Supplemental Guarantor Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements - Statement of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014
Operating Activities
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities	$ 132,000,000	$ 114,000,000	$ 82,000,000	$ (26,000,000)
Investing Activities
Proceeds from sale of assets	1,000,000	0	2,000,000	0
Cash payments for plant, property, and equipment	(73,000,000)	(84,000,000)	(150,000,000)	(167,000,000)
Cash payments for software related intangible assets	(3,000,000)	(2,000,000)	(8,000,000)	(9,000,000)
Changes in restricted cash	(2,000,000)	1,000,000	1,000,000	0
Net cash used by investing activities	(77,000,000)	(85,000,000)	(155,000,000)	(176,000,000)
Financing Activities
Issuance (repurchase) of common shares	5,000,000	1,000,000	5,000,000	(1,000,000)
Tax benefit from stock-based compensation	3,000,000	5,000,000	6,000,000	17,000,000
Retirement of long-term debt	(17,000,000)	(7,000,000)	(21,000,000)	(10,000,000)
Issuance of long-term debt	0	45,000,000	0	45,000,000
Debt issuance cost of long-term debt	(1,000,000)	0	(1,000,000)	0
Purchase of common stock under the share repurchase program	(33,000,000)	0	(44,000,000)	0
Net decrease in bank overdrafts	(3,000,000)	(5,000,000)	(11,000,000)	(1,000,000)
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	(26,000,000)	(30,000,000)	85,000,000	167,000,000
Net increase (decrease) in short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivables		(30,000,000)	50,000,000	(10,000,000)
Intercompany dividend payments and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations	0	0	0	0
Capital contribution from noncontrolling interest partner	0	4,000,000	0	5,000,000
Payments of Ordinary Dividends, Noncontrolling Interest	(22,000,000)	(23,000,000)	(22,000,000)	(23,000,000)
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities	(94,000,000)	(40,000,000)	47,000,000	189,000,000
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	1,000,000	4,000,000	(6,000,000)	(2,000,000)
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(38,000,000)	(7,000,000)	(32,000,000)	(15,000,000)
Cash and cash equivalents, April 1 and January 1, respectively	288,000,000	267,000,000	282,000,000	275,000,000
Cash and cash equivalents, June 30 (Note)	250,000,000	260,000,000	250,000,000	260,000,000
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Operating Activities
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities	118,000,000	52,000,000	44,000,000	(156,000,000)
Investing Activities
Proceeds from sale of assets	1,000,000		1,000,000
Cash payments for plant, property, and equipment	(30,000,000)	(22,000,000)	(57,000,000)	(47,000,000)
Cash payments for software related intangible assets	(3,000,000)	(2,000,000)	(5,000,000)	(6,000,000)
Changes in restricted cash	0	0	0
Net cash used by investing activities	(32,000,000)	(24,000,000)	(61,000,000)	(53,000,000)
Financing Activities
Issuance (repurchase) of common shares	0	0	0	0
Tax benefit from stock-based compensation	0	0	0	0
Retirement of long-term debt	0	0	0	0
Issuance of long-term debt		0		0
Debt issuance cost of long-term debt	0		0
Purchase of common stock under the share repurchase program	0		0
Net 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	0
Intercompany dividend payments and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations	(82,000,000)	(30,000,000)	11,000,000	203,000,000
Capital contribution from noncontrolling interest partner		0		0
Payments of Ordinary Dividends, Noncontrolling Interest	0	0	0	0
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities	(82,000,000)	(30,000,000)	11,000,000	203,000,000
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents	4,000,000	(2,000,000)	(6,000,000)	(6,000,000)
Cash and cash equivalents, April 1 and January 1, respectively	0	2,000,000	10,000,000	6,000,000
Cash and cash equivalents, June 30 (Note)	4,000,000	0	4,000,000	0
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Operating Activities
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities	63,000,000	80,000,000	89,000,000	170,000,000
Investing Activities
Proceeds from sale of assets	0		1,000,000
Cash payments for plant, property, and equipment	(43,000,000)	(62,000,000)	(93,000,000)	(120,000,000)
Cash payments for software related intangible assets	0	0	(3,000,000)	(3,000,000)
Changes in restricted cash	(2,000,000)	1,000,000	1,000,000
Net cash used by investing activities	(45,000,000)	(61,000,000)	(94,000,000)	(123,000,000)
Financing Activities
Issuance (repurchase) of common shares	0	0	0	0
Tax benefit from stock-based compensation	0	0	0	0
Retirement of long-term debt	(13,000,000)	0	(13,000,000)	0
Issuance of long-term debt		45,000,000		45,000,000
Debt issuance cost of long-term debt	0		0
Purchase of common stock under the share repurchase program	0		0
Net decrease in bank overdrafts	(3,000,000)	(5,000,000)	(11,000,000)	(1,000,000)
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	(5,000,000)	(17,000,000)	59,000,000	7,000,000
Net increase (decrease) in short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivables		0	0	0
Intercompany dividend payments and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations	(18,000,000)	(32,000,000)	(28,000,000)	(87,000,000)
Capital contribution from noncontrolling interest partner		4,000,000		5,000,000
Payments of Ordinary Dividends, Noncontrolling Interest	(22,000,000)	(23,000,000)	(22,000,000)	(23,000,000)
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities	(61,000,000)	(28,000,000)	(15,000,000)	(54,000,000)
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	1,000,000	4,000,000	(6,000,000)	(2,000,000)
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(42,000,000)	(5,000,000)	(26,000,000)	(9,000,000)
Cash and cash equivalents, April 1 and January 1, respectively	288,000,000	265,000,000	272,000,000	269,000,000
Cash and cash equivalents, June 30 (Note)	246,000,000	260,000,000	246,000,000	260,000,000
Tenneco Inc
Operating Activities
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities	(30,000,000)	8,000,000	(32,000,000)	(14,000,000)
Investing Activities
Proceeds from sale of assets	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
Net cash used by investing activities	0	0	0	0
Financing Activities
Issuance (repurchase) of common shares	5,000,000	1,000,000	5,000,000	(1,000,000)
Tax benefit from stock-based compensation	3,000,000	5,000,000	6,000,000	17,000,000
Retirement of long-term debt	(4,000,000)	(7,000,000)	(8,000,000)	(10,000,000)
Issuance of long-term debt		0		0
Debt issuance cost of long-term debt	(1,000,000)		(1,000,000)
Purchase of common stock under the share repurchase program	(33,000,000)		(44,000,000)
Net 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	(21,000,000)	(13,000,000)	26,000,000	160,000,000
Net increase (decrease) in short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivables		(30,000,000)	50,000,000	(10,000,000)
Intercompany dividend payments and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations	81,000,000	36,000,000	(2,000,000)	(142,000,000)
Capital contribution from noncontrolling interest partner		0		0
Payments of Ordinary Dividends, Noncontrolling Interest	0	0		0
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities	30,000,000	(8,000,000)	32,000,000	14,000,000
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
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	(19,000,000)	(26,000,000)	(19,000,000)	(26,000,000)
Investing Activities
Proceeds from sale of assets	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
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	0	0
Retirement of long-term debt	0	0	0	0
Issuance of long-term debt		0		0
Debt issuance cost of long-term debt	0		0
Purchase of common stock under the share repurchase program	0		0
Net 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	0
Intercompany dividend payments and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations	19,000,000	26,000,000	19,000,000	26,000,000
Capital contribution from noncontrolling interest partner		0		0
Payments of Ordinary Dividends, Noncontrolling Interest	0	0	0	0
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities	19,000,000	26,000,000	19,000,000	26,000,000
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
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