Cat Financial Financing Activities (Details 2) - Finance Receivables - USD ($) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	$ 845	$ 596
Current	22,308	22,363
Total Finance Receivables	23,153	22,959
91+ Still Accruing	31	22
31 to 60 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	186	135
61 to 90 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	203	64
91 Days of More Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	456	397
Customer
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Total Finance Receivables	19,561	19,389
Customer | North America
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	121	87
Current	7,993	7,850
Total Finance Receivables	8,114	7,937
91+ Still Accruing	5	4
Customer | North America | 31 to 60 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	62	45
Customer | North America | 61 to 90 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	29	12
Customer | North America | 91 Days of More Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	30	30
Customer | Europe
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	90	69
Current	2,364	2,358
Total Finance Receivables	2,454	2,427
91+ Still Accruing	12	9
Customer | Europe | 31 to 60 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	15	18
Customer | Europe | 61 to 90 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	11	7
Customer | Europe | 91 Days of More Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	64	44
Customer | Asia Pacific
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	85	54
Current	1,593	1,647
Total Finance Receivables	1,678	1,701
91+ Still Accruing	12	6
Customer | Asia Pacific | 31 to 60 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	34	21
Customer | Asia Pacific | 61 to 90 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	22	12
Customer | Asia Pacific | 91 Days of More Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	29	21
Customer | Mining
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	91	75
Current	1,691	1,793
Total Finance Receivables	1,782	1,868
91+ Still Accruing	1	1
Customer | Mining | 31 to 60 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	16	6
Customer | Mining | 61 to 90 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	13	1
Customer | Mining | 91 Days of More Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	62	68
Customer | Latin America
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	411	275
Current	1,916	1,998
Total Finance Receivables	2,327	2,273
91+ Still Accruing	1	0
Customer | Latin America | 31 to 60 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	54	45
Customer | Latin America | 61 to 90 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	114	31
Customer | Latin America | 91 Days of More Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	243	199
Customer | Caterpillar Power Finance
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	47	36
Current	3,159	3,147
Total Finance Receivables	3,206	3,183
91+ Still Accruing	0	2
Customer | Caterpillar Power Finance | 31 to 60 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	5	0
Customer | Caterpillar Power Finance | 61 to 90 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	14	1
Customer | Caterpillar Power Finance | 91 Days of More Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	28	35
Dealer
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Total Finance Receivables	3,592	3,570
Dealer | North America
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Current	2,226	2,209
Total Finance Receivables	2,226	2,209
91+ Still Accruing	0	0
Dealer | North America | 31 to 60 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Dealer | North America | 61 to 90 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Dealer | North America | 91 Days of More Past Due
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	145	149
Total Finance Receivables	145	149
91+ Still Accruing	0	0
Dealer | Europe | 31 to 60 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Dealer | Europe | 61 to 90 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Dealer | Europe | 91 Days of More Past Due
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	604	552
Total Finance Receivables	604	552
91+ Still Accruing	0	0
Dealer | Asia Pacific | 31 to 60 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Dealer | Asia Pacific | 61 to 90 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Dealer | Asia Pacific | 91 Days of More Past Due
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	4
Total Finance Receivables	4	4
91+ Still Accruing	0	0
Dealer | Mining | 31 to 60 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Dealer | Mining | 61 to 90 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Dealer | Mining | 91 Days of More Past Due
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	610	653
Total Finance Receivables	610	653
91+ Still Accruing	0	0
Dealer | Latin America | 31 to 60 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Dealer | Latin America | 61 to 90 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Dealer | Latin America | 91 Days of More Past Due
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	3
Total Finance Receivables	3	3
91+ Still Accruing	0	0
Dealer | Caterpillar Power Finance | 31 to 60 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Dealer | Caterpillar Power Finance | 61 to 90 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Dealer | Caterpillar Power Finance | 91 Days of More Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	$ 0	$ 0