Guarantor Financial Information - Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 115	$ 201	$ 236	$ 172
Accounts receivable, net	418	385
Inventories, net	170	175
Other current assets	32	29
Total current assets	735	790
Noncurrent assets
Property, plant and equipment, net	384	391
Goodwill and intangibles, net	393	335
Equity method investments	33	30
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Deferred income taxes	196	281
Other noncurrent assets	86	88
Total noncurrent assets	1,092	1,125
Total assets	1,827	1,915
Current liabilities
Short-term debt	0	75
Current portion of long-term debt	19	15
Trade and other payables	141	192
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	208	196
Total current liabilities	368	478
Noncurrent liabilities
Long-term debt	1,147	1,034
Employee benefit obligations	331	342
Other noncurrent liabilities	175	178
Total noncurrent liabilities	1,653	1,554
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders' (deficit) equity	(194)	(117)
Total liabilities and stockholders’ deficit	1,827	1,915
Eliminations
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	(101)	(61)
Inventories, net	0	0
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	(101)	(61)
Noncurrent assets
Property, plant and equipment, net	0	0
Goodwill and intangibles, net	0	0
Equity method investments	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	(1,066)	(1,053)
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other noncurrent assets	(252)	(312)
Total noncurrent assets	(1,318)	(1,365)
Total assets	(1,419)	(1,426)
Current liabilities
Short-term debt		0
Current portion of long-term debt	0	0
Trade and other payables	(101)	(61)
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	(101)	(61)
Noncurrent liabilities
Long-term debt	0	0
Employee benefit obligations	0	0
Other noncurrent liabilities	(252)	(312)
Total noncurrent liabilities	(252)	(312)
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders' (deficit) equity	(1,066)	(1,053)
Total liabilities and stockholders’ deficit	(1,419)	(1,426)
Valvoline Inc. (Parent Issuer) | Reportable Legal Entities
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Inventories, net	0	0
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	0	0
Noncurrent assets
Property, plant and equipment, net	0	0
Goodwill and intangibles, net	0	0
Equity method investments	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	622	606
Deferred income taxes	127	145
Other noncurrent assets	254	314
Total noncurrent assets	1,003	1,065
Total assets	1,003	1,065
Current liabilities
Short-term debt		0
Current portion of long-term debt	19	15
Trade and other payables	0	2
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	119	103
Total current liabilities	138	120
Noncurrent liabilities
Long-term debt	1,025	1,032
Employee benefit obligations	0	0
Other noncurrent liabilities	34	30
Total noncurrent liabilities	1,059	1,062
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders' (deficit) equity	(194)	(117)
Total liabilities and stockholders’ deficit	1,003	1,065
Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	18	99	157	94
Accounts receivable, net	84	57
Inventories, net	94	94
Other current assets	29	25
Total current assets	225	275
Noncurrent assets
Property, plant and equipment, net	346	353
Goodwill and intangibles, net	391	333
Equity method investments	33	30
Investment in subsidiaries	444	447
Deferred income taxes	55	122
Other noncurrent assets	78	80
Total noncurrent assets	1,347	1,365
Total assets	1,572	1,640
Current liabilities
Short-term debt		0
Current portion of long-term debt	0	0
Trade and other payables	192	198
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	55	60
Total current liabilities	247	258
Noncurrent liabilities
Long-term debt	2	2
Employee benefit obligations	309	321
Other noncurrent liabilities	392	453
Total noncurrent liabilities	703	776
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders' (deficit) equity	622	606
Total liabilities and stockholders’ deficit	1,572	1,640
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	97	102	$ 79	$ 78
Accounts receivable, net	435	389
Inventories, net	76	81
Other current assets	3	4
Total current assets	611	576
Noncurrent assets
Property, plant and equipment, net	38	38
Goodwill and intangibles, net	2	2
Equity method investments	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Deferred income taxes	14	14
Other noncurrent assets	6	6
Total noncurrent assets	60	60
Total assets	671	636
Current liabilities
Short-term debt		75
Current portion of long-term debt	0	0
Trade and other payables	50	53
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	34	33
Total current liabilities	84	161
Noncurrent liabilities
Long-term debt	120	0
Employee benefit obligations	22	21
Other noncurrent liabilities	1	7
Total noncurrent liabilities	143	28
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders' (deficit) equity	444	447
Total liabilities and stockholders’ deficit	$ 671	$ 636