Supplemental Guarantor Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements - Statement of Comprehensive Income (Loss) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014
Net sales and operating revenues —
External	$ 2,130	$ 2,241	$ 4,153	$ 4,335
Affiliated companies	0	0	0	0
Net sales and operating revenues	2,130	2,241	4,153	4,335
Costs and expenses
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown below)	1,764	1,851	3,450	3,605
Engineering, research, and development	38	42	79	84
Selling, general, and administrative	121	139	246	271
Depreciation and amortization of other intangibles	51	52	101	103
Costs and Expenses	1,974	2,084	3,876	4,063
Other income (expense)
Loss on sale of receivables	(1)	(1)	(2)	(2)
Other income (expense)	0	0	0	(1)
Total other income (expense)	(1)	(1)	(2)	(3)
Earnings before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests	155	156	275	269
Interest expense —
External (net of interest capitalized)	17	19	33	38
Affiliated Income Expenses Net Of Interest Income	0	0	0	0
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Equity Method Investments, Income Taxes, Extraordinary Items, Noncontrolling Interest	138	137	242	231
Income tax expense	47	46	88	86
Income (Loss) from Equity Method Investments	0	0	0	0
Net Income (loss)	91	91	154	145
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	13	10	27	18
Net income attributable to Tenneco Inc.	78	81	127	127
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.	102	90	82	133
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Net sales and operating revenues —
External	984	1,007	1,881	1,927
Affiliated companies	105	103	211	206
Net sales and operating revenues	1,089	1,110	2,092	2,133
Costs and expenses
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown below)	901	975	1,743	1,777
Engineering, research, and development	20	18	41	40
Selling, general, and administrative	50	55	96	106
Depreciation and amortization of other intangibles	22	21	44	42
Costs and Expenses	993	1,069	1,924	1,965
Other income (expense)
Loss on sale of receivables	(1)	0	(1)	0
Other income (expense)	31	27	27	25
Total other income (expense)	30	27	26	25
Earnings before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests	126	68	194	193
Interest expense —
External (net of interest capitalized)	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
Affiliated Income Expenses Net Of Interest Income	20	21	37	37
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Equity Method Investments, Income Taxes, Extraordinary Items, Noncontrolling Interest	107	48	158	157
Income tax expense	43	6	61	36
Income (Loss) from Equity Method Investments	59	83	89	68
Net Income (loss)	123	125	186	189
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Tenneco Inc.	123	125	186	189
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.	123	125	186	189
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Net sales and operating revenues —
External	1,146	1,234	2,272	2,408
Affiliated companies	143	157	288	305
Net sales and operating revenues	1,289	1,391	2,560	2,713
Costs and expenses
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown below)	1,111	1,136	2,206	2,339
Engineering, research, and development	18	24	38	44
Selling, general, and administrative	71	82	148	161
Depreciation and amortization of other intangibles	29	31	57	61
Costs and Expenses	1,229	1,273	2,449	2,605
Other income (expense)
Loss on sale of receivables	0	(1)	(1)	(2)
Other income (expense)	(1)	(1)	3	0
Total other income (expense)	(1)	(2)	2	(2)
Earnings before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests	59	116	113	106
Interest expense —
External (net of interest capitalized)	2	1	2	1
Affiliated Income Expenses Net Of Interest Income	(21)	(21)	(38)	(37)
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Equity Method Investments, Income Taxes, Extraordinary Items, Noncontrolling Interest	78	136	149	142
Income tax expense	4	40	27	50
Income (Loss) from Equity Method Investments	0	0	0	0
Net Income (loss)	74	96	122	92
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	13	10	27	18
Net income attributable to Tenneco Inc.	61	86	95	74
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.	61	86	95	74
Tenneco Inc
Net sales and operating revenues —
External	0	0	0	0
Affiliated companies	0		0	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	0	2	2	4
Depreciation and amortization of other intangibles	0	0	0	0
Costs and Expenses	0	2	2	4
Other income (expense)
Loss on sale of receivables	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense)	0	0	0	0
Total other income (expense)	0	0	0	0
Earnings before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests	0	(2)	(2)	(4)
Interest expense —
External (net of interest capitalized)	16	19	32	38
Affiliated Income Expenses Net Of Interest Income	1	0	1	0
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Equity Method Investments, Income Taxes, Extraordinary Items, Noncontrolling Interest	(17)	(21)	(35)	(42)
Income tax expense	0	0	0	0
Income (Loss) from Equity Method Investments	95	102	162	169
Net Income (loss)	78	81	127	127
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Tenneco Inc.	78	81	127	127
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.	102	90	82	133
Reclass and Elims
Net sales and operating revenues —
External	0	0	0	0
Affiliated companies	(248)	(260)	(499)	(511)
Net sales and operating revenues	(248)	(260)	(499)	(511)
Costs and expenses
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown below)	(248)	(260)	(499)	(511)
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	(248)	(260)	(499)	(511)
Other income (expense)
Loss on sale of receivables	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense)	(30)	(26)	(30)	(26)
Total other income (expense)	(30)	(26)	(30)	(26)
Earnings before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests	(30)	(26)	(30)	(26)
Interest expense —
External (net of interest capitalized)	0	0	0	0
Affiliated Income Expenses Net Of Interest Income	0	0	0	0
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Equity Method Investments, Income Taxes, Extraordinary Items, Noncontrolling Interest	(30)	(26)	(30)	(26)
Income tax expense	0	0	0	0
Income (Loss) from Equity Method Investments	(154)	(185)	(251)	(237)
Net Income (loss)	(184)	(211)	(281)	(263)
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Tenneco Inc.	(184)	(211)	(281)	(263)
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.	$ (184)	$ (211)	$ (281)	$ (263)