Just got a used Garmin 205W in the mail with no User's Guide. It says low battery. Can I charge it with a regular plug in device like I use for my cell phone, or do I have to use the cigarette lighter with the car running?

Your Nuvi 205W should have come with a User Manual which can be downloaded here:
http://www8.garmin.com/manuals/2675_OwnersManual.pdfup

and a QuickStart guide which will get you started here:
http://www8.garmin.com/manuals/2459_QuickStartManual.pdf

These give you step by step instructions on how to set up and use your Garmin Nuvi 205W.

If this solves your problem, please come back and rate our solution. Thank you.

The Garmin Nuvi 205w user manual is available as a pdf download.
You can then view and print it using acrobat reader through your internet browser.

something is wrong withe your lighter so unplug it when the car is off also you may want to do a complete charging system inspection on your vehicle

have you checked charging using a usb lead on pc it will say charging on screen , as it sound like your power lead in the cigar lighter is not working, there is a fuse in it and it should light up

Sorry to hear of your trouble downloading the Garmin 205 User Manual. Here it is in full color. I hope this helps you, and please ask for me if you need further assistance. Garmin 205W User Guide
Thank you
Microsofty

Sounds like your battery is getting weak.
Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} The nuvi 200 series, 300 series, 600 series, 700 series, 1000 series and the StreetPilot C300 and C500 series do not have user replaceable batteries. These units must be sent in to a Garmin approved repair facilities if a battery issue arises. Garmin and Raytech are the only Garmin approved repair facilities. Raytech is a repair facility for Canadian customers. To repair your device please contact the specific repair facility probably at Garmin.com. If your device is not still under the 1 year warranty, there will be a cost associated with the repair of your device.

The most common cause is low battery.(no voltage to the unit)
Does it shut off if plugged in and not moved?
If you have a old battery it may show a full charge while having only a surface charge and of course....will shut off.
Also if it is plugged in and the connection is moved causing a bad connection .....even for a second while having a bad battery in the unit ....it will ...of course ....shut off.

u need a new battery, early failure for sure, contact Garmin they may fix it for free.

DC power will not properly charge the battery. It is possibly damaged. Change i. Preferably charge it via AC before using on DC.
But change battery....

I have a 205w and have been very frustrated with this same issue, but I just so happened to find the following fix on another site today and it works great.
Follow these steps:
Turn on the unit on battery, press the battery icon and hold for about ten seconds, and the unit will switch to the diagnostic mode. Now plug in the USB cable and it will give you a loud bleep. Exit the diagnostic mode and it will operate normally while charging. This was handy to enter favorites while it was charging.