Revision of Previously Issued Financial Statements Shareholders' Equity (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	$ 691	$ 544	$ 620
Retained Earnings (Accumulated Deficit)	(1,054)		(1,100)
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent	59	57
As Previously Reported
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	715	554	639
Retained Earnings (Accumulated Deficit)	(1,035)		(1,085)
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent	63
Adjustment
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	(24)	(10)	(19)
Retained Earnings (Accumulated Deficit)	(19)		(15)
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent	(4)
Retained Earnings (Accumulated Deficit)
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	(1,054)	(1,399)	(1,100)	$ (1,456)
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent	59	57
Cash dividends declared	(13)	0
Retained Earnings (Accumulated Deficit) | As Previously Reported
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	(1,035)	(1,391)	(1,085)	(1,448)
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent	63	57
Cash dividends declared	(13)
Retained Earnings (Accumulated Deficit) | Adjustment
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	(19)	(8)		(8)
Retained Earnings (Accumulated Deficit)			(15)
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent	(4)	0
Cash dividends declared	0
Tenneco Inc.
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	637	497	497
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent	59
Tenneco Inc. | As Previously Reported
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	656		505
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent	63
Tenneco Inc. | Adjustment
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	(19)		(8)
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent	(4)
Noncontrolling Interest [Member]
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	54	47	$ 47	39
Net income	7	8
Other Comprehensive Income Loss Attributable To Redeemable Non Controlling Interests	7	8
Noncontrolling Interest [Member] | As Previously Reported
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	59	49		42
Net income	51
Other Comprehensive Income Loss Attributable To Redeemable Non Controlling Interests	8	7
Noncontrolling Interest [Member] | Adjustment
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	(5)	(2)		$ (3)
Net income	(4)
Other Comprehensive Income Loss Attributable To Redeemable Non Controlling Interests	$ (1)	$ 1