Business Segment Information (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 6,312	$ 6,344	$ 17,730	$ 17,857
Earnings before income taxes	1,072	511	2,532	2,015
Eliminations/Interest	(46)	(51)	(147)	(162)
Goodwill impairment	0	503	0	503
Increase (decrease) in stock compensation expense			(24)
Income (loss) from equity method investments			(34)
Increase (decrease) in inventory costs (purchase accounting)			21
Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	6,526	6,556	18,283	18,412
Earnings before income taxes	1,152	1,129	2,928	2,902
Operating Segments [Member] | Process Management [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	2,317	2,182	6,466	6,098
Earnings before income taxes	473	470	1,229	1,206
Operating Segments [Member] | Industrial Automation [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	1,289	1,277	3,670	3,627
Earnings before income taxes	214	206	563	556
Operating Segments [Member] | Network Power [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	1,237	1,506	3,711	4,446
Earnings before income taxes	107	122	286	338
Operating Segments [Member] | Climate Technologies [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	1,191	1,119	3,018	2,859
Earnings before income taxes	250	235	543	511
Operating Segments [Member] | Commercial & Residential Solutions [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	492	472	1,418	1,382
Earnings before income taxes	108	96	307	291
Corporate, Non-Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Differences in accounting methods	63	56	180	160
Corporate and other	(97)	(623)	(429)	(885)
Eliminations/Interest	(46)	(51)	(147)	(162)
Intersegment Eliminations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	(214)	(212)	(553)	(555)
Intersegment Eliminations [Member] | Industrial Automation [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	(194)	(190)	(492)	(488)
Artesyn (Embedded Computing and Power) [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales			146
Goodwill impairment		$ 503