A circuit arrangement and a method for adjusting the power consumption of a load of a cooling fan motor of a motor vehicle that can be operated by a direct-voltage system has at least one semiconductor switch in the supply current circuit of the load, and a control unit for triggering the semiconductor switch or switches. The load is connectable via at least one sense field-effect transistor to the direct-voltage system the measurement output of the sense FET is connected to the control unit, and the control unit furnishes a signal corresponding to the current consumption of the load at the respective operating point.