v2.4.0.8
Condensed Consolidating Financial Information Condensed Balance Sheet (Details) (USD $)
Jun. 30, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Nov. 14, 2012
Jun. 30, 2012
Dec. 31, 2011
Condensed Balance Sheet Statements, Captions [Line Items]          
Issuance of senior notes     $ 4,900,000,000    
Cash 628,000,000 577,000,000   525,000,000 385,000,000
Short-term investments 368,000,000 527,000,000      
Accounts receivable - net 3,820,000,000 3,510,000,000      
Intercompany accounts receivable 0 0      
Inventory 2,405,000,000 2,339,000,000      
Prepaid expenses other current assets 1,008,000,000 871,000,000      
Total current assets 8,229,000,000 7,824,000,000      
Property, plant and equipment - net 3,749,000,000 3,823,000,000      
Goodwill 14,049,000,000 14,211,000,000      
Other intangible assets 7,186,000,000 7,468,000,000      
Deferred income taxes 1,169,000,000 1,254,000,000      
Investment in subsidiaries 0 0      
Intercompany loans receivables 0 0      
Other assets 875,000,000 1,704,000,000      
Short-term Debt 115,000,000 757,000,000      
Current portion of long-term debt 575,000,000 314,000,000      
Total assets 35,257,000,000 36,284,000,000      
Accounts payable 2,045,000,000 1,879,000,000      
Intercompany accounts payable 0 0      
Accrued compensation 368,000,000 463,000,000      
Other current liabilities 1,878,000,000 2,057,000,000      
Total current liabilities 4,981,000,000 5,470,000,000      
Long-term debt 9,069,000,000 9,762,000,000      
Pension liabilities 1,805,000,000 2,004,000,000      
Other postretirement benefits liabilities 736,000,000 740,000,000      
Deferred income taxes 2,301,000,000 2,341,000,000      
Intercompany loans payable 0 0      
Other noncurrent liabilities 934,000,000 812,000,000      
Total noncurrent liabilities 14,845,000,000 15,659,000,000      
Eaton shareholders' equity 15,388,000,000 15,113,000,000      
Noncontrolling interests 43,000,000 42,000,000      
Total equity 15,431,000,000 15,155,000,000      
Total liabilities and equity 35,257,000,000 36,284,000,000      
Eaton Corporation plc [Member]
          
Condensed Balance Sheet Statements, Captions [Line Items]          
Cash 4,000,000 7,000,000      
Short-term investments 0 0      
Accounts receivable - net 0 0      
Intercompany accounts receivable 19,000,000 38,000,000      
Inventory 0 0      
Prepaid expenses other current assets 0 0      
Total current assets 23,000,000 45,000,000      
Property, plant and equipment - net 0 0      
Goodwill 0 0      
Other intangible assets 0 0      
Deferred income taxes 0 0      
Investment in subsidiaries 23,038,000,000 20,662,000,000      
Intercompany loans receivables 0 0      
Other assets 0 0      
Short-term Debt 0 0      
Current portion of long-term debt 0 0      
Total assets 23,061,000,000 20,707,000,000      
Accounts payable 0 0      
Intercompany accounts payable 0 2,000,000      
Accrued compensation 0 0      
Other current liabilities 13,000,000 0      
Total current liabilities 13,000,000 2,000,000      
Long-term debt 0 0      
Pension liabilities 0 0      
Other postretirement benefits liabilities 0 0      
Deferred income taxes 0 0      
Intercompany loans payable 7,660,000,000 5,592,000,000      
Other noncurrent liabilities 0 0      
Total noncurrent liabilities 7,660,000,000 5,592,000,000      
Eaton shareholders' equity 15,388,000,000 15,113,000,000      
Noncontrolling interests 0 0      
Total equity 15,388,000,000 15,113,000,000      
Total liabilities and equity 23,061,000,000 20,707,000,000      
Eaton Corporation [Member]
          
