Supplemental Guarantor Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements - Statement of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2015		Dec. 31, 2014		Dec. 31, 2013
Operating Activities
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities		$ 517		$ 341		$ 503
Investing Activities
Proceeds from sale of assets		4		3		8
Cash payments for plant, property, and equipment		(286)		(328)		(244)
Cash payments for software related intangible assets		(23)		(13)		(25)
Payments to Acquire Other Productive Assets				(3)		(5)
Change in restricted cash		2		2		(5)
Net cash used by investing activities		(303)		(339)		(266)
Financing Activities
Retirement of long-term debt		(37)		(462)		(16)
Issuance of long-term debt		1		570		0
Debt issuance cost on long-term debt		(1)		(12)		0
Tax benefit from stock-based compensation		6		26		24
Purchase of common stock under the share repurchase program		(213)		(22)		(27)
Issuance of common stock		6		19		20
Increase in bank overdrafts		(22)		6		(6)
Net increase/decrease in revolver borrowings and short-term debt excluding current maturities of long-term debt		102		(70)		(22)
Net decrease in short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivable		30		(10)		(40)
Intercompany dividends and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations		0		0		0
Capital contribution from noncontrolling interest partner		0		5		0
Purchase of noncontrolling equity interest		0		0		(69)
Distribution to noncontrolling interest partners		(44)		(30)		(39)
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities		(172)		20		(175)
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents		(37)		(15)		(10)
Increase in cash and cash equivalents		5		7		52
Cash and cash equivalents, January 1		282	[1]	275	[1]	223
Cash and cash equivalents, December 31 (Note)	[1]	287		282		275
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Operating Activities
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities		204		44		270
Investing Activities
Proceeds from sale of assets		0		0		1
Cash payments for plant, property, and equipment		(114)		(106)		(102)
Cash payments for software related intangible assets		(16)		(5)		(19)
Payments to Acquire Other Productive Assets				(3)		0
Change in restricted cash		0		0
Net cash used by investing activities		(130)		(114)		(120)
Financing Activities
Retirement of long-term debt		0		0		0
Issuance of long-term debt		0		0
Debt issuance cost on long-term debt		0		0
Tax benefit from stock-based compensation		0		0		0
Purchase of common stock under the share repurchase program		0		0		0
Issuance of common stock		0		0		0
Increase in bank overdrafts		0		0		0
Net increase/decrease in revolver borrowings and short-term debt excluding current maturities of long-term debt		0		0		0
Net decrease in short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivable		0		0		0
Intercompany dividends and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations		(82)		74		(148)
Capital contribution from noncontrolling interest partner				0
Purchase of noncontrolling equity interest						0
Distribution to noncontrolling interest partners		0		0		0
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities		(82)		74		(148)
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents		0		0		0
Increase in cash and cash equivalents		(8)		4		2
Cash and cash equivalents, January 1		10		6		4
Cash and cash equivalents, December 31 (Note)		2		10		6
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Operating Activities
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities		311		314		244
Investing Activities
Proceeds from sale of assets		4		3		7
Cash payments for plant, property, and equipment		(172)		(222)		(142)
Cash payments for software related intangible assets		(7)		(8)		(6)
Payments to Acquire Other Productive Assets				0		(5)
Change in restricted cash		2		2
Net cash used by investing activities		(173)		(225)		(146)
Financing Activities
Retirement of long-term debt		(22)		(9)		(2)
Issuance of long-term debt		1		45
Debt issuance cost on long-term debt		0		0
Tax benefit from stock-based compensation		0		0		0
Purchase of common stock under the share repurchase program		0		0		0
Issuance of common stock		0		0		0
Increase in bank overdrafts		(22)		6		(6)
Net increase/decrease in revolver borrowings and short-term debt excluding current maturities of long-term debt		20		(13)		(43)
Net decrease in short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivable		0		0		0
Intercompany dividends and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations		(21)		(75)		121
Capital contribution from noncontrolling interest partner				5
Purchase of noncontrolling equity interest						(69)
Distribution to noncontrolling interest partners		(44)		(30)		(39)
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities		(88)		(71)		(38)
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents		(37)		(15)		(10)
Increase in cash and cash equivalents		13		3		50
Cash and cash equivalents, January 1		272		269		219
Cash and cash equivalents, December 31 (Note)		285		272		269
Tenneco Inc. (Parent Company)
Operating Activities
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities		49		21		48
Investing Activities
Proceeds from sale of assets		0		0		0
Cash payments for plant, property, and equipment		0		0		0
Cash payments for software related intangible assets		0		0		0
Payments to Acquire Other Productive Assets				0		0
Change in restricted cash		0		0
Net cash used by investing activities		0		0		0
Financing Activities
Retirement of long-term debt		(15)		(453)		(14)
Issuance of long-term debt		0		525
Debt issuance cost on long-term debt		(1)		(12)
Tax benefit from stock-based compensation		6		26		24
Purchase of common stock under the share repurchase program		(213)		(22)		(27)
Issuance of common stock		6		19		20
Increase in bank overdrafts		0		0		0
Net increase/decrease in revolver borrowings and short-term debt excluding current maturities of long-term debt		82		(57)		21
Net decrease in short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivable		30		(10)		(40)
Intercompany dividends and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations		56		(37)		(32)
Capital contribution from noncontrolling interest partner				0
Purchase of noncontrolling equity interest						0
Distribution to noncontrolling interest partners		0		0		0
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities		(49)		(21)		(48)
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents		0		0		0
Increase in cash and cash equivalents		0		0		0
Cash and cash equivalents, January 1		0		0		0
Cash and cash equivalents, December 31 (Note)		0		0		0
Reclass & Elims
Operating Activities
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities		(47)		(38)		(59)
Investing Activities
Proceeds from sale of assets		0		0		0
Cash payments for plant, property, and equipment		0		0		0
Cash payments for software related intangible assets		0		0		0
Payments to Acquire Other Productive Assets				0		0
Change in restricted cash		0		0
Net cash used by investing activities		0		0		0
Financing Activities
Retirement of long-term debt		0		0		0
Issuance of long-term debt		0		0
Debt issuance cost on long-term debt		0		0
Tax benefit from stock-based compensation		0		0		0
Purchase of common stock under the share repurchase program		0		0		0
Issuance of common stock		0		0		0
Increase in bank overdrafts		0		0		0
Net increase/decrease in revolver borrowings and short-term debt excluding current maturities of long-term debt		0		0		0
Net decrease in short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivable		0		0		0
Intercompany dividends and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations		47		38		59
Capital contribution from noncontrolling interest partner				0
Purchase of noncontrolling equity interest						0
Distribution to noncontrolling interest partners		0		0		0
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities		47		38		59
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents		0		0		0
Increase in cash and cash equivalents		0		0		0
Cash and cash equivalents, January 1		0		0		0
Cash and cash equivalents, December 31 (Note)		$ 0		$ 0		$ 0

[1] Cash and cash equivalents include highly liquid investments with a maturity of three months or less at the date of purchase.