Cat Financial Financing Activities (Details 2) - Finance Receivables - USD ($) $ in Millions	Sep. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	$ 798	$ 596
Current	22,077	22,363
Total Finance Receivables	22,875	22,959
91+ Still Accruing	73	22
31 to 60 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	177	135
61 to 90 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	89	64
91 Days of More Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	532	397
Customer
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Total Finance Receivables	19,341	19,389
Customer | North America
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	156	87
Current	7,903	7,850
Total Finance Receivables	8,059	7,937
91+ Still Accruing	10	4
Customer | North America | 31 to 60 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	66	45
Customer | North America | 61 to 90 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	18	12
Customer | North America | 91 Days of More Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	72	30
Customer | Europe
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	120	69
Current	2,424	2,358
Total Finance Receivables	2,544	2,427
91+ Still Accruing	47	9
Customer | Europe | 31 to 60 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	21	18
Customer | Europe | 61 to 90 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	16	7
Customer | Europe | 91 Days of More Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	83	44
Customer | Asia Pacific
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	58	54
Current	1,506	1,647
Total Finance Receivables	1,564	1,701
91+ Still Accruing	4	6
Customer | Asia Pacific | 31 to 60 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	28	21
Customer | Asia Pacific | 61 to 90 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	10	12
Customer | Asia Pacific | 91 Days of More Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	20	21
Customer | Mining
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	68	75
Current	1,802	1,793
Total Finance Receivables	1,870	1,868
91+ Still Accruing	0	1
Customer | Mining | 31 to 60 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	4	6
Customer | Mining | 61 to 90 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	1	1
Customer | Mining | 91 Days of More Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	63	68
Customer | Latin America
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	318	275
Current	1,866	1,998
Total Finance Receivables	2,184	2,273
91+ Still Accruing	0	0
Customer | Latin America | 31 to 60 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	57	45
Customer | Latin America | 61 to 90 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	39	31
Customer | Latin America | 91 Days of More Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	222	199
Customer | Caterpillar Power Finance
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	78	36
Current	3,042	3,147
Total Finance Receivables	3,120	3,183
91+ Still Accruing	12	2
Customer | Caterpillar Power Finance | 31 to 60 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	1	0
Customer | Caterpillar Power Finance | 61 to 90 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	5	1
Customer | Caterpillar Power Finance | 91 Days of More Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	72	35
Dealer
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Total Finance Receivables	3,534	3,570
Dealer | North America
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Current	2,069	2,209
Total Finance Receivables	2,069	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	127	149
Total Finance Receivables	127	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	599	552
Total Finance Receivables	599	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	733	653
Total Finance Receivables	733	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	2	3
Total Finance Receivables	2	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