Condensed Balance Sheet Statements, Captions [Line Items]          
Cash 44,000,000 54,000,000   188,000,000 120,000,000
Short-term investments 0 25,000,000      
Accounts receivable - net 63,000,000 624,000,000      
Intercompany accounts receivable 918,000,000 365,000,000      
Inventory 344,000,000 341,000,000      
Prepaid expenses other current assets 518,000,000 391,000,000      
Total current assets 1,887,000,000 1,800,000,000      
Property, plant and equipment - net 952,000,000 934,000,000      
Goodwill 1,382,000,000 1,382,000,000      
Other intangible assets 220,000,000 231,000,000      
Deferred income taxes 926,000,000 941,000,000      
Investment in subsidiaries 8,187,000,000 7,678,000,000      
Intercompany loans receivables 7,526,000,000 7,650,000,000      
Other assets 408,000,000 460,000,000      
Short-term Debt 101,000,000 753,000,000      
Current portion of long-term debt 553,000,000 303,000,000      
Total assets 21,488,000,000 21,076,000,000      
Accounts payable 484,000,000 424,000,000      
Intercompany accounts payable 3,301,000,000 2,794,000,000      
Accrued compensation 80,000,000 129,000,000      
Other current liabilities 566,000,000 523,000,000      
Total current liabilities 5,085,000,000 4,926,000,000      
Long-term debt 7,735,000,000 8,397,000,000      
Pension liabilities 781,000,000 895,000,000      
Other postretirement benefits liabilities 451,000,000 454,000,000      
Deferred income taxes 0 0      
Intercompany loans payable 1,967,000,000 1,401,000,000      
Other noncurrent liabilities 527,000,000 440,000,000      
Total noncurrent liabilities 11,461,000,000 11,587,000,000      
Eaton shareholders' equity 4,942,000,000 4,563,000,000      
Noncontrolling interests 0 0      
Total equity 4,942,000,000 4,563,000,000      
Total liabilities and equity 21,488,000,000 21,076,000,000      
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
          
Condensed Balance Sheet Statements, Captions [Line Items]          
Cash 7,000,000 14,000,000   1,000,000 3,000,000
Short-term investments 17,000,000 38,000,000      
Accounts receivable - net 1,086,000,000 413,000,000      
Intercompany accounts receivable 2,546,000,000 4,693,000,000      
Inventory 610,000,000 563,000,000      
Prepaid expenses other current assets 177,000,000 198,000,000      
Total current assets 4,443,000,000 5,919,000,000      
Property, plant and equipment - net 781,000,000 793,000,000      
Goodwill 9,264,000,000 9,381,000,000      
Other intangible assets 4,014,000,000 4,104,000,000      
Deferred income taxes 48,000,000 94,000,000      
Investment in subsidiaries 30,055,000,000 14,428,000,000      
Intercompany loans receivables 2,018,000,000 13,262,000,000      
Other assets 94,000,000 90,000,000      
Short-term Debt 0 0      
Current portion of long-term debt 8,000,000 8,000,000      
Total assets 50,717,000,000 48,071,000,000      
Accounts payable 364,000,000 343,000,000      
Intercompany accounts payable 3,356,000,000 4,855,000,000      
Accrued compensation 43,000,000 76,000,000      
Other current liabilities 382,000,000 424,000,000      
Total current liabilities 4,153,000,000 5,706,000,000      
Long-term debt 1,316,000,000 1,331,000,000      
Pension liabilities 219,000,000 255,000,000      
Other postretirement benefits liabilities 187,000,000 189,000,000      
Deferred income taxes 1,519,000,000 1,546,000,000      
Intercompany loans payable 17,006,000,000 14,857,000,000      
Other noncurrent liabilities 95,000,000 86,000,000      
Total noncurrent liabilities 20,342,000,000 18,264,000,000      
Eaton shareholders' equity 26,222,000,000 24,101,000,000      
Noncontrolling interests 0 0      
Total equity 26,222,000,000 24,101,000,000      
Total liabilities and equity 50,717,000,000 48,071,000,000      
Other Subsidiaries [Member]
          
