Income before income taxes	602	498	1,212	1,382
Income tax (benefit) expense	0	(12)	0	0
Net income	602	510	1,212	1,382
Less net income for noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	602	510	1,212	1,382
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(567)	322	(481)	16
Total comprehensive income attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	35	832	731	1,398
Eaton Corporation [Member]
Consolidating Statements of Comprehensive Income, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	1,814	1,695	5,231	5,026
Cost of products sold	1,402	1,319	4,122	3,911
Selling and administrative expense	354	365	1,085	1,066
Litigation settlements			644
Research and development expense	63	66	185	188
Interest expense (income) - net	58	63	172	206
Other expense (income) - net	3	2	(42)	16
Equity in (earnings) loss of subsidiaries, net of tax	(253)	(146)	(440)	(470)
Intercompany expense (income) - net	(59)	(90)	(176)	(304)
Income before income taxes	246	116	(319)	413
Income tax (benefit) expense	12	(24)	(257)	(77)
Net income	234	140	(62)	490
Less net income for noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	234	140	(62)	490
Other comprehensive income (loss)	7	12	74	(14)
Total comprehensive income attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	241	152	12	476
Guarantors [Member]
Consolidating Statements of Comprehensive Income, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	1,738	1,636	5,158	4,835
Cost of products sold	1,266	1,214	3,772	3,588
Selling and administrative expense	209	198	602	579
Litigation settlements			0
Research and development expense	49	50	151	148
Interest expense (income) - net	7	7	20	21
Other expense (income) - net	11	(10)	(81)	13
Equity in (earnings) loss of subsidiaries, net of tax	(820)	(687)	(1,567)	(893)
Intercompany expense (income) - net	293	233	571	(428)
Income before income taxes	723	631	1,690	1,807
Income tax (benefit) expense	0	4	71	25
Net income	723	627	1,619	1,782
Less net income for noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	723	627	1,619	1,782
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(562)	336	(447)	36
Total comprehensive income attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	161	963	1,172	1,818
Other subsidiaries [Member]
Consolidating Statements of Comprehensive Income, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	3,416	3,424	10,061	10,117
Cost of products sold	2,489	2,500	7,354	7,450
Selling and administrative expense	396	402	1,218	1,234
Litigation settlements			0
Research and development expense	51	50	157	143
Interest expense (income) - net	(8)	(7)	(22)	(18)
Other expense (income) - net	(24)	15	(58)	(26)
Equity in (earnings) loss of subsidiaries, net of tax	(234)	(95)	25	(234)
Intercompany expense (income) - net	(300)	(206)	(551)	544
Income before income taxes	1,046	765	1,938	1,024
Income tax (benefit) expense	25	39	126	116
Net income	1,021	726	1,812	908
Less net income for noncontrolling interests	(3)	(1)	(6)	(6)
Net income attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	1,018	725	1,806	902
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(696)	404	(626)	(117)
Total comprehensive income attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	322	1,129	1,180	785
Consolidating adjustments [Member]
Consolidating Statements of Comprehensive Income, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	(1,240)	(1,148)	(3,463)	(3,459)
Cost of products sold	(1,241)	(1,150)	(3,449)	(3,461)
Selling and administrative expense	0	0	0	0
Litigation settlements			0
Research and development expense	0	0	0	0
Interest expense (income) - net	(1)	0	3	0
Other expense (income) - net	0	0	0	0
Equity in (earnings) loss of subsidiaries, net of tax	1,977	1,491	3,352	3,173
Intercompany expense (income) - net	0	0	0	0
Income before income taxes	(1,975)	(1,489)	(3,369)	(3,171)
Income tax (benefit) expense	0	0	(6)	0
Net income	(1,975)	(1,489)	(3,363)	(3,171)
Less net income for noncontrolling interests	0	(3)	0	(3)
Net income attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	(1,975)	(1,492)	(3,363)	(3,174)
Other comprehensive income (loss)	1,251	(752)	999	95
Total comprehensive income attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	$ (724)	$ (2,244)	$ (2,364)	$ (3,079)