A system and method for generating a pressure-volume curve for a hydraulic system in a vehicle. The system includes a plunger coupled to the hydraulic system, a pressure sensor configured to detect a pressure of the hydraulic system, and an electronic controller configured to access a prior pressure-volume curve from a memory, generate a signal to move the plunger, receive a pressure from the pressure sensor, generate a new pressure-volume curve based upon the received pressure and a position of the plunger, compare the new pressure-volume curve to the prior pressure-volume curve, in response to the new pressure-volume curve and the prior pressure-volume curve differing by at least a threshold value, replace the prior pressure-volume curve with the new pressure-volume curve in the memory, and actuating the hydraulic system based upon the stored pressure-volume curve.