Cat Financial Financing Activities (Details 2) - USD ($) $ in Millions	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Receivables [Abstract]
Period after which Unpaid Installments are Considered as Past Due (in days)	30 days
Period after which collection of future income is considered as not probable (in days)	120 days
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	$ 701	$ 651
Current	22,038	23,415
Total Finance Receivables	22,739	24,066
91+ Still Accruing	27	35
FinancingReceivables31to60DaysPastDue [Member]
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	186	175
FinancingReceivables61to90DaysPastDue [Member]
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	95	80
FinancingReceivablesEqualtoGreaterthan91DaysPastDue [Member]
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	420	396
North America
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Total Finance Receivables	9,938	9,462
Europe
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Total Finance Receivables	2,636	2,828
Asia Pacific
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Total Finance Receivables	2,372	3,002
Mining
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Total Finance Receivables	1,852	2,123
Latin America
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Total Finance Receivables	2,766	3,503
Caterpillar Power Finance
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Total Finance Receivables	3,175	3,148
Customer
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Total Finance Receivables	19,216	20,512
Investment in loans and finance leases on non-accrual status	608	468
Customer | North America
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	93	81
Current	7,562	7,192
Total Finance Receivables	7,655	7,273
91+ Still Accruing	4	4
Investment in loans and finance leases on non-accrual status	30	27
Customer | North America | FinancingReceivables31to60DaysPastDue [Member]
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	46	46
Customer | North America | FinancingReceivables61to90DaysPastDue [Member]
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	18	8
Customer | North America | FinancingReceivablesEqualtoGreaterthan91DaysPastDue [Member]
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	29	27
Customer | Europe
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	88	68
Current	2,399	2,607
Total Finance Receivables	2,487	2,675
91+ Still Accruing	7	6
Investment in loans and finance leases on non-accrual status	46	28
Customer | Europe | FinancingReceivables31to60DaysPastDue [Member]
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	29	16
Customer | Europe | FinancingReceivables61to90DaysPastDue [Member]
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	11	23
Customer | Europe | FinancingReceivablesEqualtoGreaterthan91DaysPastDue [Member]
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	48	29
Customer | Asia Pacific
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	102	120
Current	1,745	2,316
Total Finance Receivables	1,847	2,436
91+ Still Accruing	10	16
Investment in loans and finance leases on non-accrual status	25	54
Customer | Asia Pacific | FinancingReceivables31to60DaysPastDue [Member]
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	45	29
Customer | Asia Pacific | FinancingReceivables61to90DaysPastDue [Member]
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	23	22
Customer | Asia Pacific | FinancingReceivablesEqualtoGreaterthan91DaysPastDue [Member]
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	34	69
Customer | Mining
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	77	39
Current	1,771	2,084
Total Finance Receivables	1,848	2,123
91+ Still Accruing	0	0
Investment in loans and finance leases on non-accrual status	133	62
Customer | Mining | FinancingReceivables31to60DaysPastDue [Member]
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	18	28
Customer | Mining | FinancingReceivables61to90DaysPastDue [Member]
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	1	0
Customer | Mining | FinancingReceivablesEqualtoGreaterthan91DaysPastDue [Member]
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	58	11
Customer | Latin America
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	288	274
Current	1,919	2,583
Total Finance Receivables	2,207	2,857
91+ Still Accruing	0	8
Investment in loans and finance leases on non-accrual status	260	201
Customer | Latin America | FinancingReceivables31to60DaysPastDue [Member]
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	42	55
Customer | Latin America | FinancingReceivables61to90DaysPastDue [Member]
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	42	23
Customer | Latin America | FinancingReceivablesEqualtoGreaterthan91DaysPastDue [Member]
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	204	196
Customer | Caterpillar Power Finance
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	53	69
Current	3,119	3,079
Total Finance Receivables	3,172	3,148
91+ Still Accruing	6	1
Investment in loans and finance leases on non-accrual status	114	96
Customer | Caterpillar Power Finance | FinancingReceivables31to60DaysPastDue [Member]
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	6	1
Customer | Caterpillar Power Finance | FinancingReceivables61to90DaysPastDue [Member]
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	4
Customer | Caterpillar Power Finance | FinancingReceivablesEqualtoGreaterthan91DaysPastDue [Member]
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	47	64
Dealer
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Total Finance Receivables	3,523	3,554
Investment in loans and finance leases on non-accrual status	0	0
Dealer | North America
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Current	2,283	2,189
Total Finance Receivables	2,283	2,189
91+ Still Accruing	0	0
Dealer | North America | FinancingReceivables31to60DaysPastDue [Member]
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Dealer | North America | FinancingReceivables61to90DaysPastDue [Member]
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Dealer | North America | FinancingReceivablesEqualtoGreaterthan91DaysPastDue [Member]
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Dealer | Europe
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Current	149	153
Total Finance Receivables	149	153
91+ Still Accruing	0	0
Dealer | Europe | FinancingReceivables31to60DaysPastDue [Member]
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Dealer | Europe | FinancingReceivables61to90DaysPastDue [Member]
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Dealer | Europe | FinancingReceivablesEqualtoGreaterthan91DaysPastDue [Member]
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Dealer | Asia Pacific
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Current	525	566
Total Finance Receivables	525	566
91+ Still Accruing	0	0
Dealer | Asia Pacific | FinancingReceivables31to60DaysPastDue [Member]
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Dealer | Asia Pacific | FinancingReceivables61to90DaysPastDue [Member]
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Dealer | Asia Pacific | FinancingReceivablesEqualtoGreaterthan91DaysPastDue [Member]
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Dealer | Mining
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Current	4	0
Total Finance Receivables	4	0
91+ Still Accruing	0	0
Dealer | Mining | FinancingReceivables31to60DaysPastDue [Member]
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Dealer | Mining | FinancingReceivables61to90DaysPastDue [Member]
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Dealer | Mining | FinancingReceivablesEqualtoGreaterthan91DaysPastDue [Member]
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Dealer | Latin America
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Current	559	646
Total Finance Receivables	559	646
91+ Still Accruing	0	0
Dealer | Latin America | FinancingReceivables31to60DaysPastDue [Member]
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Dealer | Latin America | FinancingReceivables61to90DaysPastDue [Member]
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Dealer | Latin America | FinancingReceivablesEqualtoGreaterthan91DaysPastDue [Member]
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Dealer | Caterpillar Power Finance
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Current	3	0
Total Finance Receivables	$ 3	$ 0