Supplemental Guarantor Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements - Statement of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2017		Dec. 31, 2016		Dec. 31, 2015
Operating Activities
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities		$ 629		$ 484		$ 528
Investing Activities
Proceeds from sale of assets		8		6		4
Proceeds from sale of equity interest		9		0		0
Cash payments for plant, property, and equipment		(394)		(325)		(286)
Cash payments for software related intangible assets		(25)		(20)		(23)
Change in restricted cash		(1)		(1)		2
Other		(10)		0		0
Net cash used by investing activities		(413)		(340)		(303)
Financing Activities
Cash dividends		(53)		0		0
Retirement of long-term debt		(19)		(531)		(37)
Issuance of long-term debt		137		509		1
Debt issuance cost on long-term debt		(8)		(9)		(1)
Tax impact from stock-based compensation						0
Purchase of common stock under the share repurchase program		(169)		(225)		(213)
Issuance of common shares		(1)		13		1
Increase (decrease) in bank overdrafts		(7)		10		(22)
Net increase (decrease) in revolver borrowings and short-term debt excluding current maturities of long-term debt and short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivable		(67)		202		102
Net increase (decrease) in short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivable						30
Intercompany dividends and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations		0		0		0
Distribution to noncontrolling interest partners		(64)		(55)		(44)
Net cash used by financing activities		(251)		(86)		(183)
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents		3		2		(37)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents		(32)		60		5
Cash and cash equivalents, January 1		347	[1]	287	[1]	282
Cash and cash equivalents, December 31 (Note)	[1]	315		347		287
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Operating Activities
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities		284		176		204
Investing Activities
Proceeds from sale of assets		3		0		0
Cash payments for plant, property, and equipment		(148)		(117)		(114)
Cash payments for software related intangible assets		(16)		(13)		(16)
Change in restricted cash		0		0		0
Other		(4)
Net cash used by investing activities		(165)		(130)		(130)
Financing Activities
Retirement of long-term debt		(10)		0		0
Issuance of long-term debt		400		0		0
Debt issuance cost on long-term debt		(8)		0		0
Tax impact from stock-based compensation						0
Purchase of common stock under the share repurchase program		0		0		0
Issuance of common shares		0		0		0
Increase (decrease) in bank overdrafts		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 receivable		246		0		0
Net increase (decrease) in short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivable						0
Intercompany dividends and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations		(749)		(39)		(82)
Distribution to noncontrolling interest partners		0		0		0
Net cash used by financing activities		(121)		(39)		(82)
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents		0		0		0
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents		(2)		7		(8)
Cash and cash equivalents, January 1		9		2		10
Cash and cash equivalents, December 31 (Note)		7		9		2
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Operating Activities
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities		402		300		311
Investing Activities
Proceeds from sale of assets		5		6		4
Proceeds from sale of equity interest		9
Cash payments for plant, property, and equipment		(246)		(208)		(172)
Cash payments for software related intangible assets		(9)		(7)		(7)
Change in restricted cash		(1)		(1)		2
Other		(6)
Net cash used by investing activities		(248)		(210)		(173)
Financing Activities
Retirement of long-term debt		(3)		(16)		(22)
Issuance of long-term debt		1		9		1
Debt issuance cost on long-term debt		0		0		0
Tax impact from stock-based compensation						0
Purchase of common stock under the share repurchase program		0		0		0
Issuance of common shares		0		0		0
Increase (decrease) in bank overdrafts		(7)		10		(22)
Net increase (decrease) in revolver borrowings and short-term debt excluding current maturities of long-term debt and short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivable		5		5		20
Net increase (decrease) in short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivable						0
Intercompany dividends and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations		(119)		8		(21)
Distribution to noncontrolling interest partners		(64)		(55)		(44)
Net cash used by financing activities		(187)		(39)		(88)
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents		3		2		(37)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents		(30)		53		13
Cash and cash equivalents, January 1		338		285		272
Cash and cash equivalents, December 31 (Note)		308		338		285
Tenneco Inc. (Parent Company)
Operating Activities
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities		(4)		23		60
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
Change in restricted cash		0		0		0
Net cash used by investing activities		0		0		0
Financing Activities
Cash dividends		(53)
Retirement of long-term debt		(6)		(515)		(15)
Issuance of long-term debt		(264)		500		0
Debt issuance cost on long-term debt		0		(9)		(1)
Tax impact from stock-based compensation						0
Purchase of common stock under the share repurchase program		(169)		(225)		(213)
Issuance of common shares		(1)		13		1
Increase (decrease) in bank overdrafts		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 receivable		(318)		197		82
Net increase (decrease) in short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivable						30
Intercompany dividends and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations		815		16		56
Distribution to noncontrolling interest partners		0		0		0
Net cash used by financing activities		4		(23)		(60)
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents		0		0		0
Increase (decrease) 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		(53)		(15)		(47)
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
Change in restricted cash		0		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
Purchase of common stock under the share repurchase program		0		0		0
Issuance of common shares		0		0		0
Increase (decrease) in bank overdrafts		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 receivable		0		0		0
Net increase (decrease) in short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivable						0
Intercompany dividends and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations		53		15		47
Distribution to noncontrolling interest partners		0		0		0
Net cash used by financing activities		53		15		47
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents		0		0		0
Increase (decrease) 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.