Derivative Financial Instruments and Hedging Activities (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Debt denominated in foreign currency designated as non-derivative net investment hedging instrument	$ 122	$ 129
Percentage of intercompany balance sheet exposure that Eaton manages	100.00%
Other current assets [Member]
Derivatives designated as hedges
Derivative asset designated as hedging instrument	6	4
Derivatives not designated as hedges
Derivative instruments not designated as hedging instruments, asset, at fair value	10	18
Other long-term assets [Member]
Derivatives designated as hedges
Derivative asset designated as hedging instrument	61	68
Other current liabilities [Member]
Derivatives designated as hedges
Derivative liability designated as hedging instrument	3	16
Derivatives not designated as hedges
Derivative instruments not designated as hedging instruments, liability, at fair value	22	26
Other long-term liabilites [Member]
Derivatives designated as hedges
Derivative liability designated as hedging instrument	6	2
Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts [Member]
Derivatives not designated as hedges
Notional amount	3,086	2,954
Period of derivatives not designated as hedges	12 months	12 months
Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts [Member] | Other current assets [Member]
Derivatives not designated as hedges
Derivative instruments not designated as hedging instruments, asset, at fair value	9	18
Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts [Member] | Other current liabilities [Member]
Derivatives not designated as hedges
Derivative instruments not designated as hedging instruments, liability, at fair value	18	14
Commodity contracts (cash flow hedges) [Member]
Derivatives not designated as hedges
Notional amount	64	61
Period of derivatives not designated as hedges	12 months	12 months
Commodity contracts (cash flow hedges) [Member] | Other current assets [Member]
Derivatives not designated as hedges
Derivative instruments not designated as hedging instruments, asset, at fair value	1	0
Commodity contracts (cash flow hedges) [Member] | Other current liabilities [Member]
Derivatives not designated as hedges
Derivative instruments not designated as hedging instruments, liability, at fair value	4	12
Fair Value Hedging [Member] | Fixed-to-floating interest rate swaps (fair value hedges) [Member]
Derivatives designated as hedges
Notional amount	1,290	940
Period of derivatives designated as hedges	1 to 22 years	1 to 22 years
Fair Value Hedging [Member] | Fixed-to-floating interest rate swaps (fair value hedges) [Member] | Other current assets [Member]
Derivatives designated as hedges
Derivative asset designated as hedging instrument	0	0
Fair Value Hedging [Member] | Fixed-to-floating interest rate swaps (fair value hedges) [Member] | Other long-term assets [Member]
Derivatives designated as hedges
Derivative asset designated as hedging instrument	61	68
Fair Value Hedging [Member] | Fixed-to-floating interest rate swaps (fair value hedges) [Member] | Other current liabilities [Member]
Derivatives designated as hedges
Derivative liability designated as hedging instrument	0	0
Fair Value Hedging [Member] | Fixed-to-floating interest rate swaps (fair value hedges) [Member] | Other long-term liabilites [Member]
Derivatives designated as hedges
Derivative liability designated as hedging instrument	5	2
Fair Value Hedging [Member] | Floating to Fixed Interest Rate Swap [Domain]
Derivatives designated as hedges
Period of derivatives designated as hedges		2 years
Fair Value Hedging [Member] | Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts [Member] | Other long-term liabilites [Member]
Derivatives designated as hedges
Derivative liability designated as hedging instrument	0
Fair Value Hedging [Member] | Commodity contracts (cash flow hedges) [Member] | Other long-term liabilites [Member]
Derivatives designated as hedges
Derivative liability designated as hedging instrument	0
Cash Flow Hedging [Member] | Floating to Fixed Interest Rate Swap [Domain]
Derivatives designated as hedges
Notional amount	300	300
Period of derivatives designated as hedges	2 years
Cash Flow Hedging [Member] | Floating to Fixed Interest Rate Swap [Domain] | Other current assets [Member]
Derivatives designated as hedges
Derivative asset designated as hedging instrument	0	0
Cash Flow Hedging [Member] | Floating to Fixed Interest Rate Swap [Domain] | Other long-term assets [Member]
Derivatives designated as hedges
Derivative asset designated as hedging instrument	0	0
Cash Flow Hedging [Member] | Floating to Fixed Interest Rate Swap [Domain] | Other current liabilities [Member]
Derivatives designated as hedges
Derivative liability designated as hedging instrument	0	0
Cash Flow Hedging [Member] | Floating to Fixed Interest Rate Swap [Domain] | Other long-term liabilites [Member]
Derivatives designated as hedges
Derivative liability designated as hedging instrument	1	0
Cash Flow Hedging [Member] | Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts [Member]
Derivatives designated as hedges
Notional amount	408	308
Period of derivatives designated as hedges	12 to 36 months	12 to 36 months
Cash Flow Hedging [Member] | Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts [Member] | Other current assets [Member]
Derivatives designated as hedges
Derivative asset designated as hedging instrument	6	4
Cash Flow Hedging [Member] | Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts [Member] | Other long-term assets [Member]
Derivatives designated as hedges
Derivative asset designated as hedging instrument	0	0
Cash Flow Hedging [Member] | Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts [Member] | Other current liabilities [Member]
Derivatives designated as hedges
Derivative liability designated as hedging instrument	1	9
Cash Flow Hedging [Member] | Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts [Member] | Other long-term liabilites [Member]
Derivatives designated as hedges
Derivative liability designated as hedging instrument		0
Cash Flow Hedging [Member] | Commodity contracts (cash flow hedges) [Member]
Derivatives designated as hedges
Notional amount	51	47
Period of derivatives designated as hedges	12 months	12 months
Cash Flow Hedging [Member] | Commodity contracts (cash flow hedges) [Member] | Other current assets [Member]
Derivatives designated as hedges
Derivative asset designated as hedging instrument	0	0
Cash Flow Hedging [Member] | Commodity contracts (cash flow hedges) [Member] | Other long-term assets [Member]
Derivatives designated as hedges
Derivative asset designated as hedging instrument	0	0
Cash Flow Hedging [Member] | Commodity contracts (cash flow hedges) [Member] | Other current liabilities [Member]
Derivatives designated as hedges
Derivative liability designated as hedging instrument	2	7
Cash Flow Hedging [Member] | Commodity contracts (cash flow hedges) [Member] | Other long-term liabilites [Member]
Derivatives designated as hedges
Derivative liability designated as hedging instrument		$ 0