Condensed Balance Sheet Statements, Captions [Line Items]          
Cash 573,000,000 502,000,000   336,000,000 262,000,000
Short-term investments 351,000,000 464,000,000      
Accounts receivable - net 2,671,000,000 2,473,000,000      
Intercompany accounts receivable 3,841,000,000 5,643,000,000      
Inventory 1,490,000,000 1,474,000,000      
Prepaid expenses other current assets 302,000,000 273,000,000      
Total current assets 9,228,000,000 10,829,000,000      
Property, plant and equipment - net 2,016,000,000 2,096,000,000      
Goodwill 3,403,000,000 3,448,000,000      
Other intangible assets 2,952,000,000 3,133,000,000      
Deferred income taxes 195,000,000 219,000,000      
Investment in subsidiaries 8,229,000,000 6,365,000,000      
Intercompany loans receivables 18,049,000,000 14,125,000,000      
Other assets 373,000,000 1,154,000,000      
Short-term Debt 14,000,000 4,000,000      
Current portion of long-term debt 14,000,000 3,000,000      
Total assets 44,445,000,000 41,369,000,000      
Accounts payable 1,197,000,000 1,112,000,000      
Intercompany accounts payable 667,000,000 3,088,000,000      
Accrued compensation 245,000,000 258,000,000      
Other current liabilities 920,000,000 1,114,000,000      
Total current liabilities 3,057,000,000 5,579,000,000      
Long-term debt 18,000,000 34,000,000      
Pension liabilities 805,000,000 854,000,000      
Other postretirement benefits liabilities 98,000,000 97,000,000      
Deferred income taxes 782,000,000 795,000,000      
Intercompany loans payable 960,000,000 13,187,000,000      
Other noncurrent liabilities 312,000,000 286,000,000      
Total noncurrent liabilities 2,975,000,000 15,253,000,000      
Eaton shareholders' equity 38,380,000,000 20,505,000,000      
Noncontrolling interests 33,000,000 32,000,000      
Total equity 38,413,000,000 20,537,000,000      
Total liabilities and equity 44,445,000,000 41,369,000,000      
Consolidating Adjustments [Member]
          
Condensed Balance Sheet Statements, Captions [Line Items]          
Cash 0 0   0 0
Short-term investments 0 0      
Accounts receivable - net 0 0      
Intercompany accounts receivable (7,324,000,000) (10,739,000,000)      
Inventory (39,000,000) (39,000,000)      
Prepaid expenses other current assets 11,000,000 9,000,000      
Total current assets (7,352,000,000) (10,769,000,000)      
Property, plant and equipment - net 0 0      
Goodwill 0 0      
Other intangible assets 0 0      
Deferred income taxes 0 0      
Investment in subsidiaries (69,509,000,000) (49,133,000,000)      
Intercompany loans receivables (27,593,000,000) (35,037,000,000)      
Other assets 0 0      
Short-term Debt 0 0      
Current portion of long-term debt 0 0      
Total assets (104,454,000,000) (94,939,000,000)      
Accounts payable 0 0      
Intercompany accounts payable (7,324,000,000) (10,739,000,000)      
Accrued compensation 0 0      
Other current liabilities (3,000,000) (4,000,000)      
Total current liabilities (7,327,000,000) (10,743,000,000)      
Long-term debt 0 0      
Pension liabilities 0 0      
Other postretirement benefits liabilities 0 0      
Deferred income taxes 0 0      
Intercompany loans payable (27,593,000,000) (35,037,000,000)      
Other noncurrent liabilities 0 0      
Total noncurrent liabilities (27,593,000,000) (35,037,000,000)      
Eaton shareholders' equity (69,544,000,000) (49,169,000,000)      
Noncontrolling interests 10,000,000 10,000,000      
Total equity (69,534,000,000) (49,159,000,000)      
Total liabilities and equity $ (104,454,000,000) $ (94,939,000,000)