Cat Financial Financing Activities (Details 2) - Finance Receivables - USD ($) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	$ 768	$ 679
Current	21,654	21,718
Total Finance Receivables	22,422	22,397
91+ Still Accruing	28	18
31 to 60 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	210	137
61 to 90 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	102	79
91 Days of More Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	456	463
Customer
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Total Finance Receivables	18,885	19,022
Customer | North America
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	134	125
Current	7,837	7,938
Total Finance Receivables	7,971	8,063
91+ Still Accruing	7	5
Customer | North America | 31 to 60 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	56	50
Customer | North America | 61 to 90 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	17	16
Customer | North America | 91 Days of More Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	61	59
Customer | Europe
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	87	67
Current	2,361	2,388
Total Finance Receivables	2,448	2,455
91+ Still Accruing	10	6
Customer | Europe | 31 to 60 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	23	16
Customer | Europe | 61 to 90 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	18	12
Customer | Europe | 91 Days of More Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	46	39
Customer | Asia Pacific
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	44	39
Current	1,529	1,435
Total Finance Receivables	1,573	1,474
91+ Still Accruing	5	4
Customer | Asia Pacific | 31 to 60 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	21	17
Customer | Asia Pacific | 61 to 90 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	8	7
Customer | Asia Pacific | 91 Days of More Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	15	15
Customer | Mining
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	71	68
Current	1,818	1,756
Total Finance Receivables	1,889	1,824
91+ Still Accruing	0	2
Customer | Mining | 31 to 60 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	13	3
Customer | Mining | 61 to 90 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	5	2
Customer | Mining | 91 Days of More Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	53	63
Customer | Latin America
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	329	287
Current	1,767	1,808
Total Finance Receivables	2,096	2,095
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	67	40
Customer | Latin America | 61 to 90 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	47	33
Customer | Latin America | 91 Days of More Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	215	214
Customer | Caterpillar Power Finance
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	103	93
Current	2,805	3,018
Total Finance Receivables	2,908	3,111
91+ Still Accruing	6	1
Customer | Caterpillar Power Finance | 31 to 60 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	30	11
Customer | Caterpillar Power Finance | 61 to 90 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	7	9
Customer | Caterpillar Power Finance | 91 Days of More Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	66	73
Dealer
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Total Finance Receivables	3,537	3,375
Dealer | North America
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Current	2,086	1,916
Total Finance Receivables	2,086	1,916
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	153	161
Total Finance Receivables	153	161
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	567	541
Total Finance Receivables	567	541
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	3	3
Total Finance Receivables	3	3
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	726	752
Total Finance Receivables	726	752
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	2
Total Finance Receivables	2	2
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