Method for operating a brake system, and brake system

A brake system for a vehicle, comprising:

• an actuating circuit including a positioner system, actuable by an actuation device, configured for generation of a brake request signal;
• an active circuit having a pressure generation device, which includes an electric motor and a displacement piston which is movable in a translatory fashion using the electric motor and coupled with the electric motor by a gear unit, and at least one wheel brake, which is hydraulically coupled with the pressure generation device;
• and
• a control unit which is connected to the positioner system of the actuating circuit and to the pressure generation device of the active circuit, the control unit being configured to ascertain from the brake request signal a setpoint brake pressure required in the active circuit, to actuate the electric motor of the pressure generation device for setting an actual brake pressure in the active circuit according to the setpoint brake pressure, and, under the condition that the brake request signal is constant over a predefined period of time, to actuate the electric motor to carry out a pressure modulation, which includes varying the actual brake pressure, while the brake request signal remains constant, by performing multiple times:
• (i) setting the actual brake pressure in the active circuit to a value that is greater than the setpoint brake pressure, and (ii) lowering the actual brake pressure until the setpoint brake pressure is reached.