| **Supplemental cash flow information**            | 12 Months Ended                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
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| **Supplemental Cash Flow Information [Abstract]** |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| Supplemental cash flow information                | The following table provides additional information about the Company's Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended October 31, 2012, 2011, and 2010:  For the Years EndedOctober 31,   2012 2011 2010(in millions)     Equity in income of affiliated companies, net of dividends     Equity in loss of non-consolidated affiliates$29 $71 $50Dividends from non-consolidated affiliates7 4 5Equity in loss of non-consolidated affiliates, net of dividends$36 $75 $55Other non-cash operating activities     Loss on sales of affiliates$3 $— $8Gain on increased equity interest in subsidiary— (6) —Loss on sale of property and equipment4 2 1Loss (gain) on sale and impairment of repossessed collateral— (1) 9Loss on sale of finance receivables— — 39Write-off of debt issuance cost13 — 4Gain on settlement of financing arrangement— (10) —Other non-cash operating activities$20 $(15) $61Changes in other assets and liabilities     Other current assets$1 $(28) $(39)Other noncurrent assets16 (32) 7Other current liabilities198 130 (73)Postretirement benefits liabilities(79) 9 (40)Other noncurrent liabilities292 94 (16)Other, net(8) (9) 1Changes in other assets and liabilities$420 $164 $(160)Cash paid during the year     Interest, net of amounts capitalized$195 $208 $170Income taxes, net of refunds51 9 27Non-cash investing and financing activities     Property and equipment acquired under capital leases$58 $— $12Transfers from inventories to property and equipment for leases to others37 9 34 |

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| - Definition
The entire disclosure for supplemental cash flow activities, including cash, noncash, and part noncash transactions, for the period. Noncash is defined as information about all investing and financing activities of an enterprise during a period that affect recognized assets or liabilities but that do not result in cash receipts or cash payments in the period. "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 5 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6367179&loc=d3e4332-108586Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6367179&loc=d3e4313-108586Reference 3: 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=d3e4304-108586Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 95 -Paragraph 32 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009.  This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.
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