Supplemental Guarantor Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements - Statement of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2016		Dec. 31, 2015		Dec. 31, 2014
Operating Activities
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities		$ 489		$ 517		$ 341
Investing Activities
Proceeds from sale of assets		6		4		3
Cash payments for plant, property, and equipment		(325)		(286)		(328)
Cash payments for software related intangible assets		(20)		(23)		(13)
Cash payments for net assets purchased						(3)
Change in restricted cash		(1)		2		2
Net cash used by investing activities		(340)		(303)		(339)
Financing Activities
Retirement of long-term debt		(531)		(37)		(462)
Issuance of long-term debt		509		1		570
Debt issuance cost on long-term debt		(9)		(1)		(12)
Tax impact from stock-based compensation		(10)		6		26
Purchase of common stock under the share repurchase program		(225)		(213)		(22)
Issuance of common stock		18		6		19
Increase in bank overdrafts		10		(22)		6
Net decrease in revolver borrowings and short-term debt excluding current maturities of long-term debt and short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivable		202		102		(70)
Net decrease in short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivable				30		(10)
Intercompany dividends and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations		0		0		0
Capital contribution from noncontrolling interest partner		0		0		5
Distribution to noncontrolling interest partners		(55)		(44)		(30)
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities		(91)		(172)		20
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents		2		(37)		(15)
Increase in cash and cash equivalents		60		5		7
Cash and cash equivalents, January 1		287	[1]	282	[1]	275
Cash and cash equivalents, December 31 (Note)	[1]	347		287		282
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Operating Activities
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities		176		204		44
Investing Activities
Proceeds from sale of assets		0		0		0
Cash payments for plant, property, and equipment		(117)		(114)		(106)
Cash payments for software related intangible assets		(13)		(16)		(5)
Cash payments for net assets purchased						(3)
Change in restricted cash		0		0
Net cash used by investing activities		(130)		(130)		(114)
Financing Activities
Retirement of long-term debt		0		0		0
Issuance of long-term debt		0		0		0
Debt issuance cost on long-term debt		0		0		0
Tax impact 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 decrease in revolver borrowings and short-term debt excluding current maturities of long-term debt and short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivable		0		0		0
Net decrease in short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivable				0		0
Intercompany dividends and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations		(39)		(82)		74
Capital contribution from noncontrolling interest partner						0
Distribution to noncontrolling interest partners		0		0		0
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities		(39)		(82)		74
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents		0		0		0
Increase in cash and cash equivalents		7		(8)		4
Cash and cash equivalents, January 1		2		10		6
Cash and cash equivalents, December 31 (Note)		9		2		10
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Operating Activities
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities		300		311		314
Investing Activities
Proceeds from sale of assets		6		4		3
Cash payments for plant, property, and equipment		(208)		(172)		(222)
Cash payments for software related intangible assets		(7)		(7)		(8)
Cash payments for net assets purchased						0
Change in restricted cash		(1)		2
Net cash used by investing activities		(210)		(173)		(225)
Financing Activities
Retirement of long-term debt		(16)		(22)		(9)
Issuance of long-term debt		9		1		45
Debt issuance cost on long-term debt		0		0		0
Tax impact 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		10		(22)		6
Net decrease in revolver borrowings and short-term debt excluding current maturities of long-term debt and short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivable		5		20		(13)
Net decrease in short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivable				0		0
Intercompany dividends and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations		8		(21)		(75)
Capital contribution from noncontrolling interest partner						5
Distribution to noncontrolling interest partners		(55)		(44)		(30)
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities		(39)		(88)		(71)
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents		2		(37)		(15)
Increase in cash and cash equivalents		53		13		3
Cash and cash equivalents, January 1		285		272		269
Cash and cash equivalents, December 31 (Note)		338		285		272
Tenneco Inc. (Parent Company)
Operating Activities
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities		28		49		21
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
Cash payments for net assets purchased						0
Change in restricted cash		0		0
Net cash used by investing activities		0		0		0
Financing Activities
Retirement of long-term debt		(515)		(15)		(453)
Issuance of long-term debt		500		0		525
Debt issuance cost on long-term debt		(9)		(1)		(12)
Tax impact from stock-based compensation		(10)		6		26
Purchase of common stock under the share repurchase program		(225)		(213)		(22)
Issuance of common stock		18		6		19
Increase in bank overdrafts		0		0		0
Net decrease in revolver borrowings and short-term debt excluding current maturities of long-term debt and short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivable		197		82		(57)
Net decrease in short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivable				30		(10)
Intercompany dividends and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations		16		56		(37)
Capital contribution from noncontrolling interest partner						0
Distribution to noncontrolling interest partners		0		0		0
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities		(28)		(49)		(21)
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		(15)		(47)		(38)
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
Cash payments for net assets purchased						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		0
Debt issuance cost on long-term debt		0		0		0
Tax impact 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 decrease in revolver borrowings and short-term debt excluding current maturities of long-term debt and short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivable		0		0		0
Net decrease in short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivable				0		0
Intercompany dividends and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations		15		47		38
Capital contribution from noncontrolling interest partner						0
Distribution to noncontrolling interest partners		0		0		0
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities		15		47		38
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.