Statement of Comprehensive Income (Loss) (Detail) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Net sales and operating revenues —
External	$ 2,081	$ 1,963	$ 6,416	$ 5,933
Affiliated companies	0	0	0	0
Net sales and operating revenues	2,081	1,963	6,416	5,933
Costs and expenses
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown below)	1,735	1,691	5,340	5,031
Engineering, research, and development	42	35	126	103
Selling, general, and administrative	108	112	379	337
Depreciation and amortization of other intangibles	52	51	155	151
Costs and expenses	1,937	1,889	6,000	5,622
Other income (expense)
Loss on sale of receivables	(1)	(1)	(3)	(3)
Other	(3)	(1)	(4)	(2)
Total other income (expense)	(4)	(2)	(7)	(5)
Earnings before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests	140	72	409	306
Interest expense —
External (net of interest capitalized)	20	20	58	60
Affiliated companies (net of interest income)	0	0	0	0
Earnings (loss) before income taxes, noncontrolling interests, and equity in net income from affiliated companies	120	52	351	246
Income tax expense	31	30	117	89
Equity in net income (loss) from affiliated companies	0	0	0	0
Net Income (loss)	89	22	234	157
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	11	10	29	28
Net income attributable to Tenneco Inc.	78	12	205	129
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.	20	38	153	115
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Net sales and operating revenues —
External	934	864	2,861	2,620
Affiliated companies	97	89	303	260
Net sales and operating revenues	1,031	953	3,164	2,880
Costs and expenses
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown below)	789	827	2,566	2,345
Engineering, research, and development	20	16	60	45
Selling, general, and administrative	33	42	139	140
Depreciation and amortization of other intangibles	22	20	64	58
Costs and expenses	864	905	2,829	2,588
Other income (expense)
Loss on sale of receivables	0	0	0	0
Other	(2)	6	23	39
Total other income (expense)	(2)	6	23	39
Earnings before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests	165	54	358	331
Interest expense —
External (net of interest capitalized)	0	0	(1)	(1)
Affiliated companies (net of interest income)	18	17	55	53
Earnings (loss) before income taxes, noncontrolling interests, and equity in net income from affiliated companies	147	37	304	279
Income tax expense	34	(12)	70	34
Equity in net income (loss) from affiliated companies	(2)	(10)	66	(13)
Net Income (loss)	111	39	300	232
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Tenneco Inc.	111	39	300	232
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.	111	50	300	243
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Net sales and operating revenues —
External	1,147	1,099	3,555	3,313
Affiliated companies	153	139	458	430
Net sales and operating revenues	1,300	1,238	4,013	3,743
Costs and expenses
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown below)	1,196	1,093	3,535	3,376
Engineering, research, and development	22	19	66	58
Selling, general, and administrative	74	68	235	192
Depreciation and amortization of other intangibles	30	31	91	93
Costs and expenses	1,322	1,211	3,927	3,719
Other income (expense)
Loss on sale of receivables	(1)	(1)	(3)	(3)
Other	11	2	11	7
Total other income (expense)	10	1	8	4
Earnings before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests	(12)	28	94	28
Interest expense —
External (net of interest capitalized)	1	1	2	3
Affiliated companies (net of interest income)	(19)	(17)	(56)	(54)
Earnings (loss) before income taxes, noncontrolling interests, and equity in net income from affiliated companies	6	44	148	79
Income tax expense	(3)	42	47	55
Equity in net income (loss) from affiliated companies	0	0	0	0
Net Income (loss)	9	2	101	24
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	11	10	29	28
Net income attributable to Tenneco Inc.	(2)	(8)	72	(4)
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.	(2)	7	72	(29)
Tenneco Inc
Net sales and operating revenues —
External	0	0	0	0
Affiliated companies	0
Net sales and operating revenues	0	0	0	0
Costs and expenses
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown below)	0	0	0	0
Engineering, research, and development	0	0	0	0
Selling, general, and administrative	1	2	5	5
Depreciation and amortization of other intangibles	0	0	0	0
Costs and expenses	1	2	5	5
Other income (expense)
Loss on sale of receivables	0	0	0	0
Other	0	0	0	0
Total other income (expense)	0	0	0	0
Earnings before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests	(1)	(2)	(5)	(5)
Interest expense —
External (net of interest capitalized)	19	19	57	58
Affiliated companies (net of interest income)	1	0	1	1
Earnings (loss) before income taxes, noncontrolling interests, and equity in net income from affiliated companies	(21)	(21)	(63)	(64)
Income tax expense	0	0	0	0
Equity in net income (loss) from affiliated companies	99	33	268	193
Net Income (loss)	78	12	205	129
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Tenneco Inc.	78	12	205	129
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.	20	38	153	115
Reclass & Elims
Net sales and operating revenues —
External	0	0	0	0
Affiliated companies	(250)	(228)	(761)	(690)
Net sales and operating revenues	(250)	(228)	(761)	(690)
Costs and expenses
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown below)	(250)	(229)	(761)	(690)
Engineering, research, and development	0	0	0	0
Selling, general, and administrative	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization of other intangibles	0	0	0	0
Costs and expenses	(250)	(229)	(761)	(690)
Other income (expense)
Loss on sale of receivables	0	0	0	0
Other	(12)	(9)	(38)	(48)
Total other income (expense)	(12)	(9)	(38)	(48)
Earnings before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests	(12)	(8)	(38)	(48)
Interest expense —
External (net of interest capitalized)	0	0		0
Affiliated companies (net of interest income)	0	0	0	0
Earnings (loss) before income taxes, noncontrolling interests, and equity in net income from affiliated companies	(12)	(8)	(38)	(48)
Income tax expense	0	0	0	0
Equity in net income (loss) from affiliated companies	(97)	(23)	(334)	(180)
Net Income (loss)	(109)	(31)	(372)	(228)
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Tenneco Inc.	(109)	(31)	(372)	(228)
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.	$ (109)	$ (57)	$ (372)	$ (214)