CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Condensed Consolidating Statements of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
Condensed Consolidating Statements of Cash Flows, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	$ 1,914	$ 1,629
Investing activities
Capital expenditures for property, plant and equipment	(346)	(368)
Cash received from (paid for) acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired	1	(38)
Sales (purchases) of short-term investments - net	(29)	76
Investments in affiliates	0	0
Return of investments in affiliates	0
Loans to affiliates	0	0
Repayments of loans from affiliates	0	0
Proceeds from sale of businesses	0	1
Other - net	3	(44)
Net cash used in investing activities	(371)	(373)
Financing activities
Proceeds from borrowings	633	1
Payments on borrowings	(666)	(405)
Proceeds from borrowings from affiliates	0	0
Payments on borrowings from affiliates	0	0
Capital contributions from affiliates	0	0
Return of capital to affiliates	0
Other intercompany financing activities	0	0
Cash dividends paid	(780)	(771)
Exercise of employee stock options	60	48
Repurchase of shares	(567)	(454)
Excess tax benefit from equity-based compensation	0
Other - net	(5)	(8)
Net cash used in financing activities	(1,325)	(1,589)
Effect of currency on cash	8	(30)
Total increase (decrease) in cash	226	(363)
Cash at the beginning of the period	268	781
Cash at the end of the period	494	418
Eaton Corporation plc [Member]
Condensed Consolidating Statements of Cash Flows, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(158)	(85)
Investing activities
Capital expenditures for property, plant and equipment	0	0
Cash received from (paid for) acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired	0	0
Sales (purchases) of short-term investments - net	0	0
Investments in affiliates	(1,250)	(1,482)
Return of investments in affiliates	0
Loans to affiliates	0	0
Repayments of loans from affiliates	0	0
Proceeds from sale of businesses		0
Other - net	0	0
Net cash used in investing activities	(1,250)	(1,482)
Financing activities
Proceeds from borrowings	0	0
Payments on borrowings	0	0
Proceeds from borrowings from affiliates	3,333	2,783
Payments on borrowings from affiliates	(637)	(40)
Capital contributions from affiliates	0	0
Return of capital to affiliates	0
Other intercompany financing activities	0	0
Cash dividends paid	(780)	(771)
Exercise of employee stock options	60	48
Repurchase of shares	(567)	(454)
Excess tax benefit from equity-based compensation	0
Other - net	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	1,409	1,566
Effect of currency on cash	0	0
Total increase (decrease) in cash	1	(1)
Cash at the beginning of the period	0	1
Cash at the end of the period	1	0
Eaton Corporation [Member]
Condensed Consolidating Statements of Cash Flows, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(29)	(93)
Investing activities
Capital expenditures for property, plant and equipment	(62)	(68)
Cash received from (paid for) acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired	0	0
Sales (purchases) of short-term investments - net	0	0
Investments in affiliates	0	0
Return of investments in affiliates	0
Loans to affiliates	(287)	(307)
Repayments of loans from affiliates	1,288	306
Proceeds from sale of businesses		0
Other - net	0	(41)
Net cash used in investing activities	939	(110)
Financing activities
Proceeds from borrowings	22	0
Payments on borrowings	(408)	(102)
Proceeds from borrowings from affiliates	2,815	4,577
Payments on borrowings from affiliates	(3,453)	(4,617)
Capital contributions from affiliates	0	1,176
Return of capital to affiliates	0
Other intercompany financing activities	158	(859)
Cash dividends paid	0	0
Exercise of employee stock options	0	0
Repurchase of shares	0	0
Excess tax benefit from equity-based compensation	0
Other - net	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	(866)	175
Effect of currency on cash	0	0
Total increase (decrease) in cash	44	(28)
Cash at the beginning of the period	26	173
Cash at the end of the period	70	145
Guarantors [Member]
Condensed Consolidating Statements of Cash Flows, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(283)	(23)
Investing activities
Capital expenditures for property, plant and equipment	(75)	(100)
Cash received from (paid for) acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired	1	0
Sales (purchases) of short-term investments - net	2	0
Investments in affiliates	(120)	(1,176)
Return of investments in affiliates	47
Loans to affiliates	(655)	(39)
Repayments of loans from affiliates	0	58
Proceeds from sale of businesses		0
Other - net	30	33
Net cash used in investing activities	(770)	(1,224)
Financing activities
Proceeds from borrowings	611	0
Payments on borrowings	(240)	(301)
Proceeds from borrowings from affiliates	1,051	581
Payments on borrowings from affiliates	(1,658)	(1,160)
Capital contributions from affiliates	1,370	1,482
Return of capital to affiliates	0
Other intercompany financing activities	(81)	644
Cash dividends paid	0	0
Exercise of employee stock options	0	0
Repurchase of shares	0	0
Excess tax benefit from equity-based compensation	0
Other - net	(3)	0
Net cash used in financing activities	1,050	1,246
Effect of currency on cash	0	0
Total increase (decrease) in cash	(3)	(1)
Cash at the beginning of the period	7	13
Cash at the end of the period	4	12
Other subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Consolidating Statements of Cash Flows, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	2,384	1,830
Investing activities
Capital expenditures for property, plant and equipment	(209)	(200)
Cash received from (paid for) acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired	0	(38)
Sales (purchases) of short-term investments - net	(31)	76
Investments in affiliates	(1,370)	(1,482)
Return of investments in affiliates	0
Loans to affiliates	(6,457)	(7,638)
Repayments of loans from affiliates	4,501	5,514
Proceeds from sale of businesses		1
Other - net	(27)	(36)
Net cash used in investing activities	(3,593)	(3,803)
Financing activities
Proceeds from borrowings	0	1
Payments on borrowings	(18)	(2)
Proceeds from borrowings from affiliates	200	43
Payments on borrowings from affiliates	(41)	(61)
Capital contributions from affiliates	1,370	1,482
Return of capital to affiliates	(47)
Other intercompany financing activities	(77)	215
Cash dividends paid	0	0
Exercise of employee stock options	0	0
Repurchase of shares	0	0
Excess tax benefit from equity-based compensation	0
Other - net	(2)	(8)
Net cash used in financing activities	1,385	1,670
Effect of currency on cash	8	(30)
Total increase (decrease) in cash	184	(333)
Cash at the beginning of the period	235	594
Cash at the end of the period	419	261
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Consolidating Statements of Cash Flows, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	0	0
Investing activities
Capital expenditures for property, plant and equipment	0	0
Cash received from (paid for) acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired	0	0
Sales (purchases) of short-term investments - net	0	0
Investments in affiliates	2,740	4,140
Return of investments in affiliates	(47)
Loans to affiliates	7,399	7,984
Repayments of loans from affiliates	(5,789)	(5,878)
Proceeds from sale of businesses		0
Other - net	0	0
Net cash used in investing activities	4,303	6,246
Financing activities
Proceeds from borrowings	0	0
Payments on borrowings	0	0
Proceeds from borrowings from affiliates	(7,399)	(7,984)
Payments on borrowings from affiliates	5,789	5,878
Capital contributions from affiliates	(2,740)	(4,140)
Return of capital to affiliates	47
Other intercompany financing activities	0	0
Cash dividends paid	0	0
Exercise of employee stock options	0	0
Repurchase of shares	0	0
Excess tax benefit from equity-based compensation	0
Other - net	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	(4,303)	(6,246)
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