CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Consolidating Statements of Comprehensive Income (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
Consolidating Statements of Comprehensive Income, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 4,987	$ 5,203	$ 14,880	$ 15,798
Cost of products sold	3,371	3,597	10,081	10,865
Selling and administrative expense	853	907	2,642	2,723
Research and development expense	146	156	444	472
Interest expense (income) - net	59	59	173	175
Other expense (income) - net	(15)	(3)	(28)	(27)
Equity in loss (earnings) of subsidiaries, net of tax	0	0	0	0
Intercompany expense (income) - net	0	0	0	0
Income before income taxes	573	487	1,568	1,590
Income tax expense (benefit)	51	42	151	143
Net income	522	445	1,417	1,447
Less net loss (income) for noncontrolling interests	1	1	1	0
Net income attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	523	446	1,418	1,447
Other comprehensive income	24	(312)	42	(716)
Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	547	134	1,460	731
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	6	6
Research and development expense	0	0	0	0
Interest expense (income) - net	0	0	0	0
Other expense (income) - net	(1)	0	(1)	0
Equity in loss (earnings) of subsidiaries, net of tax	(628)	(534)	(1,726)	(1,698)
Intercompany expense (income) - net	104	86	303	245
Income before income taxes	523	446	1,418	1,447
Income tax expense (benefit)	0		0	0
Net income	523	446	1,418	1,447
Less net loss (income) for noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	523	446	1,418	1,447
Other comprehensive income	24	(312)	42	(716)
Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	547	134	1,460	731
Eaton Corporation [Member]
Consolidating Statements of Comprehensive Income, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	1,660	1,755	4,842	5,263
Cost of products sold	1,329	1,380	3,788	4,123
Selling and administrative expense	330	375	1,048	1,120
Research and development expense	59	65	176	202
Interest expense (income) - net	59	54	169	166
Other expense (income) - net	18	11	34	17
Equity in loss (earnings) of subsidiaries, net of tax	(173)	(264)	(495)	(529)
Intercompany expense (income) - net	(47)	(54)	(135)	(362)
Income before income taxes	85	188	257	526
Income tax expense (benefit)	(11)	17	9	36
Net income	96	171	248	490
Less net loss (income) for noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	96	171	248	490
Other comprehensive income	24	(24)	68	39
Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	120	147	316	529
Other subsidiaries [Member]
Consolidating Statements of Comprehensive Income, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	3,040	3,105	8,983	9,469
Cost of products sold	2,173	2,265	6,478	6,864
Selling and administrative expense	324	339	1,005	1,058
Research and development expense	44	40	130	125
Interest expense (income) - net	(3)	(3)	(13)	(10)
Other expense (income) - net	(32)	(17)	(58)	(39)
Equity in loss (earnings) of subsidiaries, net of tax	(219)	(64)	(434)	(315)
Intercompany expense (income) - net	(393)	(290)	(1,081)	(893)
Income before income taxes	1,146	835	2,956	2,679
Income tax expense (benefit)	53	38	119	154
Net income	1,093	797	2,837	2,525
Less net loss (income) for noncontrolling interests	0	1	(2)	(1)
Net income attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	1,093	798	2,835	2,524
Other comprehensive income	2	(411)	(21)	(875)
Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	1,095	387	2,814	1,649
Guarantors
Consolidating Statements of Comprehensive Income, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	1,583	1,664	4,793	5,065
Cost of products sold	1,162	1,269	3,554	3,837
Selling and administrative expense	197	191	583	539
Research and development expense	43	51	138	145
Interest expense (income) - net	4	5	13	16
Other expense (income) - net	0	3	(3)	(5)
Equity in loss (earnings) of subsidiaries, net of tax	(895)	(888)	(2,384)	(2,403)
Intercompany expense (income) - net	336	258	913	1,010
Income before income taxes	736	775	1,979	1,926
Income tax expense (benefit)	10	(15)	24	(32)
Net income	726	790	1,955	1,958
Less net loss (income) for noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	726	790	1,955	1,958
Other comprehensive income	29	(305)	54	(691)
Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	755	485	2,009	1,267
Consolidating adjustments [Member]
Consolidating Statements of Comprehensive Income, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	(1,296)	(1,321)	(3,738)	(3,999)
Cost of products sold	(1,293)	(1,317)	(3,739)	(3,959)
Selling and administrative expense	0	0	0	0
Research and development expense	0	0	0	0
Interest expense (income) - net	(1)	3	4	3
Other expense (income) - net	0	0	0	0
Equity in loss (earnings) of subsidiaries, net of tax	1,915	1,750	5,039	4,945
Intercompany expense (income) - net	0	0	0	0
Income before income taxes	(1,917)	(1,757)	(5,042)	(4,988)
Income tax expense (benefit)	(1)	2	(1)	(15)
Net income	(1,916)	(1,759)	(5,041)	(4,973)
Less net loss (income) for noncontrolling interests	1	0	3	1
Net income attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	(1,915)	(1,759)	(5,038)	(4,972)
Other comprehensive income	(55)	740	(101)	1,527
Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	$ (1,970)	$ (1,019)	$ (5,139)	$ (3,445)