Statement of Cash Flows (Detail) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013
Operating Activities
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities	$ 114	$ 133	$ (26)	$ 41
Investing Activities
Proceeds from sale of assets	0	0	0	2
Cash payments for plant, property, and equipment	(84)	(54)	(167)	(124)
Cash payments for software related intangible assets	(2)	(6)	(9)	(12)
Changes in restricted cash	1	4	0	(5)
Net cash (used) by investing activities	(85)	(56)	(176)	(139)
Financing Activities
Issuance (repurchase) of common shares	1	12	(1)	13
Tax benefit from stock-based compensation	5	0	17	0
Retirement of long-term debt	(7)	(3)	(10)	(8)
Purchase of common stock under the share repurchase program	0	(2)	0	(2)
Issuance of long-term debt	45	0	45	0
Increase (decrease) in bank overdrafts	(5)	44	(1)	35
Net increase (decrease) in revolver borrowings and short-term debt excluding current maturities of long-term debt and short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivables	(30)	(84)	167	107
Net increase (decrease) in short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivables	(30)		(10)
Intercompany dividend payments and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations	0	0	0	0
Capital contribution from noncontrolling interest partner	4	0	5	0
Distributions to noncontrolling interest partners	(23)	(23)	(23)	(23)
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities	(40)	(56)	189	122
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	4	(19)	(2)	(12)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(7)	2	(15)	12
Cash and cash equivalents, April 1 and January 1, respectively	267	233	275	223
Cash and cash equivalents, June 30 (Note)	260	235	260	235
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Operating Activities
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities	52	87	(156)	(15)
Investing Activities
Proceeds from sale of assets		1	0	1
Cash payments for plant, property, and equipment	(22)	(23)	(47)	(55)
Cash payments for software related intangible assets	(2)	(6)	(6)	(9)
Changes in restricted cash	0	0	0	0
Net cash (used) by investing activities	(24)	(29)	(53)	(63)
Financing Activities
Issuance (repurchase) of common shares	0	0	0	0
Tax benefit from stock-based compensation	0		0
Retirement of long-term debt	0	0	0	0
Purchase of common stock under the share repurchase program		0		0
Issuance of long-term debt			0
Increase (decrease) in bank overdrafts	0	40	0	40
Net increase (decrease) in revolver borrowings and short-term debt excluding current maturities of long-term debt and short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivables	0	0	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivables	0		0
Intercompany dividend payments and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations	(30)	(102)	203	35
Capital contribution from noncontrolling interest partner	0		0	0
Distributions to noncontrolling interest partners		0	0	0
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities	(30)	(62)	203	75
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(2)	(3)	(6)	(3)
Cash and cash equivalents, April 1 and January 1, respectively	2	4	6	4
Cash and cash equivalents, June 30 (Note)	0	1	0	1
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Operating Activities
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities	80	113	170	128
Investing Activities
Proceeds from sale of assets		(1)	0	1
Cash payments for plant, property, and equipment	(62)	(31)	(120)	(69)
Cash payments for software related intangible assets	0	0	(3)	(3)
Changes in restricted cash	1	4	0	(5)
Net cash (used) by investing activities	(61)	(28)	(123)	(76)
Financing Activities
Issuance (repurchase) of common shares	0	0	0	0
Tax benefit from stock-based compensation	0		0
Retirement of long-term debt	0	(1)	0	(1)
Purchase of common stock under the share repurchase program		0		0
Issuance of long-term debt	45		45
Increase (decrease) in bank overdrafts	(5)	4	(1)	(5)
Net increase (decrease) in revolver borrowings and short-term debt excluding current maturities of long-term debt and short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivables	(17)	7	7	10
Net increase (decrease) in short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivables	0		0
Intercompany dividend payments and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations	(32)	(48)	(87)	(6)
Capital contribution from noncontrolling interest partner	4		5	0
Distributions to noncontrolling interest partners		(23)	(23)	(23)
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities	(28)	(61)	(54)	(25)
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	4	(19)	(2)	(12)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(5)	5	(9)	15
Cash and cash equivalents, April 1 and January 1, respectively	265	229	269	219
Cash and cash equivalents, June 30 (Note)	260	234	260	234
Tenneco Inc
Operating Activities
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities	8	(27)	(14)	(32)
Investing Activities
Proceeds from sale of assets		0	0	0
Cash payments for plant, property, and equipment	0	0	0	0
Cash payments for software related intangible assets	0	0	0	0
Changes in restricted cash	0		0	0
Net cash (used) by investing activities	0	0	0	0
Financing Activities
Issuance (repurchase) of common shares	1	12	(1)	13
Tax benefit from stock-based compensation	5		17
Retirement of long-term debt	(7)	(2)	(10)	(7)
Purchase of common stock under the share repurchase program		(2)		(2)
Issuance of long-term debt			0
Increase (decrease) in bank overdrafts		0	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in revolver borrowings and short-term debt excluding current maturities of long-term debt and short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivables	(13)	(91)	160	97
Net increase (decrease) in short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivables	(30)		(10)
Intercompany dividend payments and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations	36	110	(142)	(69)
Capital contribution from noncontrolling interest partner	0		0	0
Distributions to noncontrolling interest partners		0		0
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities	(8)	27	14	32
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, April 1 and January 1, respectively	0	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, June 30 (Note)	0	0	0	0
Reclass and Elims
Operating Activities
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities	(26)	(40)	(26)	(40)
Investing Activities
Proceeds from sale of assets		0	0	0
Cash payments for plant, property, and equipment	0	0	0	0
Cash payments for software related intangible assets	0	0	0	0
Changes in restricted cash	0		0	0
Net cash (used) by investing activities	0	0	0	0
Financing Activities
Issuance (repurchase) of common shares	0	0	0	0
Tax benefit from stock-based compensation	0		0
Retirement of long-term debt	0	0		0
Purchase of common stock under the share repurchase program		0		0
Issuance of long-term debt	0		0
Increase (decrease) in bank overdrafts	0	0	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in revolver borrowings and short-term debt excluding current maturities of long-term debt and short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivables	0	0	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivables	0		0
Intercompany dividend payments and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations	26	40	26	40
Capital contribution from noncontrolling interest partner	0		0	0
Distributions to noncontrolling interest partners		0	0	0
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities	26	40	26	40
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, April 1 and January 1, respectively	0	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, June 30 (Note)	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0