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Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Registrant Name dei_EntityRegistrantName TCW FUNDS INC
Prospectus Date rr_ProspectusDate Feb. 28, 2012
TCW Money Market Fund | Class I
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Shareholder Fees (Fees paid directly from your investment) rr_MaximumAccountFee none
Management fees rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.25%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets none
Other expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.17%
Total annual fund operating expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 0.42%
1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 27
3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 119
5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 219
10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 514
Annual Return 2002 rr_AnnualReturn2002 1.62%
Annual Return 2003 rr_AnnualReturn2003 0.90%
Annual Return 2004 rr_AnnualReturn2004 1.06%
Annual Return 2005 rr_AnnualReturn2005 2.89%
Annual Return 2006 rr_AnnualReturn2006 4.77%
Annual Return 2007 rr_AnnualReturn2007 5.00%
Annual Return 2008 rr_AnnualReturn2008 2.48%
Annual Return 2009 rr_AnnualReturn2009 0.34%
Annual Return 2010 rr_AnnualReturn2010 0.15%
Annual Return 2011 rr_AnnualReturn2011 0.04%
Highest Quarterly Return, Label rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel Highest
Highest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate Dec. 31, 2006
Highest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn 1.26%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel Lowest
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate Dec. 31, 2011
Lowest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn 0.00%
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 0.04%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 1.58%
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 1.91%
TCW Money Market Fund
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk/Return [Heading] rr_RiskReturnHeading

TCW Money Market Fund

Objective [Heading] rr_ObjectiveHeading

Investment Objective

Objective, Primary [Text Block] rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock

The Fund's investment objective is to seek current income, preservation of capital and liquidity.
Expense [Heading] rr_ExpenseHeading

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

Expense Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock

This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.

Shareholder Fees Caption [Text] rr_ShareholderFeesCaption

Shareholder Fees (Fees paid directly from your investment)
Operating Expenses Caption [Text] rr_OperatingExpensesCaption

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (Expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Expense Example [Heading] rr_ExpenseExampleHeading

Example

Expense Example Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.

This example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
Strategy [Heading] rr_StrategyHeading

Principal Investment Strategies

Strategy Narrative [Text Block] rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock

The Fund invests its assets in high-quality, short-term, U.S. dollar denominated money market investments issued by U.S. and foreign issuers. Examples of these investments include certificates of deposit; bankers' acceptances or time deposits; securities issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities; commercial paper and other short-term corporate obligations; other money market funds; repurchase agreements; and asset-backed securities. The Fund seeks to maintain a stable $1.00 share price.

The Fund will be managed in compliance with regulatory requirements for money market funds. These requirements include holding investments which are generally rated in the two highest rating categories as rated by a major credit agency and investments which have a maturity of 397 days or less and a dollar-weighted average portfolio maturity of 90 days or less. The Fund is also diversified, which limits its exposure to any single issuer.
Risk [Heading] rr_RiskHeading

Principal Risks

Risk Narrative [Text Block] rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock

The principal risks affecting the Fund that can cause a decline in value are:

 

•  

money market fund risk: the risk that although the Fund seeks to preserve the value of your investment at $1.00 per share, you may lose money by investing in the Fund. The share price of money market funds can fall below $1.00. You should not rely on or expect the Fund's advisor or its affiliates to enter into support agreements or take other actions to maintain the Fund's $1.00 share price. The credit quality of the Fund's holdings can change rapidly in certain markets, and the default of a single holding could have an adverse impact on the Fund's share price. The Fund's share price can also be negatively affected during periods of high redemption pressures and/or illiquid markets; redemption risk is greater to the extent the Fund has investors with large shareholdings, short investment horizons or unpredictable cash flow needs. Further regulation could impact the way the Fund is managed, possibly negatively impacting its return.

 

•  

interest rate risk: the risk that debt securities will decline in value because of changes in interest rates or a decline in interest rates will lower the Fund's yield. The Fund's yield will vary; it is not fixed for a specific period like the yield on a bank certificate of deposit.

 

•  

credit risk: the risk that an issuer will default in the payment of principal and/or interest on a security. Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, requires that money market funds invest in the highest two credit categories. However, the credit of the securities held by the Fund may change rapidly in certain market conditions.

 

•  

financial services industry risk: because the Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in the obligations of banks and other financial services companies, the Fund is subject to a number of risks generally associated with investments in the financial services industry, such as credit risk, interest rate risk and regulatory developments related to the financial services industry.

 

•  

foreign investing risk: the risk that Fund shares will fluctuate with market conditions, currencies and the political climates where investments are made.

Please see "Principal Risks and Risk Definitions" for a more detailed description of the risks of investing in the Fund.

Your investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency entity or person.
Risk Lose Money [Text] rr_RiskLoseMoney you may lose money by investing in the Fund.
Risk Money Market Fund [Text] rr_RiskMoneyMarketFund the risk that although the Fund seeks to preserve the value of your investment at $1.00 per share, you may lose money by investing in the Fund. The share price of money market funds can fall below $1.00.
Risk Not Insured Depository Institution [Text] rr_RiskNotInsuredDepositoryInstitution

Your investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency entity or person.
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading] rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading

Investment Results

Performance Narrative [Text Block] rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock

The bar chart below shows how the Fund's investment results have varied from year to year and the table shows how the Fund's average annual returns for various periods compare with a broad measure of market performance. This information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing the changes in the Fund's performance from year to year. The bar chart shows performance of the Fund's Class I shares. Past results (before and after taxes) are not predictive of future results. Updated information on the Fund's investment results can be obtained by visiting tcwfunds.com.

Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text] rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns The bar chart below shows how the Fund's investment results have varied from year to year and the table shows how the Fund's average annual returns for various periods compare with a broad measure of market performance.
Performance Availability Website Address [Text] rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress tcwfunds.com
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text] rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture Past results (before and after taxes) are not predictive of future results.
Bar Chart [Heading] rr_BarChartHeading

Calendar Year Total Returns

For Class I Shares
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block] rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock

Highest/Lowest quarterly results during this period were:

 

             
Highest      1.26%       (quarter ended 12/31/2006)
Lowest      0.00%       (quarter ended 12/31/2011)
Performance Table Heading rr_PerformanceTableHeading

Average Annual Total Returns

(For the period ended December 31, 2011)

TCW Money Market Fund | Citigroup 3-Month Treasury Index
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 0.08% [1]
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 1.37% [1]
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 1.85% [1]
[1] The Citigroup 3-Month Treasury Index represents the average 90-day Treasury Bill rates for each of the prior three months adjusted to a bond equivalent basis.