Cat Financial Financing Activities (Details 4) - Finance Receivables - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	$ 679	$ 596
Current	21,718	22,363
Total	22,397	22,959
91 Days or More Past Due and Still Accruing	18	22
31 to 60 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	137	135
61 to 90 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	79	64
91 Days or More Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	463	397
Customer
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Total	19,022	19,389
Customer | North America
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	125	87
Current	7,938	7,850
Total	8,063	7,937
91 Days or More Past Due and Still Accruing	5	4
Customer | North America | 31 to 60 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	50	45
Customer | North America | 61 to 90 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	16	12
Customer | North America | 91 Days or More Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	59	30
Customer | Europe
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	67	69
Current	2,388	2,358
Total	2,455	2,427
91 Days or More Past Due and Still Accruing	6	9
Customer | Europe | 31 to 60 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	16	18
Customer | Europe | 61 to 90 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	12	7
Customer | Europe | 91 Days or More Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	39	44
Customer | Asia Pacific
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	39	54
Current	1,435	1,647
Total	1,474	1,701
91 Days or More Past Due and Still Accruing	4	6
Customer | Asia Pacific | 31 to 60 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	17	21
Customer | Asia Pacific | 61 to 90 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	7	12
Customer | Asia Pacific | 91 Days or More Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	15	21
Customer | Mining
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	68	75
Current	1,756	1,793
Total	1,824	1,868
91 Days or More Past Due and Still Accruing	2	1
Customer | Mining | 31 to 60 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	3	6
Customer | Mining | 61 to 90 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	2	1
Customer | Mining | 91 Days or More Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	63	68
Customer | Latin America
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	287	275
Current	1,808	1,998
Total	2,095	2,273
91 Days or More Past Due and Still Accruing	0	0
Customer | Latin America | 31 to 60 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	40	45
Customer | Latin America | 61 to 90 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	33	31
Customer | Latin America | 91 Days or More Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	214	199
Customer | Caterpillar Power Finance
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	93	36
Current	3,018	3,147
Total	3,111	3,183
91 Days or More Past Due and Still Accruing	1	2
Customer | Caterpillar Power Finance | 31 to 60 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	11	0
Customer | Caterpillar Power Finance | 61 to 90 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	9	1
Customer | Caterpillar Power Finance | 91 Days or More Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	73	35
Dealer
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Total	3,375	3,570
Dealer | North America
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Current	1,916	2,209
Total	1,916	2,209
91 Days or More Past Due and Still Accruing	0	0
Dealer | North America | 31 to 60 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Dealer | North America | 61 to 90 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Dealer | North America | 91 Days or More Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Dealer | Europe
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Current	161	149
Total	161	149
91 Days or More Past Due and Still Accruing	0	0
Dealer | Europe | 31 to 60 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Dealer | Europe | 61 to 90 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Dealer | Europe | 91 Days or More Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Dealer | Asia Pacific
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Current	541	552
Total	541	552
91 Days or More Past Due and Still Accruing	0	0
Dealer | Asia Pacific | 31 to 60 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Dealer | Asia Pacific | 61 to 90 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Dealer | Asia Pacific | 91 Days or More Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Dealer | Mining
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Current	3	4
Total	3	4
91 Days or More Past Due and Still Accruing	0	0
Dealer | Mining | 31 to 60 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Dealer | Mining | 61 to 90 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Dealer | Mining | 91 Days or More Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Dealer | Latin America
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Current	752	653
Total	752	653
91 Days or More Past Due and Still Accruing	0	0
Dealer | Latin America | 31 to 60 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Dealer | Latin America | 61 to 90 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Dealer | Latin America | 91 Days or More Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Dealer | Caterpillar Power Finance
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Current	2	3
Total	2	3
91 Days or More Past Due and Still Accruing	0	0
Dealer | Caterpillar Power Finance | 31 to 60 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Dealer | Caterpillar Power Finance | 61 to 90 Days Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	0	0
Dealer | Caterpillar Power Finance | 91 Days or More Past Due
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due	$ 0	$ 0