Label	Element	Value
Debt conversion, cash paid	cat_Debtconversioncashpaid	$ 15,000,000
Debt Conversion, Converted Instrument, Rate	us-gaap_DebtConversionConvertedInstrumentRate	1.93%
Debt Conversion, Converted Instrument, Amount	us-gaap_DebtConversionConvertedInstrumentAmount1	$ 366,000,000
Debt exchange premium	cat_Debtexchangepremium	33,000,000
Debt Conversion, Original Debt, Amount	us-gaap_DebtConversionOriginalDebtAmount1	$ 381,000,000

Amount of cash paid as a result of the original debt being converted into a part noncash transaction.

No definition available.

Name:	cat_Debtconversioncashpaid
Namespace Prefix:	cat_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of premium paid as a result of original debt being converted in a noncash of part noncash transaction.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cat_Debtexchangepremium
Namespace Prefix:	cat_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The value of the financial instrument(s) that the original debt is being converted into in a noncash (or part noncash) transaction. "Part noncash" refers to that portion of the transaction not resulting in cash receipts or cash payments in the period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6367179&loc=d3e4304-108586

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6367179&loc=d3e4332-108586

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtConversionConvertedInstrumentAmount1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Dividend or interest rate associated with the financial instrument issued in exchange for the original debt being converted in a noncash or part noncash transaction. Noncash are transactions that affect recognized assets or liabilities but that do not result in cash receipts or cash payments. Part noncash refers to that portion of the transaction not resulting in cash receipts or cash payments.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtConversionConvertedInstrumentRate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The amount of the original debt being converted in a noncash (or part noncash) transaction. "Part noncash" refers to that portion of the transaction not resulting in cash receipts or cash payments in the period.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtConversionOriginalDebtAmount1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration