Statement of Cash Flows (Detail) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2012
Operating Activities
Net cash provided used by operating activities	$ (92)	$ (85)
Investing Activities
Proceeds from sale of assets	2	1
Cash payments for plant, property, and equipment	(70)	(65)
Cash payments for software related intangible assets	(6)	(4)
Changes in restricted cash	(9)	0
Net cash used by investing activities	(83)	(68)
Financing Activities
Proceeds from Issuance of Common Stock	1	0
Retirement of long-term debt	(5)	(381)
Issuance of long-term debt	0	250
Debt issuance cost of long-term debt	0	(12)
Increase in bank overdrafts	(9)	2
Net increase in revolver borrowings and short-term debt excluding current maturities of long-term debt	191	233
Net increase in short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivable		30
Intercompany dividends and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations	0	0
Net cash provided by financing activities	178	122
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	7	10
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	10	(21)
Cash and cash equivalents January 1	223	214
Cash and cash equivalents, March 31	233	193
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Operating Activities
Net cash provided used by operating activities	(102)	2
Investing Activities
Proceeds from sale of assets	0	0
Cash payments for plant, property, and equipment	(32)	(25)
Cash payments for software related intangible assets	(3)	(1)
Changes in restricted cash	0
Net cash used by investing activities	(35)	(26)
Financing Activities
Proceeds from Issuance of Common Stock	0
Retirement of long-term debt	0	0
Issuance of long-term debt		0
Debt issuance cost of long-term debt		0
Increase in bank overdrafts	0	0
Net increase in revolver borrowings and short-term debt excluding current maturities of long-term debt	0	0
Net increase in short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivable		0
Intercompany dividends and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations	137	26
Net cash provided by financing activities	137	26
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0	2
Cash and cash equivalents January 1	4	1
Cash and cash equivalents, March 31	4	3
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Operating Activities
Net cash provided used by operating activities	15	(21)
Investing Activities
Proceeds from sale of assets	2	1
Cash payments for plant, property, and equipment	(38)	(40)
Cash payments for software related intangible assets	(3)	(3)
Changes in restricted cash	(9)
Net cash used by investing activities	(48)	(42)
Financing Activities
Proceeds from Issuance of Common Stock	0
Retirement of long-term debt	0	0
Issuance of long-term debt		0
Debt issuance cost of long-term debt		0
Increase in bank overdrafts	(9)	2
Net increase in revolver borrowings and short-term debt excluding current maturities of long-term debt	3	27
Net increase in short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivable		0
Intercompany dividends and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations	42	1
Net cash provided by financing activities	36	30
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	7	10
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	10	(23)
Cash and cash equivalents January 1	219	213
Cash and cash equivalents, March 31	229	190
Tenneco Inc
Operating Activities
Net cash provided used by operating activities	(5)	(66)
Investing Activities
Proceeds from sale of assets	0	0
Cash payments for plant, property, and equipment	0	0
Cash payments for software related intangible assets	0	0
Changes in restricted cash	0
Net cash used by investing activities	0	0
Financing Activities
Proceeds from Issuance of Common Stock	1
Retirement of long-term debt	(5)	(381)
Issuance of long-term debt		250
Debt issuance cost of long-term debt		(12)
Increase in bank overdrafts	0	0
Net increase in revolver borrowings and short-term debt excluding current maturities of long-term debt	188	206
Net increase in short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivable		30
Intercompany dividends and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations	(179)	(27)
Net cash provided by financing activities	5	66
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents January 1	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, March 31	0	0
Reclass and Elims
Operating Activities
Net cash provided used by operating activities	0	0
Investing Activities
Proceeds from sale of assets	0	0
Cash payments for plant, property, and equipment	0	0
Cash payments for software related intangible assets	0	0
Changes in restricted cash	0
Net cash used by investing activities	0	0
Financing Activities
Proceeds from Issuance of Common Stock	0
Retirement of long-term debt	0	0
Issuance of long-term debt		0
Debt issuance cost of long-term debt		0
Increase in bank overdrafts	0	0
Net increase in revolver borrowings and short-term debt excluding current maturities of long-term debt	0	0
Net increase in short-term borrowings secured by accounts receivable		0
Intercompany dividends and net increase (decrease) in intercompany obligations	0	0
Net cash provided by financing activities	0	0
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents January 1	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, March 31	$ 0	$ 0